Ode to Homewood – Poofest Continues….

Sorry we’ve been off the map for a bit, but it has been dumping in Tahoe and the ski conditions have been seriously awesome!!! So, we’ve been very busy…. : )

These past couple of days have been absolutely exhilarating and while I know that words can’t possibly do it justice, here is my (Helen's) version of PooFest at Homewood. In particular, I want to describe it for those of you who have only had the “pleasure” of skiing on the east coast. For those of you that haven’t, here is a brief taste from my recollection as a child skiing in Mont St. Anne, Quebec. ICE. ICE. MORE ICE. -30 degrees Celcius. Frost bite. Numb fingers and toes. Long line-ups at the lifts. Did I mention ICE?? Hopefully you get the picture….

Now, contrast that with our experience here. We’ve been skiing Homewood for the last couple of days while about 3 feet of fluffy powder has accumulated.

Homewood is a great little mountain right across the street from Lake Tahoe - literally. The lifts are all old-school – in fact, everything is pretty old school - but the tickets are cheap, and you pretty much have the place to yourself. Seriously. No need to hike anywhere to find untouched powder – you’ll find it right on the trails on a day like today when it’s dumping. Pretty nutty. It’s one of my favorite places in the ‘Hoe.

Anyhow, hopefully this gives you a sense of what this paradise has been like since Thursday….The snow is falling heavily, giving me a feeling of total peace and calm. By the time I reach the top of the lift, I’m covered in a thin blanket of the white stuff.

We go up the lift in virtual silence. We’re both engulfed in our own thoughts about the amazing run we just had and which new line we’re going to take next. Once in a while we nudge each other and just giggle. We’re giddy. The only stress we have is the fear that the snowfall is going to stop – ‘cuz we just want it to keep on dumping…..And it does!!

As I ski through the trees, there is hardly a sound – except for the swoosh, swoosh of the snow as my skis gently move through it. And I also occasionally “whoop” as I float through the powder, overjoyed.

The snow is so soft and so deep that it almost stops me in my tracks – even when I’m on a decent pitch. And when I fall, it’s actually fun! It’s like falling into a huge pile of fluffy pillows - aka pillow heaven ;) It gives me a chance to look around in amazement and take in the winter wonderland that surrounds me.

The only downside is that after a couple of hours, my hands and feet are soaked in sweat and I start to get chilly. And my legs also start to feel heavy and burn – so I am forced to take a break. It’s bittersweet. I just had the most amazing morning skiing and now I am spent. I’ll spend the afternoon hoping that the snow just keeps on dumping so we can have another day of PooFest Paradise tomorrow.

I hope that everyone I know has the chance to experience it someday – because it truly is amazing.