{"id":4155,"date":"2012-10-30T05:39:03","date_gmt":"2012-10-30T11:39:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/?p=4155"},"modified":"2012-10-30T17:56:30","modified_gmt":"2012-10-30T23:56:30","slug":"first-turns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/14erskiers.com\/blog\/2012\/10\/first-turns\/","title":{"rendered":"First Turns"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s always a moment I anticipate every fall. It could happen in September or October and sometimes even November. No matter the month, I always look forward to my first turns of the year. <\/p>\n

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Kim Ross and I enjoying the afternoon sun at Loveland ski area. Congrats to Kim for completing 155 consecutive months of skiing! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This year’s non-ski-season lasted longer than most. I was lucky to extend my season by heading to ski volcanoes in the Pacific-Northwest in June. But, I opted out of what would have been horrific 4th of July turns in Colorado. And so my non-ski-season extended for four months, from the end of June and into July. This is a far cry from 2011, where I made turns on old snow at the end of September, and then was gleaming in face shots only two weeks later. <\/p>\n

Here in Crested Butte, there hasn’t really been enough snow to really venture out and ski. I suppose it has been possible to ski Baldy’s Halloween Bowl – and I’m sure someone has. But, it’s very questionably thin. Rather than wreck my skis on the rocks, I headed back to the Front Range to ski the WROD. <\/p>\n

Some of you might not be familiar with the WROD, so let me educate you. I’m a teacher after all. WROD is an acronym that stands for the White Ribbon of Death. Anyone who has skied early season at a ski area knows what I am talking about. Think of a white strip of man-made snow surrounded largely by dirt, where the snow gets scraped off after just a few runs, exposing sheets of ice which seem to have the definite purpose of making you crash – hard. Think of a run packed with every level of skier from snow-plow to beginners to slalom-carving racers, fast skiers and slow skiers, out-of-control skiers and petrified skiers – there is quite a range. Put this all together on 1-2 runs that happen to be open and there you have it – the WROD. <\/p>\n

But, don’t get me wrong. There’s a time and a place for the WROD and I seem to have a particular affinity for the one at Loveland. And, to be honest, the WROD at Loveland is not nearly as bad as some of it’s Front Range neighbors. I like to make sporadic appearances there from time to time and visit my old Front Range cronies. Most of the usual suspects were there – Kim, Rachel & Mike, Jordan, Brennan, Greta, Doug, and we can’t forget tele-wackers Larry, Kevin and Greg. <\/p>\n

\"Kim<\/p>\n

Some people think I’m crazy. I drove 3 hours each way to ski the same two runs over and over again from 10 am to 4 pm. But, in that time, I never took a run alone. I caught up with old friends and took even felt some burning in my quads. And all along, I smiled more in one day than I have in the last four months. It was worth it. <\/p>\n

The first turns of the year always remind me of one thing – in life I play many different roles – from a teacher to a biker to a hiker to a wife and beyond. Of course I love all the roles I play, but I’m always in my best element on skis. <\/p>\n

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One more for good measure. Look at those smiles! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n