Tag Archives: Snow Bowl

Save the shoes

It is beautiful and snowy.  It is that time of year when you see skis resting outside of classroom doorways anxiously awaiting the student that has the efficient plan to meet the shuttle bus at ADK right after class. Many of us have done this: wake up, pack bag for school, pack ski bag, pack a snack, attend class, hit the slopes. Both nordic and downhill lovers are privy to the prompt bus shuttle schedule from the Middlebury campus up to either Bread Loaf for some cross-country ski fun or the Snow Bowl for some shoop shoop shooping in that fresh pow pow.

Speaking of pow pow (powder in colloquial terms), we currently have some beautiful pow pow. A few feet in fact. The west coast may be the best coast but the east is beast. I have skied on the east coast my entire life and we currently have some of the best conditions I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. However, when the wintery fluff turns to a wintery mix there can be issues.

Mainly, footwear. I made the mistake today of seeing the clear and crisp morning sky and deciding that the paths were clear enough to wear a cuter and more spring like pair of boots. Rookie mistake. As I sat in my political science seminar on US and Latin American Relations my heart sank…straight to my boots. It had begun to snow and not just a light dusting but a proper snow that meant I was about to be slipping and sliding on my way to Environmental Economics across campus. Not only was the potential embarrassment of a wipeout on my mind (we have all done it, it is a right of passage really), but these poor boots were about to get a beating.

Alas, they are only boots and alas I am a senior who should know better. Every now and again it is fun to walk on the wildside and slip on the waterslide.

2011 So Far…

Well, it looks like we’ve slacked off a little bit on updating this blog. I hope all you eager MiddKids to be didn’t miss us too much. Since no one has updated you since way back in the year 2010, I thought I’d chip in my two cents on what life at Middlebury has been like during the year 2011.

As Becky explained earlier, January is time for J-Term (alternately known as play-term or yay-term), a month-long semesters in which students can take one class, an internship, or take some time off for a little time to themselves. This past January, I chose the third option and decided not to enroll in a J-Term class. I’ve gotta say, this isn’t a typical decision, as most folks choose to take a cool and interesting class over January like “Vermont Government and Politics” taught by Midd alum and former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas or “Photographing Frost” which brought kids up to Robert Frost’s favorite mountain hideouts to take photos. Some of my friends even designed their own independent study and produced a haunting short movie. But back to me — I didn’t do any of that.

Instead, with all my free time, I had excess opportunities to go on crazy adventures. First, I was in charge of The Hunt, Middlebury’s very intense, campus-wide scavenger hunt. Seriously, click on that link and see some of the clues we sent kids on fulfilling…and see how creative they were in fulfilling the tasks. Super creative, super fun, and super ridiculous. At the end of J-Term, sadly it was time to see the super senior febs graduate. You’ve got to watch the graduation speech given by Will Bellaimey ‘10.5. It is truly a gem.

Most importantly, however, I spent a ton of time at the Snow Bowl. Seriously, there is nothing better than showing up at the Bowl on a sunny winter day and hitting the powder on the backside of the mountain. Seriously, it is the best thing ever.

So, there you have it. Middlebury January in a nutshell. I can only hope spring semester is half as good.