One unifying aspect shared by attendees of the Northeast Ski Bloggers Summit is passion. That passion is not only something that brings us together but also something we feed off. We inspire each other to further those passions. One of the things I am most passionate about is Cannon. I love the mountain.

I didn’t want my fellow bloggers just to ski Cannon, I wanted them to see if from my eyes. Not to adopt my perspective but to understand something very personal about me and my passion. Maybe they would not find Cannon to be a special place, but they would at least understand what makes Cannon special to me.

With a storm lined up for our planned Cannon outing on Thursday, I was very excited. For months, I day dreamed of a perfect tour for the group and the missing element on Monday was enough snow. Serendipitously, Thursday is also a Two-fer day. Cannon’s deals continue to make it the best mid-week value in New Hampshire.

Unfortunately, the storm timing was not ideal for us. Only two inches had fallen by the time we boarded the Peabody Quad. But it continued to snow all day, increasing in intensity during the afternoon. When we left, it was still coming down steady with promises that Friday might be the pick of the week. Conditions improved throughout the day. With more snow overnight, Friday will be quite good.

As the snow continued to pile up, we hit many classic runs. The drifts on Vista Way were powdery and surfy and bumps on Upper to Middle Hard were sensational! However, careful line choices around a few ice patches were critical to our enjoyment. Knowing the right line can make or break a great run. The upper mountain trees were skiing great leaving my companions were itching for more.

But I saved my ace in the hole for the last run where we found boot to knee deep untracked covering a minor bone yard. Epic! A powder day was saved by careful and concerted conservation. We paid for our epic score as lower elevation off map trees are decidedly boney rock gardens. We were happy with that run but in no way would consider a repeat. Take that for what is is worth.

Cannon’s latest tag line was a topic of discussion on Monday. My fellow bloggers couldn’t understood the I Am Cannon tag line. We had discussed Cannon’s recent failed attempts at creating a tag line more family and beginner friendly such as the Cannonista theme or The Big Easy (which I gently poked fun of on Monday’s post). I had always loved the “It’s a Blast!” tag line for its playful double entendre of place and meaning.

I Am Cannon is a statement of self definition provided by Cannon to be used by its diverse and passionate fan base. Marketing everywhere is decidedly focused on consumers not only self identifying themselves with a brand but doing so proudly and openly, sharing that self definition with friends that share their interests. It is a genius marketing campaign. But having recognized it as such, I had no use for it and continued to lament the loss of “It’s a Blast!”

For months I have been anxiously awaiting this week so I could show off my mountain and my passion to the NSBS crew. Perhaps they will never return to Cannon but at least they’ll understand why I am such a fanatic about the mountain. If not in practice than at least in spirit, I’ve fulfilled the premise of the marketing strategy. So I’m in. Its a special place that I am passionate about and I love to share that passion.

I Am Cannon.