#5 — Mad River Glen: Game On — December 30, 2011
Long before the season started to suck but long after the season should have properly started, Mad River Glen opened for the first day of the season. First tracks looked more like noon tracks. This was due to the prior days’ skin track looking like a Single Chair line on a powder day. But there was ample powder to snuff out in seriously ill advised locales.
#4 — Summer or Spring at Stowe? — March 19, 2012
Sometimes a great spring skiing day is way better than a great powder day. And it is always better than an average powder day. Unfortunately, this season had very little of either great or average powder days so it is a no brainer to include my best spring skiing day in my top five. Despite the ridge already having melted out, the spring skiing was stellar. Top to bottom bumps on Chin Clip absolutely killed it.
#3 — Dartmouth: TheSnowWay at the Skiway — March 11, 2012
I was brought to Dartmouth by The List. But I’ll be going back to Dartmouth because it is awesome. Actually, my desire to ski Dartmouth extended well past my creation of The List in 2010. This day made my top three even though at less than six inches, it didn’t qualify for TSW Powder Day status. Think about that.
#2 — MRG: Boot to Knee Deep is Boot to Knee Deep — February 26, 2012
This day wouldn’t have happened for me without Harvey. Despite forecasts for some powder, I wanted to save my legs for five days of skiing in a row. Throwing in with Harvey for his first trip to Mad River meant seven days of skiing in a row with three back to back powder days. I went for it and the forecasted few inches became my first (and only) boot to knee deep day of the season. If Harvey hadn’t reached out, I would have missed out. I was stoked to show Harv around the Glen, especially on such a great powder day.
#1 — Eyes Wide Open: Cannon — October 30, 2011
This day meant so much to me. This report was as close as I came to poetry all season. A lot is said and written about skiing and the meaning people attach to it. But for me, it is so ingrained that I don’t really reflect on it from that (often melodramatic) perspective. It is just what I do. But this day felt transformative and I reconnected with an aching passion in a meaningful way. Often times during great solo powder days, I rue my lack of companions and fellowship. But not this day. This day was all mine.