Ski Day

Bear Valley, CA -- One of the great advantages of living in the mountains is proximity to a ski resort.
Bear Valley Ski Resort is 20 miles up the road from our house, and the pole that measures snow depth is ten feet tall -- and it disappeared more than a week ago under a blanket of new snow.

So this week when neighbor Bill Minkel called to see if I was interested, the answer was yes.

For a season pass holder I have not gotten in as many days skiing as I expected, only about ten days so far, but you get spoiled when you live this close. If the snow is not perfect, and the crowds minimal, I tend to stay away.

But this was about as perfect a day as you'll ever see.

Nothing fancy on this video clip because I am a determined intermediate skier, preferring groomed runs to powder and moderate slopes to terrifying steeps. And my video skills, even with Bill's help, are minimal. I was going to attach music, an Irish tune "Catch Me If You Can," but could not figure out how to do it.

The first portion is from the top of the mountain, around 8,000 feet, down to the lodge on a blue diamond run called Mokulume. Then a brief break at the lodge (we actually ate inside at the bar) and back to the top of Porridge Bowl, one of the few black diamond runs I am comfortable with.

All in all, a great day.

Spring Skiing at Bear Valley

Camp Connell, CA -- The night before we had about 18 inches of new snow, and then the sun came out the next morning.
So I went skiing.
It was one of those stunning days in the Sierra Nevada you can remember for years. Snow-capped trees, brilliant blue skies, fresh snow sparkling in the cold air.
I talked Pat into driving with me the 20 miles uphill to Bear Valley Ski Resort. The drive alone was worth the icy roads.
Because it was a Thursday even though we arrived late we still got a good parking space, one of my measures of a good ski day. No crowds at all. No lift lines.
Son Zack works as a lead ski lift operator, and we surprised him and had lunch together when it came time for a break.
It was a great day to be with family, even though Zack had to work and Pat stayed in the lodge where she read, ate, and made new friends.
Because of an inconvenient surgery in January I missed two months of prime skiing, and I don't have THAT many years of skiing left in my aging knees, so I was eager to catch up. But not so eager as to kill myself. I am a cruiser.
My Gulf Coast friends know I got a late start, only started skiing in my 40s, so I am happiest (and most competent) when I cruise the intermediate runs. I don't do a lot of flips, races, or deep powder.
But I love it, and it was a really good day.
The video is less than four minutes long, very amateurish, and a bit wobbly in places. But it will give you an idea of what it is like to soar on top of the mountains in winter.
And then I went home and took a nap.