After skiing the Austrian Alps two weeks ago, I skied the NY Catskills last week, and had good times at both.
One day you’re skiing in the Austrian Alps outside Salzburg.
The next, you’re skiing at Belleayre Mountain in New York’s Catskills.
The beauty of it is this: no matter if it’s big mountains in exotic locales or smaller hills in a nearby region, the skiing joy’s the same.
Sure, the Alps might provide more thrills than the Catskills. As might the Sierra Nevada or the Rockies. But, just standing atop a mountain of any size and gazing over the surrounding valleys and peaks, sends appreciative shivers down my spine.
And, long ago I learned from skiing with my children that you don’t need endless, double-diamond, mogul-strewn ski trails to have fun.
Yeah, sure, killer trails add challenge to the dynamic.
But, you can easily create fun while playing on easier terrain, or on shorter runs. Try:
- wiggling down the trail’s edge with short-swing turns
- turning 360s as you move along
- carving a wide, arcing path ad luxuriate in the acceleration as the skis launch you into the next turn
- following a snaking single-track through some trees
- a run through the terrain park
Yes. The Austrian Alps one day. The Catskills a few days later. It’s all good.
