Fixpoint

Continued from part 3.

A ski trip was about the only suggestion I had for my Christmas list, and for this time around I was treated to a generous three-day stay at Sunday River, one of the top East Coast resorts. I hadn't made it to the slopes since a 2014 Colorado trip; while there are some decent options in Virginia and nearby, the season is on the shorter side making December visits a hit or miss affair.

We stayed at the Snowcap Inn; while on the property, it wasn't really in gear-laden waddling distance to the ski area, and the room was on the basic side for the price. I figure lodging in town would be the better value; the dining certainly was.

The first day followed on the heels of a nice New Year's Eve powder dump, leaving things a bit on the lumpy side, easy to catch an edge especially when as rusty as me. Nothing I couldn't bounce back from though, and the skills and confidence came back soon enough. Conditions were excellent and temperatures quite comfortable the next two days.

The views are fantastic.

Lift rides can be a good chance to strike up conversation with strangers, though many seem to actively avoid it.

Looking down to the halfway-up Peak Lodge, the favored spot for a hot lunch or just a hot chocolate.

Salvation's closed, obsession's the only way.

In what's surely a metaphor for life, the harder trails tend to be easier than the noob ones - once you're good enough to handle them - because of less traffic.

People even live out there in that nowhere.

Yours Truly.

We have to shovel? Life is hard!

$5 got you a large Belgian waffle. The olfactory advertising covering a good 50 foot radius was all it needed.

Frosted spruce trees, don't they look tasty? (I'll hazard a guess that the aim made sense earlier in the day due to wind.)

"Airglow", heading off to the right, was probably my favorite: steady don't-forget-to-breathe downhill thrills yet nothing too treacherous.

Thin cover in parts.

I'm a decent skier, though I still steer clear of the double-diamonds (highest difficulty rating), so there'll be no view from past the event horizon.

Growing up I only had a couple trips - mainly through Boy Scouts - which were enough to know I loved it but not nearly enough to get over the initial ineptitude. I made the investment in college, picking up some gear of my own, a season pass, and arranging my spring semester schedule to fit the twice weekly carpool with the ski and snowboard team.

One alone stands tall.

The golden hour.

Back at the inn.

Sadly not a real wood fire, though still cheery.

Stretching out a bit and checking the joints were still in working order.

The end of the trip brought the end of the holiday, after a last night at home, some morning reflection and farewells.

Connecting through Newark (EWR), the C gate was filled with a microphone and camera array posing as an entertainment and shopping system. It was eerie.

Somehow it was my camera that stuck out as odd?

America loves its veterans, and makes sure the supply keeps coming.

The chairs being bolted down at the designated sitting distance from the desks turned what was trying hard to be a comfortable setup into just another reminder that yes, you're in a public airport.

We have the figure at 5,596 iPads, on the good authority of Oatly.

If they were gonna be watching me, it was the least I could do to return the favor!

But not to worry, they delete the officially announced images. And it's probably even true: who could possibly be bothered to sort through it all?

Fin.