Yarg!  Snow fell on Camels Hump yesterday and while it was more of a dusting than anything, I can’t help but stare out the window and think about how this season will be even better than the last.

Last year, was the first year I missed a Smuggs pow day with my local friends.  However, I had an even better time tearing it up at Tremblant, Mount Snow, and Loon with an entirely new crew that can actually keep up.  These guys brought the luck; a powder day at Snow that scared away the flatlanders and solid, 5″ dumps everyday for a week at Tremblant.  They also brought the booze.  Pow riding the trees after a few Jager bombs is not the smartest thing!

So this year, I’ve got an even bigger crew, a place in Winooski, a pass to Jay Peak, and the sickest deal, a Black Diamond AT setup at cost.  It’s good to know people who know people.

I’m absolutely stoked to ride with new people this year.  I’m opening up my house to anyone who wants to come up and ride…unless you’re a douchebag.  No douchebags.  What does my roommate thing?  She doesn’t know yet, but either way, she can suck it!  (are you reading that, Ali?).

I’ve got a few goals this year.  The main one is to get my butt up to Gulf of Slides in February or March, pending snow stability.  It means finding some other people with avy training that I trust…that’s a long shot, but I’ll make it happen.

I’ve also got the potential for 4 or 5 different trips.  One to Telluride, where I can sleep on Steph’s floor, possibly a January trip to Mt Hood, maybe some cat skiing, and I’m sure a couple of deals that Amanda and Ed will bring up.  Mt Snow doesn’t count as a trip.  It’s 2 hours away.

That’s all!  I gotta get back to boring ass work testing.

On April 16th, I picked up all my stuff and headed straight to Steph’s condo near Okemo.  Oh yes…fun times would be had.  Between rocking the t-shirt in 70 degree weather and teaching Steph how to change her oil, I got in about 15 hours of unbeatable skiing in.  This was all in preparation for Tuckerman’s Ravine on the 19th, one of the busiest days of the season.

We skied Okemo on Thursday and Killington on Friday.  Since American Skiing Company’s gone out of business, every ASC mountain is far nicer.  Ticket gouging still goes on, but the people are friendlier, the lodges are cleaner, and the lines are far shorter.  Mount Snow, another ASC mountain, was great this year, too, despite the crowds of flatlanders.

After a few hours at Coopers Cabin and a $5 footlong, I packed up all my gear and headed to North Conway.