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| Choose Carefully For Fit And Protection |
Our family has skied many vertical miles, in total, over the past thirty-five years. It is a fantastic sport, but one that has evolved during that time to include the sharing of venues with snowboarding. The latter alters mountain conditions radically and also creates different traffic patterns on trails. More to be aware of.
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| Belleayre Yesterday-Photo By Bri |
Yesterday, Bri 'n' Kell took the kids to Belleayre for an exquisite, if freezing, day of skiing. It was Gavin's first trip to a "big" Catskill resort. Belleayare has forever been a favorite of mine, with its cozy qualities that make it seem like a European destination. However, it's also where I last donned boards on my feet, before taking an extremely nasty spill that made me decide to trade in my Rossignols for snowshoes. My wrenched body skied out the run and then took several weeks to recuperate, before athletics became a renewed possibility. Still - no hard feelings. I am an avid proponent of the sport; but the times they are a-changin'.
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| Some Of Windham's Trails |
Windham Mountain is another beloved Catskill's hotspot. It is gorgeous. Sadly, over the weekend, an 18-year-old girl from Long Island lost her life there. A novice skier, she somehow ventured off the trail, out of control, and slammed into a tree. The entire skiing community in Upstate New York is stunned. Windham has not had such a tragedy in fifteen years. My heartfelt condolences go out to her family. It has been said that her life might have been spared, had she been wearing a helmet.
The boys always wore them for racing, but we all free-skied in a variety of hats and headbands... no helmets. Though still not mandated by law, many ski areas have taken it upon themselves to offer helmet rentals. Conditions are more precarious now, as boarding techniques cause snow to be pushed into dense piles, with icy trails resulting in the remaining wake... different from what are known as mogul hills. Combine this with the more erratic placement of descending bodies, as two sports meet on one mountain.
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| Bri (left) 'n' Buddies-Belleayre Yesterday |
Our family has almost caught up to safer trends. Brian and all of our skiing Grands have been wearing constant protection for a couple of years. We gifted Christian a helmet for Christmas, and Joe now has one. I must ask Bri if Kelly is adhering to fashion trends.
SKI SAFER
