It's All Downhill: A few notes from a ski trip

[View web version]( [It's All Downhill. The latest from the slopes of New England and beyone by Matt Pepin] Friday, January 12 | [Follow Matt Pepin on Twitter]( DROPPING IN Some kind of shrubs were poking up through the snow at the top of the headwall. It made a cool little starting gate. I picked a drop-in through a blanket of untouched, slightly crunchy snow, and then glided into a naturalized area. There was plenty of snow, and some good contours forged by the skiers and boarders who’d gone ahead. It was a blue-sky day, and moments into the run I held out my arms for balance as I began carving turns right down the middle of the steep, tips downhill the whole way. Then I went swinging out far to the right to set up a huge sweeping left turn into a wide-open runout of chalky white powder. That’s one of my favorite styles of skiing – long carving turns on fast and vast slopes. You carry good speed, but you’re grounded, and there’s plenty of room to operate even when others are present. I always hold out my arms like wings, sometimes imagining actually taking flight. It’s got to be a damn close feeling. Rampasture at Loon is perfect to pursue this singular sensation. So is Exhibition at Berkshire East, and Windrow at Sugarloaf. Pipe Dream at Killington also fits, and it’s where I took the run described above, the most memorable by far during two days spent there recently. A few other notes from a ski trip. • Many of the regulars said Wednesday was one of the best days of the season at Killington. The conditions – grippy and quick snow, cool and comfortable temperatures, and full-blast sun – were so conducive to focusing on your skiing and expressing yourself through motion, control, and risk. It was a very mindful skiing experience that had its share of physical challenges. • Most of the time, I would have gone back to Pipe Dream time and again upon finding the right conditions for ski flying. But for whatever reason, after two magical runs (the second one mostly for the purpose of taking a photo), we left it at that and did not go back. It’s better that way. The memory remains. (Photo below) • Pro Tip: Just because you don’t see what you’re looking for in the Vermont craft beer section doesn’t mean they don’t have it. Ask. • Good pizza is critical for a ski area. Thankfully, Killington has Domenic’s. • Have to admire the guy who bails out on a professional conference on a moment’s notice to meet up with old friends for a ski day because they’re all in the same region. That’s living your life on your terms. • The upside of leaving your poles in a gondola? Being forced to ski without your poles. It’s not an untenable situation, but it really makes you appreciate them. • The downside of leaving your poles in a gondola is of course is the ridicule to which you may or may not be subjected by your companions, depending on your companions. However when said companion feels the need to spread that story to everyone else you ride up with, well, that’s over the line. Looking uphill on Pipe Dream at Killington. HOW FAST IS FAST? Even in the time since my Globe colleague Alex Speier [applied his expertise with sports statistics and analytics to ski racing and produced an excellent look at how fast Mikaela Shiffrin is gaining on Lindsey Vonn in World Cup victories]( the numbers have changed because Shiffrin keeps winning. But the thrust of the story remains unchanged - Shiffrin is on a much greater pace in accumulating wins than Vonn was at the same stage in her career. This will be a huge storyline at the Olympics if both compete, and even if they don’t. CLICKWORTHY HANDY REFERENCE: The Massachusetts tourism and ski area associations have teamed up to promote the state's 12 Alpine ski areas in a new campaign on Trip Advisor. [It includes a very informative and easy to use guide to the state’s ski areas](. ALL GOOD: Two things to note about Wendy Clinch’s excellent The Ski Diva website: 1.) [It has been named the 2017 Harold S. Hirsh Award winner for best ski blog]( and 2.) It’s where you’ll find [an interesting Q&A with Meegan Moszynski]( the first female executive director of the National Ski Patrol. Among the more interesting things: Moszynski has never been a member of the National Ski Patrol, and that the patrol is expanding into mountain biking. GOOD IDEA: Mount Snow opened a new bar called Canned that only serves Vermont-made beer and cider in cans. Full details [are on the area’s website]( and if you stop the promo video at 25 seconds you can see some of the brands from opening day. WATCH LIST: I saw for the first time a couple of the recent installments in Ski The East’s “Promised Land” video series. “[3 Days at Stowe]( is a big-time powder bender, and “[Poppin’ Off in PA]( is a couple of park sessions filmed at Round Top Mountain in Pennsylvania. A RECOMMENDATION: I met Tyler Allen of The Mountain Outlaw in the Big Sky region of Montana in Park City, Utah, and he has since shared some fascinating print copies of his magazine and also [a link to a recent feature on Travis Rice]( a unique snowboard legend. The most interesting thing was about his interest in snowboarding competitions in a more natural setting (as opposed to a fully man-made park). SKIING’S FUTURE: Worcester Telegram correspondent Sean Sutner [detailed the concern the National Ski Areas Association has about declining participation rates]( and what it intends to do about it, which includes a lot of programs designed to introduce people to skiing and snowboarding at an affordable rate. January is the best time to do it – virtually every resort has a learn to ski promo available. [Subscribe to BostonGlobe.com]( IN THE REAR VIEW From a recent trip to Magic Mountain in Vermont on a bitterly cold day: [Like It's All Downhill? Tell a friend to subscribe.]( [Sign up for more Boston Globe newsletters.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( About This Email You received this message because you signed up for the It's All Downhill newsletter. To automatically unsubscribe, [please click here.]( Please note: this will unsubscribe you from the newsletter only. If you wish to cancel your BostonGlobe.com subscription, please call 1-888-MY-GLOBE (1-888-694-5623). [Manage Your Account]( | [Terms of Service]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Help Center]( | [Advertise](mailto:mbentley@globe.com?subject=Advertising in BostonGlobe.com) Address: The Boston Globe 1 Exchange Place Suite 201 Boston, MA 02109-2132 ©Copyright 2018 Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC