Waiting For Snow

I know it's coming, and I've had a few great days out on the hill already, but that doesn't stop me from getting cranky about the lack of snow. It is a sad day when we skied powder the day before Halloween and then the day (and day's after) Thanksgiving- but have nothing on the ground now. Of course that being said they are cranking in terms of snowmaking right now so that is good.

As I write this I can see the lights at Shawnee Peak and that means they are going full bore which has me stoked.

Here is the footage from Thanksgiving Day.

Thanksgiving Day 2011 from Sven Cole on Vimeo.

A good day for sure!

There seems to be a good appetite out there right now for the ski season to get cranking and the vibe in general is pretty good. I am defiantly hearing from a lot of folks who are interested in getting out into the backcountry, which is a good sign. I always look at that as a barometer of the passion for the sport, as it isn't easy to head off-piste when you know you've gotta hike and work to earn your turns. I'm getting excited to do some exploring on skis. One trip I'd love to do is to ski from my house in North Bridgton over to the Moat Mountain Smokehouse in North Conway. It's about marathon distance (around 50km), maybe a touch short- and much would be on snowmobile trails with a few bushwhacks thrown in for good measure, meaning it won't be easy.

I'm also anxious to do this trip again:

Pleasant Mountain Traverse from Sven Cole on Vimeo.

This time I want to skip the lift ride up. It was a super fun trip and one that I'm looking forward to taking a few other people on.

All we need now is the snow.

On a separate note, I want to send out a shout out to Miah, who is undergoing a marrow transplant today. He is one of my all-time favorite people and a major league ski hero. I'm raising a glass to speedy recovery. Now I need to book a ticket out so I can take advantage of his weakened state and be able to keep up with him for once on skis later this winter- it'll be the only way I'll ever do it!

Now go find some snow and enjoy.