Killington's Last Hoorah

Today was Killington's last hoorah. Looking back on the season, Killington got me through some tough months. It saw all of my anger, all of my reckless behavior, and yet it still let me have fun and come back for more, even when I gave it hell. I have so many insanely fun memories of this season including season opener when only two runs were open and yet the whole crew was out there taking as many turns as possible, 80s party when Rachel and I dressed up in matching "let's get physical" type outfits looking ridiculous and dancing like no one was watching, Pimps and Hos theme party at the Pickle exemplifying everything that debauchery stands for, and coveted housemate time together on Saturday and Sunday mornings spent recapping the night before and drinking coffee before hitting the slopes. I've met so many people and have had so many good times and yet this weekend was perhaps the most special for me.

On Friday night when we rolled into the house it was amazing how much the place and the people felt like home. It had been a few weeks since I had seen everyone and it really struck me how much I had missed seeing everyone. The scene was ... chit chat on the couch with Tommy and Mandelbaum, silly stories being shared, a mix of poking jabs at each other and loving banter, the crew rolls in from a Friday night Pickle outing and Cari is giddy and looking fabulous, jokes and laughter in the air and even Clifford has a smile ear to ear. I had a light and happy heart being with everyone taking in the experience, as it existed in that moment.

Saturday morning I took Zion for one more shuffle up the hill. Here's a video of him running at full speed down the hill, absolutely happy as can be.



The house was buzzing with excitement for the Mogul Challenge and everyone got to the hill early to warm up for their qualifying races. The course was icey and fast but everyone progressed on to the next round. The day was exciting and beautiful with bright blue skies. I got a real treat by running into Jodi and her crew. It's crazy, but we have hardly ever skiied together and we both spend our entire winters on the slopes. Having talked about meeting up every time we had happy hour together at the Lookout, we finally got to take a few runs together.

Later that night we found ourselves at our usual spot at the back bar at the Pickle. Everyone was having a great time. We had dancing, smiles, and good humor in the air. There is almost always some kind of drama at the end of the night, but this night was different. Everyone was happy, there, and taking it all in.

Next, duals came on Sunday. The course was even faster than yesterday and the crew monopolized the standings. There were a few head on head rounds of competition between friends and in the end it was practically a battle just to stay on top of your skiis. The course was so difficult that almost everyone who got knocked out of the round blew up and lost their skiis or landed hard after a big jump. Bobby Zeolla should have taken the prize but he settled for second. It was a tough battle for everyone who competed.



Luckily, I've made it home and endured the last tired as hell ride back from Killy on a Sunday. It's been a big season and Killy saw me through it all. I'm signing off with last night's tired eyes and feeling appreciation for where I have come from and where I am now. The last eight months have been like navigating through a labrinth and having to overcome challenges to make it to the next door. Armed with the excitement of moving into a new room, I'd find a flood of water and would have to wade through it to make it to the next stepping stone. I feel like I'm out of the deep dark tunnels and seeing an easier road ahead. The timing of the journey was in parallel to my experience at Killington, and so the two exist in unison for me in my memories. It will be interesting to see what I decide to do next year, but for now, I'm taking things one day at a time.