Ben Moxham said he felt off since he hadn't done tricks in about a week.
Nate Abbott
Mike Hornbeck is happy.
Ah, opening day—nothing like it. And especially when Keystone opens, as it did yesterday, Nov. 5, with an insane set-up in the park. Beautiful weather all week, in the 50s with blue skies, though, meant they opened with less runs than expected. Then again, the weather made it feel like I could ski every day this winter.
I rode the gondola with someone all skiers might consider a hero. The man told me he'd skied every day last season and expects to do the same this winter. Better than a Pro, he has the job I've always wanted: retiree. And in addition to being retired, he's divorced. Not that sweet you say? Well, all that freedom meant the dude got in 240-some days at A-Basin, Breckenridge, Vail, Heavenly and Keystone last year—every possible day with the Epic Pass.
Nate Abbott
The Keystone snowmaking and parks gods provideth.
That was far and away the most days anyone racked up on one of those passes, so the fine folks at Vail Resorts comped his pass for this season. I didn't catch his name but it's not a stretch to call him Mr. Epic.
Even if you're not a jobless swinging single with time and quad muscles to burn, there's a goal for you, a bright shining light at the end of the ski season. It might already be too late to keep pace with Mr. Epic, but each of us can aspire to get out there as much as possible. I am, in the word of the great Vince Lombardi, going to take it one day at a time. I hope I saw you yesterday and I hope to see you on closing day—if not sometime in between.
Nate Abbott
Keri Herman, at the top of the gondola, wouldn't miss a party like this.
Nate Abbott
Ben Moxham, just one of skiing's numerous Flying Tomatoes, queued up for the Keystone gondola yesterday.
Comments that include profanity, or personal attacks, or antisocial behavior such as "spamming" or "trolling," or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. We will take steps to block users who violate any of our terms of use. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Contributors
John Symms
My friend is a pro. In fact, many of my friends are pros. How else do you think I got this job?
Tim Mutrie
Journalist and blog-a-neer, big mtn. correspondent Tim has a desk-sized condo in a little place called Aspen.
Seth Morrison
If you don't know who Seth is, just click out of this blog and walk away. (Seth is a big mtn. legend, you see.)
Sage Cattabriga-Alosa
Sage went from washing dishes professionally to freeskiing professionally — aka "professional growth."
Ingrid Backstrom
World traveler, prolific ripper, reader and smiler, Ingrid lives in a cabin at the base of Squaw Valley.
Nate Abbott
Driven by coffee, powder, music, laughing, books & possibilities, photographer Nate is a lurker with Leica.
Liam Downey
Vermonster, Level 1 vet and large animal veterinarian, Liam's 6'5" frame makes him a large animal himself.
