February 2: Park City, Utah

The world is coming to Park City next week in search of Olympic medals and memories to last a lifetime. I wish the athletes much luck but am afraid all the tourists will find are mile long traffic jams and weak Utah beer. For many visitors watching an Olympic event is the dream of a lifetime but my skiing dreams don’t include icy racecourses. They revolve around untracked powder, helicopters, uncrowded runs and the only ice is in my glass at the end of a bluebird day.

So when the world arrives in Park City they won’t find me here. My car’s loaded up, the condo’s rented out, and I’m off of work for 24 days. The Weather Channel says the West Coast is getting dumped on so I’m heading in that direction, searching for ski areas big and small where the snow is deep and cool people share my skiing dreams. If you want to find me during February, keep checking here on Feed The Habit. I’ll be posting regular updates on my travels. If you live on the West Coast and want to show me around your favorite ski area, send an email to bryan@feedthehabit.com. I’m planning to visit Whistler, Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, Mission Ridge, Mt. Baker, Mt. Ashland, Anthony Lakes, Mt. Shasta and wherever else the snow is deep.

Next Stop… Whistler

1,170 miles, 24 hours, and 14 cans of Red Bull after leaving Park City I peeled myself from the driver’s seat and stepped into the lobby of the Chateau Whistler.

After visiting the finest truck stops of Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington during the drive up here, the luxury of this slope side hotel was going to take some getting used to. I felt confident that I was up to the challenge.

Much more difficult was trying to contain my excitement. I have three weeks off of work and a 9th floor room at the finest hotel in Whistler with a view that looks out on over 7000 acres of the world’s best skiing terrain. Could life get any better? I guess so, because it just started to snow.

Go To: February 5 – Skiing at Whistler…

– Bryan Rhodes