Rain, Rain, Go Away

Unfortunately, our venture into winter has been interrupted by ... spring-like showers. It rain most of yesterday, wiping out for the day two ski areas in the region.

The temperatures are supposed to drop again this week, but absent a lot of snowmaking, that's going to lead to some ice. Not good.

The perils of early-season opening in the Midwest.

Winter has arrived: First day of riding

Today was the first day of the ski season in Minnesota, and perhaps the Midwest, as Wild Mountain (Taylors Falls) opened to the public at 10 a.m.

The snow itself was fine, though it was limited to only one trail. Still, it was remarkable that anything was open at all, considering that you could have golfed just a few days before.

I took it easy on the first run, but had no trouble departing the lift. It all came back, including a few ground spins on the way down.

Hooray! Hooray! We Got Some Snow Today!

So today we got our first measurable snowfall. Granted, it isn't much right now, and the storm may be known primarily for what it does to the morning commute. Even people who live in areas with a lot of winter seem to forget how to deal with winter driving over the summer.

One ski area around here suggested that it would open today, but then last night, opted for to postpone opening a day so as to make more snow. That's probably a good move.

Count this as a benefit of snowboarding: if you dread the arrival of winter, take up snowboarding. You just might like it. And if you do, that's a reason to anticipate, not dread, the start of winter.

The "Hold Your Breath" Test

We don't all ride at areas with the vertical of an Aspen, a Mammoth, or a Vail. But there's a new designation for a micro-mountain, that I never heard of, until now.

Last season I was speaking with an acquaintance about one of my day trips. Turns out, he used to spend a lot of time there.

"Oh yeah," he told me. "That's an OK place. You can ALMOST get from top to bottom while holding your breath."

While I've ridden on some short trails, I've never thought of answering the question "Just how short is it" by holding my breath. I probably won't try it in the future, either.