Training for Japan

Since a big thaw over New Year’s, snow seems to fall nearly every day here in northern Vermont (today excluded). Occasionally a full-blown storm will track through and drop a foot or more, but for the most part we’ve just seen a steady accumulation through flurries or light snow. And all that snow means the skiing has been good, and getting better. So while it always seems a little silly to leave good skiing in search of good skiing, at least I’ve had ample training sessions for hiking and skiing in Japan. A few days making laps on the lifts at Mad River, Burke and Smuggs, and plenty of days skinning in the backcountry.

Brian and Tom got in on the action in mid-January, driving up from Massachusetts to put in a weekend of skiing.

Brian in the Bolton backcountry

This was Brian’s first ski day of the year. Living in Boston will do that to you. After three laps in the Bolton backcountry, he was hurting the next day. He claims he was in good shape until his own grad school application process derailed his workout regimen. We’ll have to wait until Hakuba to see if he resumed workouts in subsequent weeks.

With Brian barely able to lift himself from the futon to a chair the following day, Tom, my dog Harley and I set off for an afternoon lap in the backcountry. Snow had fallen overnight and kept coming down as we started hiking. And that meant some deep turns.

 Tom, using the Vermont backcountry to train for Japan.

Harley dog also likes face shots. 

I took my last ski day before Japan on Friday, and went with the double session training: morning and early afternoon at Smuggs, followed by a late-afternoon backcountry session with a couple of friends.

Ashley was kind enough to take the camera from me for a bit. 

With any luck, the Vermont snow will keep coming while I’m gone. I’ll still need to ski in March and April.