Cold and miserable conditions do not sell skiing very well, but they apply to my first time skiing at what became — in some conditional ways — my favorite mountain. That peak’s life as a ski area is now in jeopardy. It was about 1964 when my current wife and my late roommate piled into his old … [Read more...]
East Bowl, Burke Mountain: A great challenge in the Kingdom
For winter lovers, the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont is about what it sounds like, a winter kingdom well on the way to Montreal. In fact, from the summit of Jay Peak — also in the Northeast Kingdom — you can see the lights of Montreal at night. Burke Mountain Resort is less heralded than Jay but … [Read more...]
There is no shortage of great pre-Christmas slope options
It was kind of a game some 50 years ago when I lived in real north country — northern New England, that is. From mid-October, my friends and I would be scouring the weather conditions, almost daily, to see if skiing was on the horizon. I worked for a campus radio station that had a continual feed … [Read more...]
Bobby’s Run, Waterville Valley: Corcoran’s legacy endures in style
As a young man growing up in Quebec, Tom Corcoran knew at least two things about skiing: that Europeans were bound to be dominant over skiers in the Americas; and that if ski areas gave up on race training, it would only get worse, the subtle technique at the center of skiing — that hard carved turn … [Read more...]
Last Run: Sailing into a new season
I've always kind of admired Camus' thought about how dying summer breathes life into the new season. Such a startling reversal to conventional thinking. But this morning, I am literally to my waist in wet sail bags, as we haul one by one out of the locker, spread the Dacron to hose off the salt, … [Read more...]
Warren Miller sparked a passion for snowsports, pursuit of adventure
I suppose those of us who have spent most of a lifetime loving the sport and lifestyle of skiing do give something back. We buy the clothes and equipment, pay for the lifts, food, instruction and mountain lodging. In fact, it all adds up to a considerable amount, right? But late January a man … [Read more...]
