High points of the 2025 season

[ski diva]

I don't know about you, but my ski season is winding down. Friday will be the end for me; I'll finish with 80 days, which is pretty good considering I didn't ski for three weeks over January/February. I'm always sad to see the season end, so I thought it'd be nice to share some of the high points we experienced over the past winter. Did you take a terrific trip? Learn a new skill? Get some new gear? Conquer your fear of a particular run?

For me, one of the highpoints was our Diva East trip to Sugarloaf and Saddleback. Great skiing with a great bunch of women!

Here we are at Sugarloaf:



What were your high points?

 

[Pandita]

My highpoint this season was riding the chairlift without feeling nauseous, being able to ski without too much terror and tears, AND being able to ski some blue slopes! It was the first season since my injury that I ended with a smile on my face

 

[snoWYmonkey]

So many high points.
- Helping 2 unrelated new to me students tackle our blues and for one onto double blues in 2 days successfully. The stoke was so contagious. Also tought one extra adorable youngish man to ski and his partner was so excited that his beau now loves skiing too.
- Learning to move forward from lessons that either did not serve me or the guest, which opened the door to meeting new students. After 23 years this step was a big one and hopefully managed without hurting anyone's feelings.
- Staying healthy and strong all season. I think I logged 87 days on snow of which 85 were work, and my second busiest season in 23 years.
- Going to bed much earlier than usual, on purpose, and getting the requisite sleep to keep smiling and skiing during the 10 plus day stretches.
- Adding some more challenging off piste skiing into my lessons. I had grown a bit lazy since pre pandemic days.

 

[SkiBam]

At my daughter's urging, I bought a pair of Sockli Laser MX and wow, have these been great! I was a pretty good skier before but these have really taken me to another level, which is darn cool given my age! Another fabulous day at Tremblant today - gotta love it!

 

[wernerslab]

-Went to a bootfitter and got some new great fitting boots that I skied in for 5 days in CO
-demo'd about 10 different skis in PA, VT and CO to get an idea of what kinds of skis I like and to buy a pair in the offseason
-skiing with a great friend in CO after she had a 2yr break bc cancer treatments
-more days on snow than last year

 

[Trailside Trixie]

I am at 55 days so far and still have a few days in me so should end up around 60.

It's been nice to have a legitmate winter with lots of cold days and some really great ski days.

We did 5 days at Mount Bachelor in Oregon and I've now found where I want to live next. I thought it was Vermont and it still might be as I split my time there. However, my heart stayed in Bend when we went so we'll see.

It was a good skill development season for me and I beat many mental demons going down trails I'd had mental blocks against doing. I did Havoc at Bromley, Talisman at Magic and my favorite trail at Jiminy is Wild Turkey one of their signature black runs. Trails that used to be "scary" to me are now "flat" so it makes me happy feeling my progression. I also fixed something with my boots and my skiing changed for the better. Chopped a couple inches off my ski poles and rediscoved how much I love skiiing without them.

It's been a good season and I'm not done yet.

 

[Christy]

My high point was the progress I made Nordic skiing. I got more days Nordic than downhill, and ended the season with so much more confidence.

 

[ilovepugs]

I have a Nordic skiing related highlight as well, although it’s dubious how much I improved. The highlight was discovering a quiet, word of mouth-only xc ski area only 10 minutes away and being able to ski it with my silliest little doggy Pippin.

 

[MrsPlow]

My season ended a couple of weeks ago, managed 78 days of which I'd say only a couple weren't really fun.

Highlights were some truly glorious powder days, and being able to tick off a lovely slack country line when relatively stable avalanche conditions coincided with really nice snow.

Even with that, a big highlight for me was screaming down groomers almost keeping up with my husband and feeling so good about the speed and the adrenaline. That's a first for me in over 20 years of skiing, and was helped I think by lessons last year as well as good conditions. Probably back to square one next season but that high will stay with me regardless.

 

[Divegirl]

I got 13 days in which is pretty good for me seeing as I didn't get started until mid-January (thank you COVID) and I stopped several weeks earlier than planned/hoped.

Highlights -
Of course Diva East - had a wonderful time
Skied 2 new places - Tenney and Sugarloaf (Diva East)
Skied in some of the coldest weather ever - Saddleback (again Diva East)
Rediscovered my form after basically having my boots rebuilt
I made the Wachusett Snow Report video for more than 1 sec - you can actually see me skiing!

 

[Sarabeth]

My high point for the season was getting back on downhill skis for the first time in 15 years!

I also had some really special Nordic outings when it snowed an unusual amount in my mid-Atlantic city, and I got to spend several days skiing in the park across the street from my house.

 

[BlizzardBabe]

At my daughter's urging, I bought a pair of Sockli Laser MX and wow, have these been great! I was a pretty good skier before but these have really taken me to another level, which is darn cool given my age! Another fabulous day at Tremblant today - gotta love it!

I love those skis @SkiBam , but our local conditions this season didn't favor getting on them very much.

I think the highlight for me this year was a trip to Aspen/Snowmass w/two ski buds. I was under the weather the first couple of days and didn't ski to the extent I would've liked but the whole resort experience was wonderful. There is just something about the ski town vibe that lifts me up. I now understand my mom's perspective -- she gave up skiing at age 90 but still just loves being around skiing and ski peeps. I think she'll come with me next year and I'll set her up in a slopeside condo where she can watch skiers all day, walk or shuttle to restaurants and shops, and just soak up the happy vibe.

 

[Aerlind]

My highlights overall were getting back out there A LOT (for me): I'll have 20 days by the end of the season (which is April 27 for me), which is exponentially more than any season in the past 15 years. I've vastly improved my confidence on harder stuff too.

-I skied at 9 different ski areas: Big Sky, Bridger, Maverick, Discovery, Lost Trail, Snowbowl (all in Montana); Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole (Wyoming), and Copper (Colorado)
-I got to ski with a good friend of mine, who I don't get to see often and somehow we only manage to ski together every 10 years (hoping to change that!)
-Hiked the ridge for the first time at Bridger (be careful when you say "I'll hike with you when you get me a beacon", because he just might get you a beacon)
-Skied off the tram at both Big Sky and Jackson Hole (Photo below from Big Sky)

 

[skinnyfootskis]

So many high points.
- Helping 2 unrelated new to me students tackle our blues and for one onto double blues in 2 days successfully. The stoke was so contagious. Also tought one extra adorable youngish man to ski and his partner was so excited that his beau now loves skiing too.
- Learning to move forward from lessons that either did not serve me or the guest, which opened the door to meeting new students. After 23 years this step was a big one and hopefully managed without hurting anyone's feelings.
- Staying healthy and strong all season. I think I logged 87 days on snow of which 85 were work, and my second busiest season in 23 years.
- Going to bed much earlier than usual, on purpose, and getting the requisite sleep to keep smiling and skiing during the 10 plus day stretches.
- Adding some more challenging off piste skiing into my lessons. I had grown a bit lazy since pre pandemic days.
View attachment 24909

Sorry I missed you….definitely will plan again in 2027

 

[wernerslab]

I love those skis @SkiBam , but our local conditions this season didn't favor getting on them very much.

I think the highlight for me this year was a trip to Aspen/Snowmass w/two ski buds. I was under the weather the first couple of days and didn't ski to the extent I would've liked but the whole resort experience was wonderful. There is just something about the ski town vibe that lifts me up. I now understand my mom's perspective -- she gave up skiing at age 90 but still just loves being around skiing and ski peeps. I think she'll come with me next year and I'll set her up in a slopeside condo where she can watch skiers all day, walk or shuttle to restaurants and shops, and just soak up the happy vibe.

Love your mom's attitude! I hope when I am 90+(hopefully!), that I am like her and just being there will be enough even if I am not 'mountaining'.

 

[Knitjenious]

Great thread. I had been feeling a bit lackluster about my season overall, as work and necessary family travel kept me away from the slopes several weekends this year and I missed my goal of 20 days this season (ended at 13.) My stats are always so small compared to many folks here. BUT!

- I skied a new-to-me hill this year, Hollimont, and skied there with a local friend who I had been meaning to ski with for years - bonus, our skill and ambition levels turn out to be well matched.

-even though I skied fewer days, I got more miles than last year, thanks to overall better conditions and increased skills and endurance

-I skied 3 full days in a row during our family trip to Holiday Valley, the most I have skied consecutively!

-my confidence has absolutely improved. I did some fun demoing that pushed me to experiment with driving my skis more, and that translated back to improvements on my daily drivers, too. I am now to the point where there is really no local groomed run that I couldn't handle in anything but the very worst conditions. That's a great feeling! (And I no longer feel like my husband is hovering over me with worry every time we do a black diamond! Lol. That definitely makes it more fun to ski together.)

I am hoping to make Diva East next year and, if not, to at least take a short trip to a larger mountain in 2026. Fingers crossed the work travel and weather align.

Enjoying reading everyone's stories!

 

[Ann B. Graham]

Taos Feb 2025 . Best women’s ski week ever for me. May ski Monday at Killington if today’s snow holds for one more day. Met great people through the Diva’s

 

[Bsheresq]

This whole season was a high point for me! To begin with, I was able to spend the whole winter in Vermont and got 57 days in when my previous record was 15. I used Carv and women’s clinics to measurably improve my skiing and increase my confidence. I skied Killington and Magic Mountain for the first time. & most of all, I had a ton of fun out there experiencing winter in the mountain!

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

Not too many real highlights but I did get to try Magic Mountain for the first time this year and really enjoyed it--so I guess that counts

 

[Ms Mia]

This whole season was a high point for me, too! Received a severance pay-out from a job that had been both bad and good to me, and it was definitely time to leave. Reserved some of it just to spend on fun, and bought my first pair of skis (instead of hand-me-downs), and fell absolutely in love with skiing - as opposed to working hard on it and kind of enjoying it. Spent half a day on the slopes, between two and four times a week, every single week throughout Jan-March (except the brief time I was away) and felt high all the time. So good for the mind, body and soul!

Encouraged and supported my daughter to learn to ski, volunteered with her school ski trips and watched her improve out of sight and have fun.

Tried for the L1 certification and though I didn't pass the ski skills, I did pas the teaching portion, and now have a very clear goal for next season!

Also, became an addict on this forum. Thank you everyone who contributes to each other here, it's awesome.