It's All Downhill: Notes from the Taebaek Mountains

[View web version]( [It's All Downhill. The latest from the slopes of New England and beyone by Matt Pepin] Friday, February 23 | [Follow Matt Pepin on Twitter]( Skiing in korea Throughout the three weeks I was at the Olympics, I felt like I was in a Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine ski town -- a big ski town, like Lincoln, NH, on steroids, or the Killington, Vt., area. A ski town that has tons of lodging and four-season perks like golf courses, water parks, and of course skiing. The mountain cluster for the Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea was basically a takeover of a two-ski area resort town. The Alpensia Resort, where the slopes were closed throughout the Olympics, served as the main headquarters for the media and broadcast crews. YongPyong Resort, about a mile away, was partially open, but one whole peak was reserved for Olympics training and racing. I stayed at YongPyong, in a condo complex that if I'd woken up magically transported there and you told me I was in New England, I'd have believed it. Check out the photo below this paragraph -- couldn't you see this being a ski condo complex pretty much anywhere in New England? I was able to ski twice, both times for just half a day. The first time I was with colleague Rachel Bowers and stayed on the easy slopes because it had been a while since Rachel had last skied. That was fine because the basic rental gear was not great -- the boots were rear-entry models! But on my second day, the Friday before the Olympics ended, I got premium equipment and an early start and hit everything that was open, and this was a splendid morning. [I wrote this initial review of skiing there based on that first day.]( Here are a few other takeaways from a closer inspection. -- A very cool perk: Air blasters near the lodge to clean your gear with. Check it out: -- The lodge: This was a fantastic complex, with everything in one place. There was a great hall with a massive fireplace, several restaurants, and a large rental area that made it easy to get gear and get on the slopes quickly. Here's the view: -- Creepshow: One unsettling thing about YongPyong was the public address system that can be heard everywhere because speakers are mounted on lift towers and lift fixtures. A chime rings, and then a voice comes on with some kind of announcement in Korean. I thought of "The Hunger Games" every time I heard this, and imagined the translation of whatever was being said to be something like "OK, all skiers can now attack each other." -- The snow: One coach I chatted with told me the snow was the same every day, which means expertly groomed, soft, packed-powder. When it snows for real, there's a nice covering of dry and light snow on top of the already perfect snow. To me, the snow quality was the No. 1 attribute. -- Would I go there again? It's not the kind of place that would be at the top of my list of must-visit destinations like say Park City, Utah, or Austria or Switzerland. But if you're there anyway, it's worth checking out. -- A side note: The Olympics ski races were held at two areas, YongPyong and Jeongseon Alpine Center. However, Jeongseon is not a ski area. It was built just for the Olympics speed races, and its future is uncertain. There is some controversy over the location because of the environmental and cultural impact of building there. What they did build is impressive, and it's in one of the most picturesque mountain ranges I've ever seen. There are only a few slopes that descend from the top of Mt. Gariwang, but they added a hotel, a base-lodge style building and one other building I'm not sure what for, and they put in two chairlifts and a gondola. They also have a battalion of grooming machines. I would have loved to ski these runs, but I think my memories of watching the world's best skiers go all-out will have to suffice because I'm not sure what will happen with this place. POLE TAP FOR HAYDEN Many thanks to colleague Hayden Bird for filling in while I was away. I really enjoyed his ode to bygone skis, which of course made me reflect on some of my favorites, like my first pair -- Harts, which bit the dust on some moguls at Stowe -- the pair of 190-cm Rossi's I had in high school and college, and of course the K2s I just retired. CLICKWORTHY A FIRST: Carter Robinson became [the first Boston College skier in modern history to qualify for the NCAA Championships](. The senior from York, Maine, will compete at Steamboat March 7-10. FOR SALE: Bousquet Mountain in Pittsfield, Mass., is on the market. [According to The Berkshire Eagle]( owner Sherry Roberts wants to retire after 26 years of work at the ski area, which her late partner George Jervas bought in 1981 and she acquired after his death. It will remain open until the sale, according to the Eagle. LAUGH IT OFF: Comedian Jim Gaffigan's [report on his recent ski trip]( hammered away at some common perceptions about skiing. Some might get a little bent out of shape by his mockery, but all in all it was fairly humorous. THE MOUNTAIN REPORT: This week's video takes us to Pico in Vermont and [introduces us to some of the folks behind Vermont Adaptive]( who endeavor to make mountain sports accessible to those with physical or cognitive disabilities. To learn more about Vermont Adaptive, [visit their website here](. KILLINGTON UPGRADES: Among $16 million in upgrades announced by Killington this week is the replacement of the Snowdon quad lift with a six-passenger bubble lift. Anyone familiar with what some refer to as the "Slow-don Quad" will welcome this news. The upgrades also include a new South Ridge quad lift (the Snowdon quad will be relocated here), new cabins for the K-1 gondola, and RFID access gates at the lifts. [More details are available here](. POSITIVE OUTLOOK: A story on Teton Gravity Research's website [shows the power of maintaining a positive outlook in the wake of devastating injury](. In this case, a ski patroller and an injury victim revist the injury itself and everything that has happened since. “I believe that, through these new challenges, I will have a story worth retelling, and through which I can help others. I trust that God has a plan for our lives, and that it is good," said the story's subject, Justin Pines. [Subscribe to BostonGlobe.com]( MOUNTAIN VIEW This week's photo was shared by those involved in the recent Nevi-Fest at Sugarloaf Mountain, an event for blind and visually impaired athletes to participate in skiing, snowboarding, and cross-country skiing. It was organized by Maine Adaptive, which you can find out more about [on the organization's website](. [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). 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