In a downhill mood

The short days are very evident this first week of November after the change back to Eastern Standard Time.

There has been a bit of cold weather, but no snowy days yet. I hope that some mysterious and unplanned occurrence will replace winter this year. I have always been a very active proponent of the last season of the year and I have supported all sorts of adventures in downhill skiing.

Now in my eighth decade, however, I can see that the cold wind in the face can be replaced with other forms of joy and satisfaction.

In fact, you might imply that I have gone soft and that could possibly be the case. It’s quite possible that I might stay indoors with a warm beverage in front of a glowing fireplace, watching the enthusiasts rush down the hill and hustle back up on the wind-blown ski lift. Many years ago, a cold night exercising Bunt Osborne’s dog by running him up-and-down the T-bar lift at the Skaneateles Ski Hill seemed like a grand way to spend our ski patrol duty sessions, but not anymore.

Everyone can understand that shushing downhill on a nice sunny afternoon as a really nifty experience.

It is also a lot of fun with dedicated aficionados on frosty evenings with or without a moon. Night skiing usually guarantees that the snow will be firm, fast, and enjoyable and, after a few years, you accumulate enough stuff to have the appropriate gear to be adequately covered to allow the enjoyment of cold, snowy conditions.

There is never a crowd to deal with. Nonetheless, I guess the tales of fine skiing that Bunt and I spread were not believed and certainly not acted upon.

In retrospect, I’m truly thankful to those pioneers that hustled up enough cash to buy the Ski Hill and ski lift in the 1958–59. This allowed those of us who had a minimum or no exposure to downhill skiing to do enough skiing and get good enough to really enjoy it and get our families and friends involved.

I got so excited by it that we had a time-share in a house with Bill and Bayne Gregory for a couple of years at Sugarbush. I bought a condo there in 1986, which I owned until 2005.

As I began to get creaky, I couldn’t convince my boys to take it over and we did not figure out a way to keep the condo. However, I am satisfied that my grandchildren will become very skillful at the sport and possibly their children will get involved when they come along.

My other vice is small boat sailing. My sons have all become good competitive sailors, but who knows whether their children will get the bug or not.

I think the best approach to relaxation and recreation is getting involved in something outdoors. The folks you meet usually offer a hand with used equipment and have an organization to help young folks get involved with their sport. Skiing, for instance, is almost a cradle-to-grave activity. You just have to select terrain that fits your current ability.

It’s a chilly day today and that got me into a downhill mood.