20 January: Real Powder

With the previous night's patrol shift providing a sneak peek at some of the steeper natural-snow trails, I decided today was a good day to get out early. Although slightly delayed by computer issues, I was still able to skin to the top of Vista prior to the scheduled first chair, meeting up with a like-minded tele skier en route; due to wind issues, that first chair was delayed by several hours. I took advantage of the break to make another skin-powered run down Devil's Playground before coming in to recharge; at about 12:30, I met up with my brother and a friend and went out to ski for a few more hours. We walked out of the building to find that Vista was open, and took several runs in the woods before they had to return to Stowe. Although a few obstacles are still lurking, every piece of terrain we attempted was skiable and it was an excellent day of skiing.