Today I went to lunch with my friend Brent (formerly of SAR and still an occasional motorcycle buddy) and we got talking about winter and ski season. I decided to get a season pass at Sundance this year - only $209 for weekdays. Sundance isn't steep enough to get me very excited about skiing there all the time, but it's only a few minutes up the canyon and having a season pass will be great motivation to get outside and catch some daylight on a regular basis. I'll bring my telemark skis and master that this year. In case you don't know, telemarking is where your boot heels are free with the toe attached to the skis. As you turn, your inside foot drops back while you push your outside foot forward. I telemarked at a resort for my second time last year. The first time, years ago, I was doing well and went for a steep mogul run on my third or fourth time down the mountain. As a ski dropped into a mogul trough, it snapped in half and I was relegated to sitting in the lodge for the rest of the day. Last year, I skied with my niece Brigita for half the day on easy slopes, then left her and pointed my tips down the steepest slopes I could find. I had much better gear than ever before and thought "If this can be done, then I can do it; and if I can do it, I will." Time after time after time, I'd make a few good turns, then tumble forward and down the hill. It wasn't until days later that I realized my bindings were set much too loose, so they didn't pull my boot down hard enough against the ski, thus providing very little resistance from going over the front of my skis whenever they encountered any resistance. I give myself full stars for never giving up! I would get up, brush myself off, clear the snow from my eye sockets and neck (which sometimes gave me a nice ice cream headache), and try again. Turn, turn, tumble. Turn, turn, tumble. Turn, turn, tumble. Wonder what the heck I was doing wrong. Turn, turn, tumble. Back in high school and freshman year, I used to downhill ski 25 times per season. Since I turned 20, I don't know if I've ever gone more than five, and I don't seem to miss it all that much. Partly to blame are substitute activities like ice climbing and backcountry skiing - spending hours climbing a mountain on skis, all for a quick single ride back down. Backcountry powder is often better than what's left at resorts, but the work-to-ski ratio is awful. The solitude and beauty of the wilderness is breathtaking and memorable, and the workout from the climb can feel good, but I'm less likely to want to do it every week. Last time I went to a resort, I couldn't get over how easy it was to gain elevation while sitting comfortably on the lift. This year, I'm hoping to really catch the bug again and enjoy it enough to really get good use from my season pass.