53. Thursday, January 30th

Good afternoon, everyone. Noah here with a special report for you. While I am going to talk about the "riding" conditions, today also marks an important day in my life. On January 30th, 2021 I removed alcohol from my life. Here are some things I learned through this journey.

- Removing alcohol from my life was the best decision I have ever made
- Removing alcohol from my life was one of the hardest things I've ever done
- Unconditional love doesn't mean passive acceptance
- No one cares what you are drinking at the bar
- Anyone who cares what you are drinking at the bar isn't the kind of person I want in my life
- Therapy is cool
- Therapy is hard
- You can lie to the world, but it's a lot harder to lie to yourself
- Fixing one problem doesn't mean you are fixed
- Addiction is more often a symptom than the route problem
- A 1° shift over time leads to big changes
- A Six pack of N/A beers can dehydrate you just like a 6 pack of beer
- N/A Wine tastes like grape juice
- Self-help books only work if you put something into practice
- True personal connections are special and take work
- Dawn patrol is more enjoyable when you aren't hungover
- Alcohol is EVERYWHERE in our society
- Beer is full of sugar, turns out I have a sweet tooth

Today's Quick Facts:

🏔️ Trail Count: 120/129

🚡 Lift Count: 14/21

🌡️ Weather: Single digit to low teens

🏔️ Overall Conditions: Machine Groomed

⛷️ Today's Board: Okemo Rental Board

🧤 Today's Gear: Helly Hansen

Today's report is made possible with the support of Open Door Vacation Rentals.

Now, let's get on with the full snow report. ⬇️

So, I am technically cheating today. I was out on the hill yesterday with the Ludlow Elementary Ski program, but the conditions have been amazing, and I needed to share my adventure. As you may know, my rental company, Open Door Vacation Rentals, holds 1% of our rental revenue for charitable donations. I call it our Community Fund; we mostly focus on youth recreation. This year, we were able to cover all program and rental costs for any student in Ludlow or Mt. Holly who wanted to participate. This program is something I was involved with as a kid and am so proud to be able to help with.

This year I have been with a young group of riders and if I was going to be helping out if felt wrong not to grab a board myself. So off to the rental shop I went and strapped on a board fro the first time in years. After a few rounds of figuring out if I was goofy or regular, I was ready for the action. (Turns out I'm goofy)

It didn't take long to pick things up again and I had so much fun! I will be the first to admit we don't highlight our Snowboarders as much as we should here at Unofficial Okemo so I am so glad I get to bring some attention to the snowboards along with Avery. I was an avid snowboarder from age 5 to about 12 when for some unknown reason I hung up the board and devoted my life to skiing. Every few years I bust out a board and give it a go, typically missing my skis but today was a different story. Maybe it was the kids, maybe the conditions but I was into it!

We started the day with a warmup in the base area where my crew and I didn't fall getting off the lift, that's big for me and our first year riders. Then we were off to the candy mailbox via Sweet Solitude, Colman Brook, and Boomerang (a Black Diamond in case you didn't know). The snow was phenomenal, even in those areas they typically get wind blown and skied off on the summit. It was a perfect day for me to get back out on the board and feel confident. Getting out with kids can be a challenge but the joy they have for skiing and riding is unparalleled. The smallest side trail makes their day and a run down Sachem is all they need.

After the kids finished up their day I had the pleasure of getting to take a final run with my wife who got to enjoy seeing me on a board for the first time in a while. We hit some trees, groomers and the park. She didnt get to see me fall but she did capture a video of me running straight into a tree, I'm still shaking the dust off i guess. On the final lift ride I did catch myself saying maybe I should get a myself a snowboard...

Please follow the Uphill Travel Policy at Okemo, follow the rules, and be cool.

Follow @Okemo Conditions for up-to-date mountain and conditions info.

Think snow,

Unofficial Okemo ❄️🩵

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