When I read the first Winter Weather Warning for last weekend, I immediately sent an email to a few fellow snow worshipers and quickly had a party and location: Stowe, Vermont. The first wave of snow hit on Thursday, dumping 6″ on the region. I drove up Friday morning and hit up the all-time classic Mad River Glen for some single chair and steep glade action. It did not disappoint with its perfect bumps and long, twisting, desolate runs. The second wave hit that afternoon and for the next 30 hours dumped two feet plus in some places, so on Saturday and Sunday I found bountiful pillows to sink my skis into and floated through the trees with hoots and exclamations. Everyone was having a great time and relishing the moment. Skiing requires immediate focus and concentration; it is an improvised dance with the mountain and its elements, forcing you to calculate your current situation and the very next move. Past turns and next runs are memories and dreams, but every powder explosion is pure play.
