Feelings As The Season Winds Down

I hope to ski till the end of April, maybe even a little longer. I do have interests in the off season, road biking, kayaking and hiking. I’m also looking forward to getting a mountain bike this summer. I like the warmer weather too.

Once I’m out of ski season and doing other things I’m fine, but I feel a lot of anxiety as I know my last day of the season is coming. I hate cleaning out my locker, putting away my gear and saying goodbye to friends and acquaintances I rarely see in the off season. Just writing this gives me a little knot in my stomach.

Sliding on snow is my favorite thing to do, but it isn’t the only thing about skiing I miss, it’s the whole life style built around it that I grow use to.

I know my feelings of “Approaching doom” are ridiculous because to everything there is a season and I like all of them. Yet it’s there, a feeling of dread just under the service, something I know I have to face, but don’t want to, even though I know I’ll be just fine after the fact.

Anyone else get like this?

Your feelings are normal, we all have them.  Especially this year, which was so "normal" that it reminded us of our childhood.  Now get off the couch and get back to work.

Looks VERY warm starting next Sunday into all of next week, widespread 60s and 70s in the ADKs.  Maybe a week long of 60+ depending on elevation which would end the ski season for the Northeast.

My feelings are that I know  the end is near but I always just want one more day. I look at snow reports all over the east until all mountains are closed. We had a great season in the East and I really won't pay attention to the weather forcasts till next November, then I'll just start hoping for cold weather and SNOW.

Just like Frosty the Snowman says "Hurry before I melt away," Get out there one more time!

Highpeaksdrifter wrote

Anyone else get like this?

I don't get anxious because the last few days of the season are very often some of the best, so I look forward to them...



...but I do relate the original post.  I never get enough ski days.

I bet the lives of some others on this board are probably a little more balanced than mine.  For me, in the summer, I enjoy other activities — mostly mt biking, gardening, walking, cooking out, and going to the playground.

Another family "activity" for the offseason is saving (and spending) for skiing. We use a lot of our money in the summer to try to PAY for skiing in advance. The pass deadline in June, buying propane, getting the wood in, yadi yada.

But no activity really drives me the way skiing does. I probably should be more well rounded, but hey any passion is an imbalance, to some extent.

evergreen wrote

Especially this year, which was so "normal" that it reminded us of our childhood.

I couldn't agree more with this poetic and true thought.

I guess I generally feel a little ummm . . . discombobulated around this time of year, but my feelings changed a couple of years ago when I started Road Biking, and really changed last year when I got my mountain bike.

Yeah, it sucks that I'm not going to see a lot of my skiing friends over the summer (although we usually are able to get together for a round of golf or a campfire party), but on the bright side, I get to spend a lot more time with my mountain biking friends (and there's some overlap, too).  Plus, mountain biking has so much in common with skiing (particularly tree skiing) - anticipation, power, body positioning, speed, natural features, good friends, beer celebration afterwards, etc. Really, the only things I really miss are the airs (still not confident enough on the mtb for that) and the feelings on a powder day (can not be replicated).

Let me know when you get your bike HPD, and we can head out to SMBA (around here), or the Flume Trails up in Wilmington.  My wife and I are usually on our mountain bikes 3 or 4 times a week (and our road bikes 1 or 2 times), and we love riding with new people.

End of the season used to bug me, but not for the last few years. Whether there are any resorts open or not, I'll still get a few days in May. As a matter of fact, that makes for a great transition from skiing to hiking. I'm sure to at least take one hike up Killington and then one up Tuckerman Ravine. Once that's done, I look forward to hiking NYS. Areas such as Bear Mt, Break Neck Ridge, Mohonk, Minniwaska, ADKs. Throw in some biking, Cape Cod and life is good!

That's a great aspect of skiing. Usually, people are bummed when summer ends, but skiers are happy cause winter is coming. In the spring, we're bummed cause winter is ending, but Hey! summer is coming. The blues get quickly washed away by the warm weather, biking, hiking, swimming, rippin on the atv and oh yea..gals in summer clothes.

Hit the gym baby, we watching you.

mattchuck2 wrote

Let me know when you get your bike HPD, and we can head out to SMBA (around here), or the Flume Trails up in Wilmington.  My wife and I are usually on our mountain bikes 3 or 4 times a week (and our road bikes 1 or 2 times), and we love riding with new people.

Thanks for the invite Matt

Its a tough time of year - its almost over and its been so good this year.  The pain of thinking how long that 6 months is that we have to wait to slide on snow is it the worst part.

I'm planning in the next two weekends at WF and then Easter weekend at Jay.  Then the golf clubs can come out if the snow ever does melt in LP on the golf course.

I'll let you how I really feel about this topic next week. Right now, I'm totally stoked about heading to Jay for three days of what promises to be glorious spring skiing. For me, this winter has been all about getting back on the horse after knee surgery, getting lots of days in and skiing with some fantastic people (you know who you are).

To sum it up in pictures, I've gone from this:

April 2, 2010:


To this:

April 2, 2011


And had a great winter doing this:

March 3, 2011

Photo by MattChuck2 with his snazzy new camera

Maybe I do need a new avatar...

I am totally lost for the first few post-ski weekend mornings. I can usually be found wandering around in my yard with a cup of coffee staring at the sky, spinning in slow circles, maybe half-heartedly kicking at sticks or pine cones. While I really enjoy mountain biking, hiking, and swimming, it's all just "something to do" until i can ski again. I'm happy with extending the season as long as I can.  And next to Powder Days, those last few sunny Spring Skiing Days are as good as it gets for me.

I have no problem with it.  It just means, time for Tuckerman Ravine, then a change of equipment, road & Mtn bikes, kayaks, pull out the boat.  We don't slow down, just change the focus.  Ski to train for biking, bike to train for skiing.  It's all good.

Highpeaksdrifter wrote

Sliding on snow is my favorite thing to do, but it isn’t the only thing about skiing I miss, it’s the whole life style built around it that I grow use to.

I always experience the same kind of feelings. Every year, when I "close up" my place in Lake Placid, it's always a very depressing day. This year, was particularly difficult due to my "early exit" from the season.

The hiking, biking, swimming, running and all the other things I do the rest of the year are all fine and keep me busy and active, but living in Lake Placid for weekends and a week or two here and there during the winter are a big part of why I love skiing so much. It's always disappointing when the time comes to put an end to the weekend trips North.

Some day, I hope to be able to make LP my permanent home, but until then, I'll just have to continue to deal with the "backwards" Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

I'm already looking forward to next season ... I can only hope it's half as good as this one, which I didn't really get to fully enjoy!

P.S.: HPD, my friend and I are planning to do our annual Spring hike in the high peaks in early June, though snow pack will be a big determining factor. I'll let you know when we finalize our plans in case you'd like to join us this year!

Honestly, this year I am very bummed.  I shouldn't be as I've had my greatest season by far.  I guess I just don't want it to end.  Before moving up to these parts I averaged 4-8 days a year (of which I spent at least half just trying to regain some sort of form).  The last two years I hit 10 days and was pretty happy.  This year I've had the misfortune of being unemployed but one positive from it is that I've been able to log 26 days so far this year!  The extra days and my time spent at Hickory have also helped me to develop into a better skier.  All these things have added up to me having a great year and just not wanting it to end.

Today I'm seriously depressed as I can't get out this weekend but had planned to hit West yesterday afternoon and had plans all week to spend today at Whiteface.  Car problems put and end to all that and now I'm left with maybe a quick trip to West in a little bit.  All in all, not how I want the season to end so now I find myself praying for decent conditions next weekend and Easter weekend.  I want this season to end on a high note!

Others here have talked about summer activities and I too have a variety of interests along with 4 kids to keep me more than busy enough but there's something different about skiing and I'm bummed and will miss it.  I do have something great o look forward to though:  Next season we're hoping to have 3 of the 4 kids on the mountain and I think I've even talked my wife into finally joining me on the slopes!  So from that perspective I've got more than ever to look forward to next season!!!

Sorry for the rambling but you asked for our thoughts and those are mine.  It's nice to know I'm not alone with feeling them!

The last two days I have skied at West Mt. and it has been very good! You can buy a one hour ticket for $6.00, two hours for $12.00 and so on.

As the season winds down so do I. Even though Whiteface got a big dump yesterday, I just could not bring myself to make the drive up today.

The family and I are off to warmer weather next week, for some much needed beach time. When we come back the ski areas will have closed for the most part and the kids will be starting springtime sports. I might make a few more trecks into the High Peaks for some corn, but for me, the pay to ski season is over.

This is the last video of the season...... It's a montage of ski clips from this season.....hope you enjoy

Face4Me wrote

P.S.: HPD, my friend and I are planning to do our annual Spring hike in the high peaks in early June, though snow pack will be a big determining factor. I'll let you know when we finalize our plans in case you'd like to join us this year!

Great

HPD, I totally get the same feelings.

This year they were squelched by an injury and I was looking at an early end to the season. Doc says the ligaments are good, but I do have tendonitis (hamstring), and it seriously hampers my skiing.

I've kept off the alpine skis for 2 weeks on docs orders and up until Tuesday, I thought I was done for the season. Doc said on Tuesda "ski until it hurts"! So we are heading up to Whiteface for the weekend.

It could be the last hurrah, but if the pain is managable and the inflammation not to bad, then maybe I will get in another weekend at Gore or VT before it is all over.

I hate being done with skiing. The in-between season kinda sux. Lots of mud. But in a few weeks there should be some muddy trails to ride, and I will be hiking and doing trail work on my own trails in the meantime (they need a few good mostly-dry weeks before they will be ready...still some snow on them). There's also yard work and spring cleaning. Just not much to do that is as fun as skiing, so this time of year is tough, hence the impending "doom." I used to whitewater kayak and that would replace the fun of skiing, but I've since given that up because traveling to ski has used up my travel budget and we don't have much whitewater here. Owning a home, I need to be around to do the less fun things. But soon the waters will warm and I'll be swimming, sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing.