I’ve heard a lot of complaining about the interminable winter, but I’ve actually loved it—no oppressive heat, no mosquitoes constantly attacking my legs, and plenty of opportunities for outdoor adventures.

This year I hit two new ski spots, Bretton Woods in New Hampshire and Canaan Valley in West Virginia. Bretton Woods was awesome; I especially liked the preponderance of blues, including in their glades (seems most glades I’ve encountered are blacks and extremely challenging). I got to practice moguling a bit and dealing with rough terrain, as well as speeding down fresh corduroy. 🙂 Canaan Valley was more challenging, but I could hardly complain because the snow was incredible—fresh and powdery and mostly not too deep, like floating on a cloud.

We also went snowshoeing (Bretton Woods) and cross-country skiing (near Canaan Valley)—I’d forgotten how challenging cross-country can be when navigating down hills, since the skis don’t have edges. There were a few falls but otherwise we left sore and happy.

Here are some pictures from winter 2014.

A cabin in Blackwater Falls State Park. Photo by Christine Dell’Amore

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81117927@N00/sets/72157642182610525/

Now, on to spring!