We were skiing everything during the weeks around the World Cup. Over 5 feet of snow fell at Killington with no real base, and man, did we ski it all: hot laps in the Canyon on 100% natural snow with no end of greatness in sight. It was a glorious few weeks that will go down in the ranks of Killington history. Flume was 100% natural, and it was so good that the bottom wasn’t that normal sheet of frozen runoff, scaring you to death. It was fun and games, and I’ve never apologized to a pair of skis as often as I have these few weeks.
But you couldn’t say no. The buddy coined the expression that it was like skiing Mad River…but with sharper rocks. It really was that good. The downdraft was incredible; Double Dipper felt like the good old days when you could actually feel both dips. Cascade was beautiful until you got to the turn towards the big rocks, and then it was only almost glorious. Escapade: Well, Escapade was closed now, wasn’t it?
Once you passed the first turn of the Cascade and Downdraft headwalls, you were in paradise. These two sections of trail are never like that. One night (and it was so dark for the last chair) I made the second turn on the Cascade headwall and got stuck in a foot of snow between two moguls. I pooped. It was incredible. It will remain one of my top ten turns, especially since we had literally skied the same turn on the previous run, so I figured it would be spotted. Thanks, Vermont Wind, for delivering this for me!
What? Don’t have your top 10 turns ingrained in your brain? My best moment was on a promotional shoot for Killington in the early 2000s, and we got our first push on Superstar Quad. You never know if it’ll just be a wind-made mess or something really fun to play with off Skye Peak. Well, we succeeded. I was on TV at the time, so admittedly, the powder was a little deeper than if I was on Alpine. That bent knee gets you there so well.
Anyway, I dropped the Ovation headwall and sank past my waist and down to my armpits. I literally sank. And for that turning point to happen here in Killington, on the mountain where I was working at the time, turned that turning point into total magic. What an affirmation of all the life choices I had made up to that point. I had dropped out of college to become a ski instructor and found myself up to my armpits in powder. I would say this confirms the greatness of my life choice to be a ski bum.
But I’m not really a bum anymore, am I? I own my home, I am a managing broker for Sotheby’s Realty and I am a municipal official. Can I still be considered a ski bum? But I continue to coach skiing and introduce young athletes to the love of the sport. Sunday evenings in Baja are filled with locals discussing everything from the structure of the park to the development of the village to the start of the day. It’s all in there. My clients are either looking to start living their ski dreams or looking for someone to guide them through their tearful goodbyes.
My entire life revolves around the sport of skiing and my love for it. My entire life is based on time blocking, making sure each day dedicates 1-2 hours to myself, I mean ski time. I never wanted to be anywhere else, even when it rained 2.42 inches at my house during a devastating storm. But when I looked outside that morning, I managed to find the snowy lining. Literally, there was still snow on my lawn! I still managed to find some ground through the woods, which is why I have hiking gear. If you can’t ski down the woods, there is usually enough skiing to get back up or through them!
The ski lifestyle is a choice, a commitment to the snow, the sport and the lifestyle. Everyone who lives here has made this choice. Every second the owner decided to prioritize skiing and cycling every weekend. Every investor recognizes the value of the ski lifestyle. This is why we are here, why our world revolves around going down a mountain as much as possible.
My second best moment was a private moment in Sore Thumb. This was the first time I found the trail on my own and wasn’t guided by one of the more mature skiers. I was skiing alone and found it before anyone else. All that powder was mine! This beautiful fall of several turns with snow up to your hips. Damn, that was a glorious moment. It’s weird that most of my all-time best laps have been at Killington.
Merisa Sherman is a longtime Killington resident, global real estate advisor, city official and PomPom coach. Share your stories on Merisa.Sherman@SothebysRealty.com.