It's Snowing Close to Home!

“Somewhere on the planet it’s snowing…right now.” Those were the words I played in my head throughout the passing summer. Oh, don’t get me wrong – I loved my summer – I still have one foot in it. But, even in the blistering heat while I visited our nation’s capital in June, I still knew it was snowing somewhere on the globe. It was snowing then and it’s snowing now – only now it’s closer to home!

After playing hard all summer, squeezing possibility out of every moment, I’m here to tell you that those fabulous flakes have finally arrived. We have knowledge of a Mt. Bachelor opening date set for November 22nd – but rumor has it that the date has now been pushed to an unofficial, shake the bugs out, see what works, opening of November 21st. For the die-hards like myself… I’m seriously considering participating as a guinea pig for that shake out day.

Speaking of shaking out, the Shop [Berg’s Ski and Snowboard] is buzzing for those of you transitioning from the summer-fall to the fall-winter arena. There’s a good selection of new gear, a myriad of events, and tons of chatter about another snowtabulous year. For a quick rundown on current events and happenings, visit Bergsskishop.com (and bookmark it of course).

So here’s where I come in the mix at Berg’s. My name is Val Stilwell and I’m the lead chaperone for the Berg’s bus program – this winter will be my fifth season working with the system. One of the neatest parts of my job is that I get the opportunity to see the younger people grow into terrific young adults who continue to embrace the snow as we come back year after year to play on the mountains. I’ve met scores of wonderful people, young, old, local, and even international, all doing the same thing – playing in the snow.

Our winters bring a sense of camaraderie in that many of us share a passion to ski and board, and we wait and wait… until it’s snowing closer to home. Then, we start our rituals – check our gear, drop into Berg’s, attend the Warren Miller film night - the list goes on.

I’ll be blogging here and invite all of you to join in – I’ll be sharing pictures of the bus riders, unique events I manage to capture on the mountain, and more. I’ll be talking about the trips, what seemed to work well, and what the trips are like. If you see me out and about be sure to say hello… ask me about this year’s bus schedules and what to expect – if you’ve got any great pictures from your last season, let me know, let’s share your adventures..

See you at Berg’s or on the slopes – tell your friends, “It’s snowing close to home! Get your gear ready – it’s time!”

V~
Val Stilwell