Justification

During my senior year of high school, I managed to convince my parents to let a friend and I drive to Laramie, spend the night, ski Snowy Range, and drive back. At the time, that was an audacious request, and my parents responded with the classic "Why?"

I didn't really have an answer.

At that time, I didn't understand that sometimes, you don't need a good reason. A resort doesn't have to have the best terrain, the most snow, or the fewest crowds to justify going. Sometimes, you can justify going to Snowy Range just for the sake of going to Snowy Range.

For someone like me, it's a bit easier of an answer. I always have the fallback of "exploration for the channel." But I'd be lying if I said that's what dragged me to Holiday Valley, Loon, or Snowbird this past season. I'd be lying if I said that's how I ended up in France, New Zealand, or Alabama. I'd be lying if I said that's what took me to Echo Mountain or Hoedown Hill. 

Sure, each one of those were valuable trips for the channel, but at the end of the day, they were time, money, and energy-consuming for what was, on paper, very small gain. So it takes a pivot of focus. These trips were never about the channel. As self-centered as it may be, those trips were for me.

I've always loved exploring. I enjoy a blank slate, and appreciate the thrill of experiencing something so thoroughly that I can confidently say I know it "like the back of my hand." True or not, that feeling is my high. That's why when I went to Europe, I didn't go to what most people would consider their bucket-list destinations (Zermatt or Chamonix). I went to a place with a reputation for mediocre on-piste skiing and massive crowds for European standards. I went to Les Trois Vallées because it is the largest ski resort on Earth, and I was on a mission to conquer it. I still had the map memorized 3 and a half years later, when I went for the second time.

When I got back from 3 Valleys this season, I figured that my season was over. I wrote as much in my previous blog post, dated the 27th of March. And yet, I ended up taking one more crazy trip. 

See, after 3 Valleys, I was absolutely exhausted. I didn't have the drive that had fueled me to ski every single day that I could since January of 2021 (before that date and the switch that prompted my newfound motivation is an explanation for a different time). It was an odd feeling, but I was content to finish my semester and continue to create first-rate skiing content. One night while catching up on some Discord messages, I had an idea. It was a completely random one -- one that would be considered absolutely insane on anybody's first listen. I was going to drive up to Grand Targhee and ski their closing day. And when I went to bed that night, I felt excited again.

As many of you likely know, that plan eventually morphed into Altabird. That's not an important detail; the importance lies in the fact that I regained my mojo simply from the thrill of skiing somewhere new. Neither Alta nor Snowbird are new to me (nor is, for that matter, Grand Targhee). But I hadn't skied them in a long time, and I hadn't thoroughly explored them previously. So in my mind, they were new areas to explore. And that got me going again.

Call me a snob if you like, but I'll be the first to admit that I can, indeed, get bored of a ski resort. My 24-25 season was a wonderful experience, reaching 50 days, skiing weekends and weekdays, and taking full advantage of my newfound freedom and proximity to the I-70 ski resorts. But this season, after spending so much time at those mountains the previous year, I just didn't have the same motivation. Throw in the poor winter, and I didn't visit Arapahoe Basin or Winter Park at all. I skied only once at Vail, Loveland, and Copper. Twice apiece for Keystone and Breckenridge. From the outside perspective, that could be shocking. All that good skiing right next to me, and I flew to Loon and Peek'n Peak of all places.

It all just comes back to the idea of justification. This season, I finally managed to rid myself of the need for a "good" reason. And it was freeing. I traveled more than I ever have for skiing, and it worked out well. Perhaps the poor snow year can take some of the credit for pushing me to go crazy. But regardless of the cause, I love that crazy. I'm never going to let it go.

Here's to planning for the next crazy season (Arizona Snowblow, anyone?)!