Mavrovo, Macedonia – "How much is the bus to Mavrovo?" I asked the lady behind the counter. She looked at me confused, and answered dismissively, "The bus will come." "OK. I want to buy a ticket." "The bus will come," she repeated, then slid closed the window for talking and looked away. She would not … Continue reading Mavrovo: A Return to What Was
Hancock, MA – The charm of a “low speed” lift has always been decidedly lost on me. Lets get to the top … now! That was the only concern. Intolerable twelve- to fifteen-minute lift rides always seemed to be cruel and unusual punishment, especially those first few chairs of the day. If I wanted to … Continue reading Jiminy Peak: A Big Comfy Couch
Lawrenceburg, IN – Tucked amongst the rolling hills and farms of Indiana lies Perfect North Slopes, a small, quiet mountain for skiers only. Located outside of Lawrenceburg near the tri-state corner of Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, it is conveniently located an hour and a half from Indianapolis and 45 minutes from Cincinnati. Its unique location … Continue reading Just Perfect
Story by Matt Duffy Photos by Marc Guido (February 2001) – It took a lot to get here, which says nothing about the easy access to Taos. Planning for a full season of features at First Tracks!! Online began while I was laid up and recovering from ACL surgery. I was in severe snow-withdrawal, and … Continue reading Taos: Tell It To the Mountain
A number of skiers and concerned businessmen have approached me about the lack of recent snowfall. Their cry is always the same: “What can we do?!” I’m not a licensed meteorologist. I can only recommend what has always worked for the white man: “Begin,” I say, “by washing your car.” n Proper use of the … Continue reading Guaranteed Snowbringers
Old man winter—old person winter, if you want to be contempo about it—is here like we haven’t had in many years. I have to say that it’s been the most exciting winter sports season in recent memory. Not only has the weather been fabulous, but I’ve seen more variety on the slopes than ever before. … Continue reading Get In Shape for the Slopes
Photos by Scott Murphy Snowshoe Mt., WV (January, 2001) – We drove for hours in the pitch dark. Past gas stations and mobile homes and shuttered barbecue joints. Up corkscrew mountain curves and through national forests, Orion burning brighter on the horizon with each mile into the middle of nowhere we pushed. Was this going … Continue reading Snowshoe: No Comparison