MFI and I tried to ski every Monday during what turned out to be a relatively mild winter in Washington state. As a result of warmish temperatures and generally light snowfall, the conditions varied widely between wet snow and perfection, with most days falling somewhere in between. We certainly didn’t crush the season; however, our skiing low light was more than satisfied. On our best day, we got in 21 runs.
On our first ski day, we departed Blue Sky RV Park around 0730, and ate breakfast at The Summit Pancake House before hitting the slopes. We subsequently dropped having breakfast on the mountain, since the lifts didn’t open until 0900, and we weren’t in any rush to compete with the equipment rental crowds. We settled on a more relaxed routine, which included stopping for our second cup of morning coffee at Huxdotter in North Bend, WA (population 7,461) before heading up to the Summit. We experienced some great coffee spots while wintering in Washington, but this was by far our favorite. And you got to love their philosophy, “Coffee First, Then Mountains.”
I bought MFI new Atomic boots before the season started, and she reciprocaterd with new Solomon’s for me before it ended. For Christmas, Chad generously purchased Stio gift certificates for us, and we treated ourselves to new ski socks and shirts. Always have to dress for the part, regardless of our modest downhill skills. Our last pair of new boots were Langes, purchased in 1980. These new ones fit perfectly, were extremely comfortable, and had the latest in boot technology. Yes, we’re spoiled!
The drive to The Summit took only about 30 minutes, and on clear mornings was often the most beautiful part of the day.
We checked out the anticipated snow conditions on our way up, while enjoying the beautiful lower and upper range scenery.
We usually pulled into the Summit Central parking lot no earlier than 8:30 AM. The friendly Equipment Rental Staff clued us in on Monday being the least crowded day.
We stuck to skiing the slopes at Summit Central. They were usually well groomed but could be challenging if we happened to be up for it.
Our après ski spot of choice was Dru Bru, less than a mile north of the parking lot. It quickly became a Monday outing staple. MFI enjoyed their signature Flagship dark, while I went for the Hefeweizen.
We had not been skiing on a regular basis for years. In preparation, we added quad exercises to our morning routines for improved strength and fitness. This really paid off! We had a great ski season as indicated by our broad smiles in every selfie. We’ll be wintering in Santa Fe, NM for 2024-2025 and are already looking forward to the Ski Santa Fe resort.
