Gapers

Due to having so many midterms and planning for the Enchanted Castle, this week has flown by. We had our first snowfall in the valley on Monday and the campus was filled with excitement. Since the season is getting closer and closer, I'd like to talk about my opinion of gapers. I'll admit I had never heard the term before I came out here, but I quickly learned what they were because people of all ages make fun of them on a daily basis.

As defined by urbandictionary.com, a gaper is "A beginner skier or snowboarder who has no clue as to what they're doing on the mountain. They crash all over the place and get in your way. Referred to as a gaper because of the gap between their hat and goggles, also known as a gaper-gap."
Ex: I couldn't ski fast because I was too busy dodging all the gapers.

It seems to me like a lot of these kids have forgotten all about that day. That day they first strapped a board or pair of skis to their feet, struggled to get on a lift and had anxiety the entire way up, not knowing what to expect when they got to the top. They've forgotten how excited they were when they first figured out how to carve, and that feeling of accomplishment they had after they made it down a run without falling once. We were all there once; yes at one time or another, we were all gapers. Some of us loved the sport so much we chose to move to towns where we had easy access to a mountain and could meet people who shared our passion. However, just because some people choose to remain in a city where they have to drive an hour or more to the mountain, allowing them to go only a few times per season, doesn’t mean we need to put ourselves above them. Most of us take up leisure activities to fill our time in the off season, like running or fishing for example. That doesn't mean we are olympic quality runners or that we catch large enough fish to feed a family for a week. Yet just because we don't particularly excel at it doesn’t mean we should be made fun of for going out there and trying. The way I see it, as long as you're having fun, who cares? I mean that is what snowsports are supposed to be about- isn’t it?

If people decide to dress in neon one piece outfits rather than ridiculously long tall tees, let them. And if you see that they are catching an edge why don't you help them out instead of spraying them? Or simply just let them be. I find it funny that a town that survives on tourism takes such joy in making fun of gapers. In reality, we should be thanking them for supporting our industry and keeping this sport alive.

'Tis the Season

I'm currently sitting at my desk with sore thighs, an aching back and a few bruises, regardless of the nice relaxing shower I just took. It's only October 17th and I just got back from a two day snowboarding adventure. After a week filled with classes, studying for midterms, RHA meetings, Presidential Debates, and bowling, distressing on the slopes was the best thing imaginable. Okay, so I really enjoy the clubs I'm in, and bowling is a leisure activity- I'm not exactly living the hard life here, but after attending a conference all last weekend I feel like hitting up A-Basin was much deserved.


The sun rising as we drove

Day One

I woke up at 6am on Friday morning, grabbed my backpack, boots, and freshly tuned board,then met up with my friends Heather and Mariah. By 6:45 we were on the road. Its funny how waking up for a 9 o’clock class can be so difficult, but getting up before sunrise to go snowboarding is a piece of cake. We arrived at A-Basin around 8:30, geared up, bought overpriced passes and got on the lift. My first run was amazing and I owe it partly to my friend Jake who took Board Tuning I as an elective this year. He actually took my board to class, tuned the edges and waxed it up for me. I'm excited about taking it next semester because as he said,

"It's great when the classes you are taking actually apply to your life."

Mariah and I, our first ride up

Throughout the day I met up with quite a few kids from CMC. That's one thing I love about this school, everyone gets along so well. Even though there was only one run open, we were all having a great time. My friend Tyler even taught me front side 180s! I'm so excited because that was one of my goals for the season and I got it down pretty consistently. Learning that trick on day one was a reminder as to why I came out here, to progress. Riding with kids who are better than me will constantly push me to try more things.

They had a rail and a box set up and kids were showing off their park abilities. Here is a picture I composed of Alex hitting the flat down.

By the time two thirty rolled around we were pretty whipped. We were definitely not in shape, and given that it was our first time out this season we called it quits because fatigue leads to injuries. So we headed to Silverthorne and decided to hit up Target. To most people that doesn't sound like a big deal, but for those of us who live in Steamboat it's very exciting. Steamboat is an incredibly small resort town without much variety for shopping. The Target we were at was actually the closest one we have, two hours away. Needless to say the ability to shop online is not something we take for granted here.

After that we ate some dinner and relaxed. A friend I used to work with back in Buffalo, who now lives in Summit County, came over to hang out. It was very refreshing to spend time with someone who knows exactly what I'm talking about when I refer to Mighty Taco, and who understands that Buffalo Wings are not the same anywhere else in the country.

Standing in the lift line

Day Two

Knowing that A-Basin would be packed for opening weekend, we decided to sleep in and go to the mountain around noon. Most of the kids we knew from Steamboat had gone back to school, but we saw a few that stuck around. The lines were ridiculously long and the conditions were progressively getting worse. We still managed to have a fun day, just messing around on the mountain. Mariah and Heather both hit the flat down a couple times I attempted a few backside 180s off of little kickers.

Before we knew it, the lifts were closing and we had to head back. All in all it was a great trip. The fact that we got to go snowboarding as early as October 17th is amazing in itself. Leaving was pretty sad, especially because we didn't see any snow on the way home. When we got back to campus people were so excited to see us in all our gear. I think we were sort of a reassurance that winter really is coming, and soon we will all get to see snow in more than just films and magazines.

Where to begin?

I can't believe we're already half way through the semester. It seems like just yesterday I packed my bags and headed to the airport, sadly hugging my friends and family goodbye. I remember boarding the plane with both hesitation and excitement. I was sad about leaving everyone behind, I knew I'd miss them, but at the same time I was thrilled about the new life I'd be starting here at CMC. After a day filled with layovers, waiting in airports, overpriced fast food and a four hour bus ride from Denver International Airport to Steamboat Springs, I was ready to start a new phase of my life. These past few months have been filled with so much fun! Here’s what I’ve been up to...

The Yampa River

Hiking: What started out as an innocent trip into town turned into an epic adventure. I had every intention of picking up job applications when I ran into some kids that I recognized from campus at the bus stop. They had no real purpose, just checking out the town, and figuring the application process could wait a few hours, I joined them. Soon I found myself gasping for a breath of air as we hiked up Howelson Hill. My body had not yet adjusted to the altitude, and my eyes couldn't believe the incredible views. Everything seemed to be out of a post card or magazine. You know those shows you watch on Travel Channel about the world’s most beautiful destinations? I was there. I stood back, took in the view and smiled; for the next two years, this was my home.

CMC, Alpine Campus

Camping: It was a typical night on campus; I had gotten out of class and headed up to the dorms for an RHA meeting. On the way up I ran into a couple of my friends and they invited me to go camping. Since I had backed out a couple times in the past I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to show them that I could rough it for a night. After I got out of the meeting we loaded up Kyle's SUV and headed for the mountains. It took us about a half an hour to reach a dirt road that eventually lead to some pretty secluded camping spots. Growing up my family went "camping" quite often. We usually rented a placed that had sites staked out, premade fire pits and neighbors only ten feet away. Oh, and did I mention we had a camper? Needless to say this spur of a moment decision turned out to be quite an experience for this rural suburban girl. We got a fire going, set up our tents and broke out the guitar. I think the thing I was most afraid of was wild animals. After all, we were out in the middle of nowhere, who knows what could have happened? Although I was woken up at one point by an animal scratching at the tent, we made it through the night safe and sound.

Paddling: After doing a river clean up for a few hours on a Friday afternoon, my friend Jake and I met up with other members of paddling club and decided to plan a trip. We chose to raft the Shoshone Rapids in the Colorado River the following day. It was my first time white water rafting and I was beyond stoked. Like a child too excited to fall asleep knowing that Christmas is just around the corner, I got very little rest that night. We left around 7am the next morning. After a three hour drive to Glenwood, we blew up the raft, geared up, and took our first run. It was so exhilarating we decided to take four more after that. We were tossed around the river with water splashing in our faces, and smiles from ear to ear. It turned out to be everything I expected, and I made some new friends along the way. Best of all, it was sponsored by the school so it was completely free.