Walking to the lodge from the West Village parking lot, SheJumps banner under one arm & snowboard under the other, it was obvious that this wasn’t just another day at Mt. Bachelor. It was free demo day & all the reps had their booths set up in festive array, the Dirksen Derby was going on with riders traveling from all over to participate, it was International Womens Ski Day AND it was the first day the Summit chair would be running. Did I mention it was bluebird conditions & it had recently snowed? The stoke level was high.
At 10am, about 15 ladies met at the bottom of Pine Marten. The plan was to split up into an intermediate group and an advanced group. As we asked where everyone wanted to go, all one could hear was a collective, resounding “BLUEBIRD SUMMIT POWDER DAY!” There would be no dividing into skill levels this day. Nope, we would all ride together.
As we rode up the Summit chair, we scouted where we wanted to ride & agreed on Cow’s Face. We gathered at the top, took some pictures, took more pictures, then mobbed down the run in a wave of turquoise & purple laughter. The conditions could not be better. The sun was warm on our faces as we carved down the slope. The snow was deep in places with the occasional icy patch, and early season conditions were in full effect with a few barely covered rocks & vents.
The Summit can be a bit overwhelming for beginners & we had a few brave souls in our group who had never been up there before. It was really amazing to watch these women coming alongside one another in encouragement & help each other out. A swish of snow, a flash of bright color, and someone calling out “You’re doing great!” These were the sights & sounds of the day.
We did a few Summit laps before deciding it was time to refuel at the West Village Lodge. We snagged a few tables, shed some layers & laid into some nachos like our lives depended on it. After a nice long break & one or two Face Plants, we decided to see what our early season legs still had in them & headed up Pine Marten. Some of us headed behind the Pine Marten Lodge in search of fresh lines, while others headed down Leeway. We all met up at the lovely Red Chair for one last, slow cruise up the mountain.
In truth, the day could be best summed up by the infamous Nyan Cat. It really captures the essence of the day more than any words I could write. Just picture it with skis.
Thanks so much to Meghan Bull for the recap!
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