 The excitement before First Chair is always palpable. Photo courtesy of Sterling Todd Keys |
MOUNT WASHINGTON, BC — It never used to be odd getting up at 5 am on the weekend to drive to the mountains for a day of skiing. It’s what needed to be done. But when you're spoiled, living within a stone's throw of a mountain (like I am now), it seems a little bit excessive to be waking up at the same time other people are just going to sleep.
That is, it would seem excessive on any other day. But for opening day? Not so much.
Thanks to the barage of social media from both the resorts and my friends (not mention SnowSeekers…), those of us on Vancouver Island had to watch patiently as resort after resort opened their lifts to record-breaking snowfalls. To add fuel to the fire, my friends back home in Alberta have been hitting Sunshine Village, Marmot Basin, Lake Louise, and the like, and have experienced powder days they didn’t expect until mid-January.
For me, there's only so many times you can sit down, wax, and do a pre-season tune to your gear before it gets a little bit ridiculous.
A bright bluebird day awaited me, one that allowed 360 panoramic views. The Comox Valley, Comox Glacier, and Coastal Mountains from mainland British Columbia were highly visible, a truly rare sight. That the majority of the mountain and the lifts were open on Opening Day was just icing on the cake.
 If snow this fluffy doesn't make you want to hit the slopes, we don't know what you're doing here. Photo courtesy of Sterling Todd Keys |
It was suddenly apparent that despite waking up and arriving early, I hadn't been the only person to come to this brilliant conclusion. Arriving from the parking lot a full hour before the time that the lifts were scheduled to start running, there was already a mix of skiers and snowboarders who had staked their claim and formed a line around the Eagle Express Chair. The mix of people, both young and old, clamoured around and fed upon each other's energy. As the lift started running, so patrol could do their rounds and give the go-ahead, a cheer erupted.
The season was finally here.
There were more than a handful of students who had been "pulled" from school so they could experience the first day of the season with their families and friends. Even parents with younger children, many of whom had never skied before, were eagerly waiting for the new Easy Acres beginner area to open up and be one of the first few people to experience the brand new Magic Carpets. A recent upgrade to the learning area at Mount Washington, it boasts an easier and faster ride, making for a more productive learning experience.
 The last run of the day is always bittersweet. But it's so when you know you've got an entire season ahead of you. Photo courtesy of Sterling Todd Keys |
During the wait, I was surprised by the amount of people who were pulling out new skis and boards. Naively, I was so used to bringing out my rock skies on the first few ski days of the season, and getting at least a core shot or two, I began asking the few people around me if they were afraid of this happening.
"Rocks? At Mount Washington? I think the biggest thing we need to worry about is a tree stump or two not being fully covered, but patrol should have that marked off," one gentlemen replied through a laugh.
If you can't beat them, why not join them? No wanting to be the “foreigner” clearly taking part in his first Opening Day at Mt. Washington, I headed back to the car and switched out my rock skis for something a little beefier … and much newer. Luckily, I arrived back just in time to see the first chair being loaded. The crowd erupted again, unsurprisingly.
Sure enough, there was nary a rock in sight and the few large ones that weren't covered were very apparent by patrollers and easily avoided. For the first time in years, I wasn't spending the first ski day tentatively going through powder waiting for the inevitable CRUNCH. Instead, I enjoyed nearly unlimited visibility, big lines, and thigh-burning runs.
Finally, after almost a month of watching people at other resorts enjoy their first days, we finally had ours. The snow was amazing, the powder stashes were plentiful and easily accessible, the groomers were well maintained and fast, and the overall mood from staff and visitors alike was absolutely electric.
Mount Washington couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to ring in the 2011/2012 skiing season.
Here’s to a countless amount of similar days on the Island! Shred on fellow snow seekers!
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