Not ready for the season to be over; withdrawals starting

[surfsnowgirl]

We've skied quite a bit this year. Skiing probably between 20 and 30 days. Mostly at our home mountain of Butternut but with side trips to Gore, Bromley and Loon. Its been a great winter accomplishment wise. I've gotten rid of my starter skis, gone to my proper ski length, took a few lessons, did some demoing and bought and fell in love with my Kenjas. I feel I have really improved my skiing in the past 2 months, largely due to lessons, an upgrade in the ski department and just pure man hours on the slopes.

I am not quite ready to hang it up yet. We were thinking of heading to Killington for the weekend but due to questionnable weather did not. DH is tired and ready to end the season but I still have more skiing in me Just want one or two more days.............................

Plan to head up to Butternut tomorrow afternoon/sunday or at least sunday if it rains tomorrow. I may head up to Wachussett on the 12th as its their closing day. I have never been there so I will consider it preliminary research for next season for somewhere else to go

The end of the season is always hard for me, hardest this year by far. From December til April weekends are filled with skiing and weekend trips. Come April I need to come down from the ski high and acclimate into spring and summer. Once I get there I am fine but it takes a little adjusting. What possibly do I do with myself on the weekends.

This year I plan to get a chaise lounge for the back yard and relax and read the paper on sundays. Soon we'll be full into the nicer weather things such as BBQs, camping, blueberry and strawberry picking and outdoor concerts.

Its always an adjustment coming off of the high of ski season and adjusting to doing other things on the weeeknds.

Does anyone else go through this. I understand I may be weird but thought I'd throw this out there just in case I'm not alone

 

[RhodySkiBum]

You are not alone! I feel exactly the same way - and I think I could have written the same post!

My DH also says he is done - we have no more snow in the yard and it's going to be close to 60 degrees here today, so he has moved on to yard work and spring. He even put the skis/boots down in the basement (we keep them in the garage in winter) But me? I'm not ready to quit! We had such a great ski season, I don't want to let it go! I didn't get nearly as many days in as you did (13 - and counting??) and have been tied up with work for the last two weekends and unable to get away.

We were considering Wachusett for Monday - but they're closing Mon - Fri and reopening for the weekend. (Plus the weather is iffy - rain?)

I did get down to the beach yesterday, took a long walk in the 50 degree weather, and it was nice.....but that will still be there when the ski resorts close!

I want one more - or maybe two more - weekends of skiing!

 

[MissySki]

You are most definitely not alone!! I'm never ready for the season to end, and will definitely go through withdrawals/sadness when it does. Sunday River's closing day is set for May 2'nd, so I plan to ski every weekend through the end if it holds up.. fingers crossed (I've never skied in May so that's exciting). Potentially would go elsewhere after that if it's worth it. It's warm today, but we are supposed to be getting 4-6 inches of snow tonight/tomorrow on the mountain which I wasn't expecting, not going to be warm Sunday either. I'm actually looking forward to spring skiing when it ever arrives up there on a weekend day. It has been a fantastic season so I really cannot complain, I'm at 59 days so far which is my most ever in the 8 seasons I've been skiing, will take as much more as I can get before it's really over.

After the season ends I usually go into "blob mode" for a couple of weekends and do absolutely nothing besides eat, sleep, read etc. It gets tiring to drive so far each weekend during the season and get up early everyday so it's nice to do nothing and sleep in without a real purpose or agenda. Next is summer waxing/ edge care for all of the skis before they get stored. Then I give the house a good cleaning because it does get somewhat neglected during the winter since we aren't around as much. Once all that happens I start gardening, biking, beach, paddleboarding as the weather allows. Then it just all leads back to the countdown to next season and the first snow!

 

[AltaEgo]

I have a sticker on my old helmet that reads, "Skiing is habit forming and may be addictive."

And I am definitely suffering from withdrawals!

 

[skibum4ever]

Well, I've gotten only about 20 days this season, due to the poor snow and DH's inability to ski. Should get another 5 or so days this coming week.

That will probably be it unless Mammoth gets some decent snow.

We normally get about 50 days, more if the ski season lasts into June. So yes, I am definitely not ready for the ski season to end. But in reality, our season ended on Oct. 18 when DH had surgery to repair his quad tendons.

Maybe I will be less frustrated than usual, since we've been doing non-ski stuff for most of the winter. But frankly, I doubt it. I am always wanting more ski days, and it generally takes me a month to get out of my post season slump.

Withdrawals, you bet!

 

[just jane]

I always get a bit teary-eyed on my last day of the season. It's sad to put the skis away for the summer. But I'm also getting antsy for the warmer-weather activities that I love and miss, so it's all good. I can't wait to get out camper trailer out and de-winterized, I'm itching for a spring desert canyon trip before it gets too hot, and I'm ready for some boating (even though we didn't get any of the permits that we put in for so no big trips this year). I love seasons.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I feel so much better that I am not alone. A couple more day trips which will carry me through the 12th. I think that'll be the end of day trips as I live in southern connecticut so not sure what other day trip options there are. If I ski anywhere after April 12th it will most likely have to be an overnight somewhere. DH is fine about my going without him but I'd just have to look into where to go.

It is indeed very tiring driving somewhere every weekend so I guess I also go through blob mode for a couple weekends after its over. It is nice to just lay around and not have to be somewhere. A good house cleaning yes that's also a must as we don't do a whole lot from December until April . I can also start to socialize with the non skiing part of my life as I don't see much of them during this time of year cause we are never around. My step mom's words the other day when I said ski season was ending soon was "oh good then we can see you again"

April/May tends to be a bit of a transition time for me. Getting too warm to ski but really too cold to hang in the backyard and read. Can't really hike cause it tends to be muddy. Not really warm enough to open the top on my Jeep. Once the end of May comes I have come out of my withdrawal period. The farmers markets are in full swing and I get excited by fruits and vegetables and all of that. Then before I know it its august and festival time and the beginning of my favorite time of year. I love all the fairs, football season starts, fall is in swing, ski swaps and seeing our ski friends at the resort again.

Its just an adjustment chilling around the house when I'm used to skiing all day. Its like a musician coming off of a tour, they are having this whirlwind experience and then they come in off the road about being on tour for 5 months and have this down time. OMG what do they do with themselves. I kind of feel that best describes my coming off the winter high. For 5 months out of the year we are skiing maniacs and then April/May comes and its over and there are weekends to fill up with stuff to do and I go through this period of shell shock. What to do with myself. What did I did myself before I ever skied/snowboarded.

Makes me feel better others have the same withdrawals and going through adjustments as well.

 

[NZfarmgirl]

I have a sticker on my old helmet that reads, "Skiing is habit forming and may be addictive."

And I am definitely suffering from withdrawals!

This is actually a real thing, skiing is exciting and thrilling which causes us to release adrenaline and endorphins, while we are zooming around, having near misses, tackling that steep, scary slope, feeling the rush of speed.
So when we stop we can actually have real chemical withdrawal. This adds to the sadness of the season ending and can lead to mild depression.
My advise is EXERCISE!!
Its tempting to lie around for a few weekends but that can actually make you sadder.
Take up running, or get straight on your bike and enter the first race event of the season, sign up for box fit, or boot camp- something that will really get you sweating. The endorphins you get work wonders.
I had a problem with mild depression after having kids and have found that exercise keeps me balanced.

The other thing that helps is education. Exercising the brain is very stimulating so maybe a night class in something that interest you.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

This is actually a real thing, skiing is exciting and thrilling which causes us to release adrenaline and endorphins, while we are zooming around, having near misses, tackling that steep, scary slope, feeling the rush of speed.
So when we stop we can actually have real chemical withdrawal. This adds to the sadness of the season ending and can lead to mild depression.
My advise is EXERCISE!!
Its tempting to lie around for a few weekends but that can actually make you sadder.
Take up running, or get straight on your bike and enter the first race event of the season, sign up for box fit, or boot camp- something that will really get you sweating. The endorphins you get work wonders.
I had a problem with mild depression after having kids and have found that exercise keeps me balanced.

The other thing that helps is education. Exercising the brain is very stimulating so maybe a night class in something that interest you.

That explains why I get slightly depressed. There's a 5k I usually do at the end of June so I will sign up for that and get training. I was also thinking of buying a mountain bike so I can do a little riding.

 

[NZfarmgirl]

In saying that (above^) there may be limits to a good thing. We did so many sit ups, burpees, jackknifes, plank to bridges, press ups and boxing yesterday in my class, that it hurts to cough.

 

[NZfarmgirl]

That explains why I get slightly depressed. There's a 5k I usually do at the end of June so I will sign up for that and get training. I was also thinking of buying a mountain bike so I can do a little riding.

I really recommend a mountain bike. Go for duel suspension -you will have much more fun on the trails.

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I have announced to DH that I am reorganizing the kitchen cupboards. I have never been happy with the layout of the dry goods/baked goods, etc and plan to do something about it the first full weekend I/we are home. He is a little scared lol.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Wow. Interesting. I guess I used to feel this way - and then I moved into a needy and forever-falling-apart house with acreage. Last ski day, whenever it might be, we party hearty, heave a sigh, drive home - and hit the ground running. So much has to happen in the non-ski season that I usually wind up saying, "OMG, IT'S LABOR DAY AND I HAVEN'T STARTED (fill in name of project here).

Always first on our agenda is dropping trees for firewood for next year (to allow sufficient wood drying time). Chain saw, chaps, helmets, hearing protection, off we go. 1 cord per 60 foot tree (we have so many, I couldn't even begin to count). We need 4. Then dragging them out of the woods, and the cutting begins. That's chore 1, ongoing through November (split, stack, move to burn area in basement, one wheel barrow at a time).

I'm busier in the non-ski season than I am when all I have to do is haul out the snow blower. And the roof rake. And plug in the gutter cables. And feed the wood stove. <sigh>

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

Yeah my ski season is over. :( There are a few resorts within 3-6 hour driving distance that are still open this weekend, but the coverage looks thin on webcams so it's not worth it the travel time and money. I am sad but trying to move on to other things and make sure I exercise.

 

[just jane]

April/May tends to be a bit of a transition time for me.

I used to feel the same way - too warm for winter stuff, not warm enough for the summer stuff. And then DH introduced me to the desert, and April/May is the perfect time to play there. Summer is too hot there. I also love desert trips in October, when it's getting too cool for summer mountain playing but it's perfect in the desert.

 

[volklgirl]

I'm never ready for the season to end, either. It seems like my skills are finally up-to-snuff and things are coming more easily just in time for our season to end. Caberfae closed last weekend, Crystal and Nub's Nob close Sunday, and Boyne Mtn will run until they can't. It MAY still be possible to get my 60 days in (currently at 55).

Summer S.A.D. is already setting in, however, even though I'm back to running, and biking and kayaking will be starting shortly.....it just ISN'T the same, not even a little. Sigh.

 

[mustski]

I always go through withdrawal. My busy season (production time) starts just as ski season ends and that keeps me very occupied until swim season starts. However, nothing is as much fun as skiing for me. It's not that I lack other interess; it's just that skiing tops the list. So yeah, I will be sad next Friday when I ski my last day for this season.

 

[just jane]

... and I just made the down payment on my 2015-16 season pass, which eases the pain a bit!

 

[surfsnowgirl]

I used to feel the same way - too warm for winter stuff, not warm enough for the summer stuff. And then DH introduced me to the desert, and April/May is the perfect time to play there. Summer is too hot there. I also love desert trips in October, when it's getting too cool for summer mountain playing but it's perfect in the desert.

I wish we had the desert here. I lived in southern california for 15 years; a lot of desert to play in there. I need to find a "desert" equivalent now that I am back in the northeast. What you do sounds like the perfect thing to do and so fun. Assuming you have quads then?

 

[surfsnowgirl]

Yeah same here, I have other interests as well but skiing by far tops the list. I just have so much fun doing it. I love to run, garden, bike ride, go strawberry and blueberry picking, summer concerts outside, bbqing and just chilling over brunch at the beach. I need to start running again, have fallen way off the wagon with that one. I just felt like I am at the top of my game as the season's ending and I am not ready yet, just a few more turns. Starting to make plans with my neighbor for back yard mimosas and lazy sunday mornings, just after I get a couple more weekends in