That’s right, this year’s ski trip is planned, and the winner is *drum roll, please* Winter Park. Unfortunately though, that means the loser is me, since Mary Jane is going to KICK.MY.ASS. This is a mountain whose motto is, “No Pain. No Jane.” And they mean it. With an elevation of 11,700 feet and a 1,766-foot vertical drop, she hits like a girl… on the Women's US Olympic Boxing Team.
Anyway, since every skier here knows that the term vertical drop refers to the distance between the summit and the base, measured straight down, is it possible I was the only one who didn’t know that sixty percent of Mary’s Jane’s 1,766 feet is expert terrain? If so, how? And why am I always the last to know? Now, thanks to my “I’ll try anything once, unless it kills me, then all bets are off” mantra, I'm officially booked on a non-refundable trip that includes bumps, trees, grade and stupidity… but not necessarily in that order. And that’s the GOOD news.
The bad news is that, if I’m going to survive this, I need to bring my A-game, which is just funny; because, if you know me, then you know that I didn’t even have an A-game when I skied competitively in high school and college. At best I was a B minus... graded on a curve (and NOT even a giant slalom one). At forty-three, now I just bring my F-game, as in “What the F was I thinking?”
That being said, I’m not going to lie, I’m crazy excited (with the emphasis on excited not crazy). I’ve never done Winter Park, but my best friend (TB) has, and she loves it. Me? I love the fact that Mary Jane is named after the local mining camp madam who bought the land in the late 1800s. And, just so we’re all on the same page, I’m not judging. Like I told TB, “If you had to pick between your dignity and your own mountain, what would you call the resort?” Exactly.
On the up note, I told TB I might get a helmet cam this year, just so we can laugh afterwards. It’ll be my magnum opus. Think “Warren Miller meets Jackass.” Admit it, there’s a small part of you that would want to have a glass of wine and watch it with us… With that, I’m off to work out so I don’t die. Note: Any and all skidiva scoop on Winter Park (in general) and Mary Jane (specifically) will be most appreciated, including tips on how to prepare for it. Talk to you later.
Anyway, since every skier here knows that the term vertical drop refers to the distance between the summit and the base, measured straight down, is it possible I was the only one who didn’t know that sixty percent of Mary’s Jane’s 1,766 feet is expert terrain? If so, how? And why am I always the last to know? Now, thanks to my “I’ll try anything once, unless it kills me, then all bets are off” mantra, I'm officially booked on a non-refundable trip that includes bumps, trees, grade and stupidity… but not necessarily in that order. And that’s the GOOD news.
The bad news is that, if I’m going to survive this, I need to bring my A-game, which is just funny; because, if you know me, then you know that I didn’t even have an A-game when I skied competitively in high school and college. At best I was a B minus... graded on a curve (and NOT even a giant slalom one). At forty-three, now I just bring my F-game, as in “What the F was I thinking?”
That being said, I’m not going to lie, I’m crazy excited (with the emphasis on excited not crazy). I’ve never done Winter Park, but my best friend (TB) has, and she loves it. Me? I love the fact that Mary Jane is named after the local mining camp madam who bought the land in the late 1800s. And, just so we’re all on the same page, I’m not judging. Like I told TB, “If you had to pick between your dignity and your own mountain, what would you call the resort?” Exactly.
On the up note, I told TB I might get a helmet cam this year, just so we can laugh afterwards. It’ll be my magnum opus. Think “Warren Miller meets Jackass.” Admit it, there’s a small part of you that would want to have a glass of wine and watch it with us… With that, I’m off to work out so I don’t die. Note: Any and all skidiva scoop on Winter Park (in general) and Mary Jane (specifically) will be most appreciated, including tips on how to prepare for it. Talk to you later.
