Day 2: 11/25/07

Conditions: Man made and chewy
Location: Boyne Mountain, MI

Highlights:

- Illegally parking ridiculously close to the lodge and changing area, thereby reducing the time used walking to the car and back by almost 500%.
- Soft, chewy snow
- Fewer people than opening day

Lowlights:

- Still just 2 runs and 3 lifts open
- Late morning push-piles
- Seeing the same kid riding all by himself on the six-person, high speed lift and feeling kindof bad for him.
- Relating the kid alone on the chairlift to the wayward penguin left to die in March of the Penguins and feeling a little sad

Après Ski:

The long drive home to Lansing; cleaning and doing laundry at home

Days to go: 48

Day 1: 11/24/07

Conditions: Man made
Location: Boyne Mountain, MI

Highlights:

- Being healthy and ready for opening day
- Having Colin – some guy at the rental desk – offer to put our equipment in his office so we didn’t have to deal with the change machine and a locker
- Identifying people seen season after season at Boyne. For example, the guy with the beret and the guy who always wears a Northern Michigan sweatshirt
- Seeing a six year old kid all by himself on a six person, high-speed chair and wondering what he thinks about all alone during ride
- Concluding that the six year old thinks about two things: Sponge Bob Square Pants and being a duck when he grows up

Lowlights:

- Steph executes the first heel-side wash-out of the season .
- Dodging dozens of skiers making erratic, unpredictable turns at the narrowest part of the hill.
- Dealing with the lifti’s Christian propaganda on the dry erase board: "God has blessed us with another season." Indeed.

Après Ski:

We upgraded to a whirlpool suite at the Bayshore Inn in Traverse City and spent the rest of the day drinking foreign beer and watching college football. Basically, it was the best day ever.

Days to go: 49