Cover photo: Rearview mountains.
And how could it not?
As most of you have probably realized, skiings a fantastic way to relieve pressure.
For me, COVID brought these traits of the skiing experience into a position of sharp contrast.
Theres an element of privilege couched in these observations.
In 2020 the whole world suffered.
And, against this backdrop, skiing remains somewhat prohibitive, both in terms of cost and culture.
For example, the average ski day runs about $100-$200 in cost per person.
Similarly, one of the mods here (@safarisam) recently dropped a piece about sexism on NS.
The issue of sexism and skiing isnt alone in barring newcomers, either.
Image: Riding up the lift at Snowbowl, MT.
These memories remind me that among the threads of negativity in the skiing world live plenty of positive ones.
Without them, I wouldnt consider the ski community a critical component of both myself and my upbringing.
Rather, I raise these criticisms in conjunction with my observations from this past season.
And if youre reading this I can bet that it helped you too.
So, as the lifts stop spinning, lets look ahead to next season.
Wed be better off focusing on the positives and the potential impacts of our actions.
A hope that contains promises of more hilarious and memorable moments both on and off the hill.
