What do Y'all do to get "in the spirit"

Not here to complain, just wondering. Just finished a very draining semester at school, and severely lacking in motivation. I must be getting old, because for some reason, skiing is just not at the top of my list anymore. In fact it dropped completely off my radar for a while.

Normally I try to get on snow by Thanksgiving but this year I haven't been out yet, and probably won't get out before Christmas if at all this year. The thought of spending any amount of cash on skiing just doesn't settle with me. I used to not care about the money. I have more financial responsibilities this year than in the past.  The funny thing is, I'm complacent, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything. Should I be concerned about my mental health, or should I be happy that I just kicked an expensive habit?

On a more positive note, I did make some snow the other day.

I find I enjoy making snow in some ways more than actually skiing on it.

Sounds like good old fashioned teenage blues. My advice is go over to Platty and straightline northface a couple times. It'll come back.

Winter (Soltice) doldrums?  Shortest day of the year = least amount of daylight = maximum blahs (for some)......

Once you set ski to snow again you’ll feel better!

I drift in and out of interest for the things I'm really into.

I sometimes look at friends that are happy to do the same things all the time over and over and in one way I envy that they seem to have it all figured out and can be so stoked on what they do but in another way I think it would be sad (for me personally) to go through life doing the same stuff over and over again. There are so many experiences we can enjoy during our lifetimes I think it's good to do new and exciting things, some not so exciting but still challenging. Everytime I find myself feeling burnt out on one of my pastimes I see it as an opportunity to expand my horizons and I like that, it's like it was meant to be.

I'm weird though, I get super burnt on routine. Around late February during a big winter I start to find it hard to continue the routine of loading and unloading my gear every day and driving to the mountain or sitting on the chairlift....again. That's one of the reasons I don't log in a lot of days during average years, I'm picky now and only go when I know the conditions are super sweet.

I'm right there with you, Ethan. For the first time in so many years I can't even tell you, I didn't buy a pass this year. I'm more interested in riding my sled, bird hunting, and ice fishing. If I ski that's fine, if I don't that's fine too. Regardless the good times will roll this winter!

Yep me too !!     At soon to be 75 and after two years off skis due to TWO hip surgeries on the same hip and another heart related hospitalization , i will now ONLY go on CHOICE days and conditions !  

So NO more damn dawn patrols on sub zero days with chitty visibility and windchills colder than a well diggers ass.
 no more obsessive ski day counts , no more wrods , no more vertical ice skating days

Looking for bluebird days mid week , with decent snow ...im a picky old goat now . If i m gonna risk my hips again, it s gotta be decent conditions .

Hey , if its only 6 days or so great .. Not gonna bet the farm on this activity any longer . Love skiing. But. There are other interests with zero risk now


So yeah Ethan stuff changes and so do priorities , pretty normal behavior .

Hello, my name is Marc and I'm a ski addict. As long as I've been alive, I've never lost motivation to ski yet. I wish I could relate, Ethan.  But, that is a nice lookin' whale you made there!

Ethan Snow wrote

That looks like some quality product.

All I have to do to get in the spirit is boot up.

Be happy buddy.  I am burning it HARD at work, still here now. So ready to relax.

Come out to Plattekill on Jan 6 or 7 to meet up.  If you don't want a bevo I'll buy you a ticket.

I'm with you Ethan..

I work from 5:45am to 4  M-F and half day on Sunday..I really struggle to get  up at 6am to drive the 2 hrs to Cats  on Saturdays...
If it's above 40 and snow free by me , I would rather MTB for a couple of hours..

Go see a Dr. There is something not right.

Marcski wrote

Hello, my name is Marc and I'm a ski addict. As long as I've been alive, I've never lost motivation to ski yet. I wish I could relate, Ethan.  But, that is a nice lookin' whale you made there!

Same.

I'm always motivated to ski.

I drive 5hrs each way to get to Whiteface, been skiing there for 28 years (I'm 31 now).  Only thing that sux is the drive and sometimes hard to get motivated to do back to back weekends (although we end up doing it anyways frequently).  But you got to remember how short ski season is, especially in not so great weather years, then on top of that the inevitable thaws that ruin certain times of the season....so...I'd say you got to make the most out of the Nov-Apr time frame to get out there and ski! Especially if you work full time! (or school etc).

Maybe watch some ski videos.  That gets me stoked for winter, and they can be had for free plenty of places online (like RedBull TV).

Harvey wrote

Come out to Plattekill on Jan 6 or 7 to meet up.  If you don't want a bevo I'll buy you a ticket.

You don't have to buy me a ticket, but I'll try to come out then. Still planning on picking up my Plattekill pass this season if all goes well.

I'm fighting off a bad cough this week as well which is keeping me in. Hopefully once that wears off I'll be eager to get out and ski.

During early season, being able to meet up with a friend makes it easier to get started without worrying about snow conditions or the fact that only a few trails are open.  This season I started with a day at Killington, which was a first look.  So it really didn't matter than there were only a few ways down the mountain.

But I've reached the stage that I'm not only eager to get back on skis, I know enough about how to practice that I have more fun on groomers than when I was an intermediate only skiing groomers.  I don't practice on every run during early season, but that is another reason to go ahead and make the effort to get somewhere to ski in Dec instead of waiting until after the holidays.  Having spent the summer planning for a mid-season trip out west with friends, I want to be more than ready to enjoy the big mountain skiing.

+1 I agree.

Seeing old friends can help get past WROD syndrome, and early season skiing gets you in shape.

Quality > Quantity.

Skiing on man made snow just feels forced to me, no need for that. But
I've been skiing my whole life and have done it a lot. Like a really, REALLY a lot.

raisingarizona wrote

Quality > Quantity.

Skiing on man made snow just feels forced to me, no need for that. But
I've been skiing my whole life and have done it a lot. Like a really, REALLY a lot.

Lucky you.  I moved to North Carolina in high school.  Had only skied in 7th and 8th grades, mostly in Lake Placid.  Didn't ski at all for 10 years.  Then at most 5-6 days every 2-3 years as a working adult.  Didn't have a season with more than 20 days at big mountains until 6 years ago . . . well after age 50.  Closest ski area is 3 hours away driving from my house or 6 hours flying on Southwest after changing planes.  So skiing on manmade snow is worth it to me.  In my case, more so than backcountry.  A run in Virginia or PA or MA is not the same as a foot of fresh powder at Alta, but still fun for me and my friends.

My most recent ski safari covered 5 consecutive days: Massanutten in VA, Montage in PA, Belleayre in NY, Berkshire East in MA, and Wachusett in MA near Boston.  All skiing with at least one friend.  Plus a telemark lesson for the first time.  Did I have fun?  You bet!

And I totally envy that. I guess everything we do has a lifespan to some level. Don’t get me wrong, I still love skiing but I don’t get stoked anymore unless there’s really good snow.

My motivation is waning.

I'm still going Saturday and Sunday (and just about every weekend until the snow is gone), but damn, the weather, the forecast, and this season in general has me looking towards spring & summer (and, judging by the skiers on my Facebook wall, I'm not the only one). I don't know if it was the skiing in freezing temps earlier in the year, the rains/warmups that have decimated the snowpack multiple times, or the fact that I got a dog that I like to hang with, but I wouldn't be completely upset if this season ended a bit early, we got into bike season, and ma nature could give it another try next year.

RA, how are you holding up, man? Arizona might be in even worst shape than the East for skiing, right?