Finally Hitting the Slopes

Winter in the Buffalo-Niagara region is dreaded almost as much as in Winterfell: with it comes the obvious freezing temperatures and biting cold winds, but more critically, a never-ending dance between whiteout and grey-out (Buffalo cloud coverage during the winter months is some of the most overcast in the USA). Over the years, I've seen more and more of my friends adapt to the winter, something I've eluded since moving to the equally-as-cold-but-ten-times-sunnier Chicago. How does one adapt to the winter, you ask? Surely by repeated exposure... No, you fool! Winter is not something one "gets used to" because they've spent their entire life in it.

The reason my friends began appreciating (and in even the most barbaric cases, looking forward to) winter is because they've started skiing when the snow hits the ground. Admittedly, I was skeptical that something like skiing would allow me to overcome my disdain for the season of soggy socks, slippery steps, and slushy sidewalks.

I have actually been wanting to go skiing the past few winters, but never got around to it for one reason or another. I'm not really much of a planner, as my spontaneous trips to Brussels and midnight runs suggest. So, I was thrilled that one of my classmates, Annika, planned a ski trip to Wisconsin and invited me to join. It was as though she, a fellow non-NYC New Yorker, knew that I needed to answer the ski slope's calling out to me. So, on Friday, March 3, 2023... at 3:47pm CT, we set out for the colossal mountains of Wisconsin.

Saturday came and I was very eager to hit the slopes. I heard skiing was similar to ice skating, which I am fairly good at, so I didn't expect it to be so hard. After getting our rental equipment - and taking 10 minutes to realize I had put my skis on backwards - it was time to face the first challenge: walking (with skis on). This was not so similar to ice skating, as I kept falling into the most unnatural positions my body had ever achieved. A few trips on the bunny slopes and I was getting the hang of falling. I didn't want to keep falling because, if you couldn't tell from a previous paragraph, I don't like soggy clothes. Eventually, I had enough competence to hoist myself to the ski lifts, and we were off to bigger and better slopes!

Ultimately, I did catch on pretty fast (turning on skis IS very similar to stopping on ice skates), but what shocked me most of all was just how much fun everyone was having all around (save for the few who sustained injuries on their runs and were carried away by medical help). I didn't realize there'd be so many kids―and I have to say, it was really sweet to see the toddlers in their tiny gear, even as they zoomed past me going downhill. It's great that they learn to ski before their capacity to feel fear even develops. There were also plenty of older folks without kids with them, as I learned, getting back into shape for their upcoming ski trips to Vail or Breckenridge.

The ski lodge itself offered refuge from the snow in the form of authentic Wisconsin cheese curds, chili, and a giant bonfire, where families huddled to roast marshmallows for their s'mores. The entire environment, albeit a very meager ski resort compared to any other, was enough to make me feel that I was part of an amazing community experience. Even though I found myself cruising down the slopes on my own, I still felt I played a part of one big social event. In reflection, maybe this community interaction is what I've been missing during winter all along.

Where do I stand on winter after this? After having been in Buffalo during this Christmas' blizzard, I'm far from an advocate of the winter. However, I truly do look forward to being able to lessen the wintery gloom with a ski trip or two. Funny enough, my "moonshot idea" has long been to own a ski lodge in which I'd host events because of how socially warm and connecting I thought it'd be. This was even before I ever went skiing. I must have been on to something! Even if I never pursue owning a ski lodge (because let's be real), I am excited to take advantage of the next snowfall! 10/10