Well it's 175 days (at the time of posting) until the mountain opens for the 2005-06 ski season (for an updated count, check out the clock at the bottom of the page). Before I know it I'll be buying my season pass (due by the end of August to get the locals' rate), and the summer months I intended to devote to getting fit will have disappeared into thin air.Since the season past is still considerably closer in time and thought than the season to come, what better time than now to reflect on my first full season living in a ski town.
This winter was much warmer than normal for Steamboat and in terms of snowfall started off slowly, but we had some great storms in late March and early April to end the season on a strong note. Notwithstanding a poor season, I can't believe how much fun I had and how much my skiing improved - probably as much as it did in the previous 20 years when skiing consisted of a five or ten day trip once a year.
There were many moments when I felt I must have died and gone to heaven, but two days in particular stand out.
February 8. I had to fly out to a meeting in Indianapolis in the afternoon but I still managed two hours skiing a fresh knee-deep fall of Steamboat's famous champagne powder before heading off to the airport (don't tell the boss!)
April 9. My 42nd birthday on which I skied my 42nd (and last) day for the season. The mountain closed the following day which was cold and grey and windy. But after waiting my whole life to ski on my birthday, April 9 was warm and sunny and the mountain was almost empty. How lucky can you get!
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