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Last days of skiing

| April 11, 2017 3:36 PM

For many, the best part of living in Whitefish is the mountain — Big Mountain.

In the summer, there is extraordinary biking and hiking and the winter hosts one of the best ski resorts in the world. The mountain possesses one of a kind tree skiing, tricky black diamonds, and easy groomers. There is something for everyone. Now, with the 2016-2017 ski season at a close at Whitefish Mountain Resort, it is always fun to reminisce on the incredible season we’ve had. This reminiscing really begins to take effect on many high schoolers, especially seniors.

Although the first weeks of the season started slow, it wasn’t until late in the season when it really started to dump. Throughout the months of February and March the halls of Whitefish High School remained empty due to the powder skiing that couldn’t be missed. Instead of ski days, students were absent for whole weeks. One family made the rule that anytime the mountain got more than 5 inches overnight, their kids got to skip. This rule was quickly revoked after entire weeks of school had to be missed.

This huge increase of snow during the last months have created a new meaning to the word spring skiing. Usually spring skiing consists of messy, wet snow heated by the warm sun. Skiers and snowboards strip down to as little clothing as possible to enjoy the sub par conditions. This year has been different. Instead of the sub par spring snow, the conditions continued to be great even with the increase in temperature.

One of the best parts of spring skiing is the challenge of finding the funniest outfit to wear. Since staying warm is no longer a difficult task, skiers and snowboarders playfully compete to see who can come up with the wackiest attire. Outfits range from 80s ski suits to cut off jeans and a flannel. Nothing is funnier than riding up the chairlift watching the multicolored, half naked people ski below.

So as the season ends, every senior begins to realize that these last months will be the last time we will all be together. And for many, it seems that these last days of skiing will represent the some of the last memories that many of us will share. So for some reason, on this last day of the season, I slept in and decided to bail on skiing this final day. I was content with my decision until a close friend of mine called me up wondering why I wasn’t on the mountain. He explained that this would be the last time my friends and I would be together dressed in our craziest costumes spring skiing. I began to understand that this would actually be the last time we would all be together enjoying the sun on the mountain. I realized that this day could not be wasted, so naturally, I threw on an old 80s ski suit and headed up the hill for one last afternoon. As I leave Whitefish next year, I know that I will always remember these last spring days skiing in the sun with my friends.

Thomas Carloss is a senior at Whitefish High School.