Tag Archives: Deer Valley REsort

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Familiar with the Line

My finish trail at my local ride

The other day I was riding Frick Park with a bunch of guys and some of those trails are pretty sketchy if you don’t know them. As I get older, I notice that I get a little conservative on trails that I don’t know so well and ride rather timidly at times. The uphill rooty sections at Frick were a little un-nerving because I am not that familiar with them, and trying to ride them aggressively is not something I am comfortable with doing anymore. On my way home, I thought about this and said to myself that I would rather ride trails where I know the line, and can ride them with confidence. Lots of my younger friends like to explore and ride new trails but me……..not so much anymore. I know I ride the same places all the time, but I am comfortable with them even in the nastiest of weather. Maybe it is a product of aging? Not sure, but I know what I like and don’t like at this point. The good thing is that I know a lot of trails in different places but the more familiar I am with them- the better.

I know these trails and the challenge is familiar. Laurel Mountain

I have my local rides where I know the trails, and I ride them several times per week. I also try to go to places like Laurel Mountain where the riding is challenging but I know the lines and can manage through some pretty technical sections because of familiarity. I also love the scenery there which, anymore, is as important to me as comfort with the trail system. I take a lot of heat from friends who want me to expand my horizon, but I hold my ground lately. I would rather be comfortable riding a familiar area then experimenting with a trail that I don’t know. And at this point in life, I don’t want to get hurt either. I don’t heal as well as I did in my youth. Occasionally I will venture out on to some new stuff, but mostly on my own so that I can become familiar and then add it to my quiver of trails. I have a good selection locally and also in places like West Virginia, State College, and the Laurel Mountains. Once I am familiar with them, my memory serves me well.

Lower Wildcat at Laurel Mountain State Park Ski Area

Interestingly, I kind of have the same perspective in my winter activity of skiing. People ask me when I ski locally at Laurel Mountain, why I just lap Wildcat. I tell them it is the best trail in the state and there are a number of different lines that you can take. But for the most part, I am familiar with that trail and, well, I just ski it comfortably. My friend Porter is the same. He skis familiar slopes and trails and skis his favorite lines like I do. He is aging too. So…………maybe there is something to that. But when you feel confident to make good turns on a slope or trail with which you are comfortable…..it is a lot of fun. Even if it is repetitive. Like mountain biking, I also have a good head knowledge and memory of places that I have skied When I travel and make my way out west to Mammoth Mountain for instance, I have enough experience and memory that I am comfortable with their terrain and can ski it confidently. I remember the lines and can do that in a lot of ski areas with which I am familiar. I may not know the trail names, but I know where to go and how to ski them.

Top of the gondola runs at Mammoth. I do know a couple of the names of the famous drops.

As I followed the group the other night at Frick, it became more and more clear to me how much I like familiar territory and how much I don’t like being surprised anymore. When you can rail a trail on your MTB at speed because you know every rock and ditch, you finish the ride with a smile on your face. Sure, I have done it a hundred times or more, but at my age, I am happy to be familiar and ride with confidence. Same with skiing.

Steins Way at Deer Valley- I know it and know how to ski it.
Rocky but I know the trail.
I even like to hike familiar trails- so as not to lose Janet. LOL!!

So, the next time you are riding or skiing with me and you want to explore, I may say to you…..” go ahead, I will meet you.” Not being rude or inconsiderate, but I like to be at my best and I do that on terrain that is familiar. Just a little factor of aging, I suppose. But no apologies, and you can always be sure that I know where I am going. LOL!! Thanks for reading.

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“You are my hiding place. You will protect me from trouble.” Psalm 32:7

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So How is it Out West?

The Ski Lodge

So this year has been a little different in the local ski areas. The chair above has been my lodge as I change my boots in the parking lot and try to minimize contact except for outside skiing and rides on the chairlift. Personally, as I have posted before, I am happy to be skiing and have to hand it to the ski areas to even be operating in this era of the Pandemic. I am grateful. So how is it in other areas around the country you might ask? We all have heard about the long lines in Colorado and Tahoe and even locally the lines have been robust. I am thinking that the Pandemic has encouraged people to get outside and also the snowy, cold winter around here has brought about a renewed enthusiasm for skiing. It has also been a good winter around the country. My friends have reported huge snows in the Pacific Northwest and some longer lines in several other western areas.

Last week my wife and I ventured to Park City, Utah at the invitation of some very good friends who live there. They have been careful with social distancing and so have we, so our only unknown was the airport and plane. We were careful but the airports were reasonable and allowed for distancing. Even the planes were sanitized and we were fortunate to not have anyone in the middle seat. We wore our masks, sanitized the seats and tray tables and also our headrests. All was well and we made our way to ski at Deer Valley, Utah.

The Empire Canyon Area at Deer Valley.

One of the first things we noticed was that Deer Valley was not really that crowded despite what we had heard about neighboring Park City Resort. They limit the lift tickets and since I had an IKON Pass, I was able to ski without a reservation and my wife was able to get a buddy pass at the ticket window each day without issue. In typical Deer Valley protocol, the slopes were impeccably groomed much to my wife’s delight, and the sun shined brightly every day, even though there were cold temperatures . I noticed that the indoor dining was restricted and a reservation system was in place for all the ski lodges. You could get “Grab and Go” meals either by ordering on the Deer Valley App or ordering at the window. Eating outside was encouraged. But there was very little indoor warming encouraged.

In the lift lines, signage was plentiful regarding social distancing and all Deer Valley employees were on alert to instruct anyone who had their facemasks down to pull them up. Even on the exit ramps on the chairlifts, there were signs to use your mask when unloading. Instructors had masks on when teaching and all of the employees had masks for every function in the area. It was expected that all guests complied and it was a small price to pay for the privilege of skiing Deer Valley.

Main Street in Park City was still pretty crowded and even though there were protocols for social distancing, the amount of people made it so that we did not shop or eat on Main Street. We dined with our friends in their beautiful home and did take out one night.

Best View in Park City

So, even though there are consistent similarities in Covid protocol in all ski areas this season, the west is doing a good job with the amount of locals skiing and also visitors who now are a little more comfortable traveling. Like the McCloskeys. The atmosphere seems a bit subdued out there as the apres and dining scene are affected by restrictions. You could actually feel it when walking around. Something was definitely different. All bets were off at the No Name Saloon as it seemed to be a haven for the ” cabin fever” crowd. We stayed away for now. I will see what Mammoth Mountain is doing at the end of this month, but if I have the experience that we had in Deer Valley, I will be comfortable and again grateful to be skiing. Thanks for reading.

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Ski Camp for Old Guys

As we pulled into Huntsville, and exited the vehicle after a great day of skiing at Snowbasin, we ran into the town drunk who cheerfully slurred and pointed,”  in there- the best cheeseburgers in town.”  I knew he was right because I had been there before but some of our posse had not and we all were treated to the simple fare of cheeseburgers, chips, and beer at the Shooting Star Saloon.  Check out their sign.IMG_0097  Aside from the ceiling filled with dollar bills and the “jackalopes” mounted on the wall( mythical jackrabbits with antlers), the St. Bernard head mounted on the wall that was accidentally shot after rescuing 11 skiers trapped in an avalanche, and the lone pool table, the oldest tavern in Utah survives on simple fare and simple customers.IMG_0096  A great place for us to relive the days exploits at Snowbasin- the site or the 2002 Winter Olympic speed events for skiing.  IMG_0088

The five of us who get together every year are avid skiers.  From left to right we have Mark Hutchinson(our historian and former race coach at Stowe), Eric Durfee( our ring leader and organizer from Lake Tahoe via Vermont), Proctor Reid( ex ski racer from Dartmouth who grew up with Hutch and Eric in Vermont), yours truly, and Bart Smith( our host this year from Park City and ex Cornell racer along with Eric) Our missing member this year was John Ingwersen, another ex Cornell racer.  Traditionally we have gone to Tahoe but seeing that the conditions were bleak for the second year in a row, Bart generously offered to host the group at his place in Park City.  This group is a passionate one.  Much like guys who go on golf trips, fishing trips, or hunting trips.  Comradery is the key component to any outing like this but our group also values time on the hill.  These guys are bell to bell, first chairs and last chairs up the mountain for the day.  It is hard to chronicle the enthusiasm. It really is something to experience.  Skiing is not just something this group does, it is a lifestyle.IMG_0178.JPG  Sitting around the apres’ places having a beer and eating a buffalo burger, you hear some great stories about ski racing in New England, and relationships with some of the big names in the ski world.  Hutch and Eric’s old friend George Tormey was the K-2 ski rep for years as well as a race coach at Stowe.  The K-2 Four ski was made available to Bode Miller originally to race at Sugarloaf in the Junior Nationals.  Bode won by a large margin in most of the events including the speed events using the conventional K-2 Four shaped ski.  It was innovative at the time and Bode wanted to use them.  The only other pair available went to Travis Durfee- Eric’s son who was a top ranked junior racer in New England and eventually made the Far West Team when the family moved to Tahoe.

Sitting around Bart’s table, one can continue to hear great ski racing and ski instruction stories from the past and the single focus of our week long adventure is skiing, skiing, and more skiing.  We wake up and decide which area we will ski for the day, eat breakfast provided by Bart and his wife Joe in absentia( she went to visit her mom),  ski all day hard usually in a fast pace line weaving through unsuspecting skiers on the mountain, having a beer and something to eat, showering, watching March madness and retiring usually at 9:00 at night.  No night life on these trips, skiing is too important and our fearless leader makes sure we are first ones in the parking lot and first on the chairs.  Pretty good for a group of  in shape guys that just turned 60.  Bart is a year older but he is the strongest one of us all.  First time I met Bart was years ago when I saw him launch himself straight into Corbett’s Couloir in Jackson Hole while we were trying to inch our way into the couloir from the side.03jack395.2  I said to Eric,” Who is this guy?”  Eric said, ” you will find out a lot about Bart.  Try to keep him in sight.”  A true strongman and powerful skier.  Age means nothing in this group.  All good skiers.  All strong skiers.  Jokingly Bart said one morning, ” this is like summer camp for old guys.”  The great thing about this annual gathering is that none of us think about anything else but skiing hard, laughing, and reliving old times.  Eat breakfast, ski, have a beer and something to eat afterwards, relax and do it all over again the next day- just like camp!!  Lots of sleep and up with the birds.  Might not be interesting to many people who include other things on ski trips, but for this group, this plan works just fine.

Friendships like this are rare and should be cherished.  When you start to lose friends like I have this past year, these get togethers are even more important.  You never know what will happen in life, but if this group has anything to say about it, the conditioning and the all out enthusiasm will keep us going for a long time.  We don’t think about age.  We think about challenge and keeping it all going.  Hopefully you are fortunate enough to have a group like this.  Work at the friendships and keep outings like this alive.  Thanks for reading.