Days of Skiing Past.

It's a tradition in our household to go skiing on New Year's day. This year we got rained out, and I'm dreaming of snow, so I'm posting a summary of the epic 2007-08 season instead. We got more than 500" at our local ski area; resorts across the west posted record snowfall. Every day we went up it seemed like a powder day. There was that run in February where we got 6' in three days. Buried the entire park which had to be rebuilt from scratch.

Kayla moved to Steamboat Springs in December in an attempt to put off a real adult existence. She's supposed to be getting a college degree. Instead she's getting broke and having fun. Huh. I'm insanely jealous. I think she has permanent goggle tan now.

Kayla loves Kodiak (but has to come to Eugene to see her) while showing off her goggle tan.



And looks fabulous in goggles.



What are you gonna do?

Like this year, the snow didn't fall until late in 2007. Willamette opened on December 21st; I wasn't there. Diane, always looking out for me, bought me a first-class ticket to Colorado so I could keep Kayla from being homesick during the holidays, as well as ski with my family. My parents had a condo reserved in Steamboat. Happy holidays indeed.

Dedicated skier I am, I went up to the Boat a day early. First stop: my buddy Scott's house. He's been living in Steamboat and working for the resort for 28 years. I guess there could be a future for me after all.


I got a few turns in with my sisters, who have the synchro-skiing thing down.



I'm pretty sure they are up to something that can lead to no good...



Kayla was super stoked about the King Soopers gift card. What more could a poor boarder want than food?


When I got back from Colorado, my buddy Dave came down for New Years 2008. And a sunny, not-hungover, New Years day it was.


The Oregon skiing was unusually great. We had a few nice days in between snowstorms. Here we are enjoying the day.


As usual, Dylan was flying high.

Spacefu - Air Dylan I:


Houston, we have liftoff - Air Dylan II:


Yee haw! Then it snowed, and snowed some more. The snow got really deep.


Be we prevailed. Diane is search for Waldo someplace down under...


And it snowed some more. Ski buddy Ethan carves some tele-magic through two feet of fresh pow in the trees. You know what they say... free the heel and free the mind.


Then the season ended... but it wasn't over yet. The Pass opened on June 15th (yea -- June 15th; not bad for a low-elevation 5,200' location in the Cascades. I told you it was epic) for a Father's day celebration. Dylan, being the good son he is, and also sharing The Love of Snow, took me up.

The base was a little thin when we got there.



No matter! We're skiing, and the gondola ride was fun. As for me, I'm ever the optimist.



Watch out for the stumps.


The views, outrageous. The temperature, warm. The sun, shining like a June beacon on the summer solstice.

Everyone have fun tonight, everyone Wang Chung tonight!



What a party! 25 days, 700,000 vertical feet, Colorado, Oregon, family, friends. What a season.

With any luck, it will snow tonight and it will be a while before I subject you to days of skiing past.

Merry New Year!