A Skier?

I have skied for years, but I didn't considered myself a true skier. I enjoyed spending time in the mountains and liked the feeling of floating in powder, but I could kind of take it or leave it. However, over the last couple of years that has all changed. I now think I am officially a skier. Here's some of the evidence:

• In the last 8 days, I've taken two days of vacation on short notice for no other reason than it snowed a lot in Little Cottonwood.
• It's early April and I'm thinking about making turns rather than riding my bike.
• I have a wax bench in my garage.
• I bought an iron just to melt expensive wax.
• I'm bummed Mt. Dell and Park City Golf courses are once again golf courses instead of hard, fast skating courses.
• I can now actually ski difficult terrain rather than just get down it.
• I'm starting to look at drops and little cliffs as opportunities rather than something to be avoided.
• New ski equipment looks as cool, if not cooler, than the new S-works Epic to me.
• Ski equipment takes up more storage space in my house than golf, camping and archery equipment.
• Using my two free passes to Snowbasin this Saturday sounds much more fun than racing my favorite road race, Hell of the North. (Tanner's taking the ACT and can't go. Any takers for the other pass?)
• I've watched "Steep" 6 or 7 times and felt true sorrow when I heard the news of Shane McConkey's death this week. I've come close to buying some K2 Coomba's because Doug Coombs inspired me and I'd like to help his family.
• I used the last of my Alta Powder Card today and I'm already wishing it had more.
• I really enjoy watching Tanner ski and marvel at the quick progression he's made. It also irritates that he's better than me and knows it.
• At 46 years of age, there's not many physical activities that allow me to improve. Skiing is one of the few.

I'll be back to being a bike racer soon enough, but here's a couple of shots from today in the mean time.

On a different note, I get to brag a little more about my daughter Erin. I've mentioned she's the Valedictorian for the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Science at USU this year. She and the 6 other Valedictorians made their pitches to speak at commencement today (Eric via teleconference from Sen. Bennett's office in DC). Erin was selected by the committee to be the student speaker at graduation. So it will be Sen. Bennett and Erin. Yep, I'm a proud papa.