Room With A View

Sunrise from our living room window

Today's our first ski day! It seems we've really lucked out weather-wise. Up until last week, the snowfall levels had been pretty dismal, but last week's 20+ inches of accumulation did much to improve conditions. And we're expecting almost springlike weather...clear and temperatures in the 30'sF. It should be a great ski week.

Yesterday we did the usual first-day tasks: provisioning, taking skis in for tuneups, getting jeune homme's lift pass and equipment rentals taken care of. I also took the opportunity to finally get myself a decent pair of after-ski boots. I've considered then talked myself out of buying a pair every year, as they have limited use in Southern California, but then spend every ski trip wishing I had more appropriate footwear.

Here I apparently got lucky as well. I spotted these in one of the shops here and they were exactly what I was looking for: low-heeled, sleek, with a narrow ankle shaft, dressy enough to wear out to dinner and very comfortable. They're made my a Finnish company called Pertti Palmroth, which according to the shop owners, is no longer in business. That's a shame, as these boots are beautifully made and were reasonably priced. There was only a single pair left in my size of any of the styles they carried in this brand; fortunately it was the style I most preferred. They're very warm and waterproof, and have great traction for navigating wet, snowy or icy surfaces. We plan to continue taking our annual ski trip as long as we're physically and financially able, so if the universe is willing I'll be using these for many more years.

It's become more difficult traveling with jeune homme due to the behavioral issues. We're hoping that the familiar routine of his ski lessons starting today will help settle him down a bit, but are beginning to question how much longer we'll be able to travel with him. He does look forward to this trip for months in advance, and adores his "adaptive" ski instructor (we've booked the same guy for years now) but has a rough time on days when we don't have a full roster of activities he enjoys. The skiing is very good for him, not only physically (helps coordination), but mentally as well, as it requires extended focus and following directions. He also seems to get a sense of satisfaction from each incremental increase in ability.

The views from the top of the mountain should be spectacular; I'll be sure and snap some photos to share. I can hardly wait to get out there!!

BTW, love this week's New Yorker cover...

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