When Life Gives You Lemons, You Still Go Skiing

January is one of my least favorite months; the ski season is well under way, but for our portion of the world, the real winter weather hasn’t shown up. Sure we’ve got snow from a few generous November and December storm cycles, but generally January is hesitant to add to the snow pack. This creates alarm amongst winter-loving folks; I have a hard time not falling into the same trap. However, there is that short month everyone dismisses, February. That is the month storms around our area come alive, when staying in a yurt for three days gives you a true sense of what 36” over a 48-hour time period really feels like. I love February.

For the Adventure Learning Program at Logan River Academy, we never pout about the weather and hope for a different day, we learn to embrace every condition and grow with what has been given. Concrete-like ice on the slopes? Perfect day to tour new areas of the ski resort and learn where the shady, icy sections are right before important trail mergers. 45º F, sunny and slushy? Sounds like a great time to eat lunch on the porch and learn how to judge speed when approaching rail and jump features in the terrain park. 18” of powder? That’s easy.

In January we also take advantage of the areas in our backyard that become more unique in the winter. We snowshoe busy summer trails because no one is on them in the winter. We snowbike normally-mundane dirt roads, because with a foot of snow and no cars, we feel like we have the whole world to ourselves. We drill holes in 10” of ice to catch fish, well, because it’s cold and the lake is frozen. How else are we supposed to catch them? Even when conditions aren’t ripe at our treasured ski resorts, we still find opportunities for education, growth, and fun... and that’s what it is all about. 

Mike Bodrero, Adventure Learning Coordinator