I had a dream about skiing last night. It was a beautiful spring powder day and after skiing all day we went to the base area for some après drinks. I’m sure I’m not the only one dreaming of skiing right now. As March turns to April, many skiers are dreaming of those perfect spring days capped by drinks in the sunshine with friends. While we can’t make these visions a reality, per se, there’s no need to give up on your dreams! To help those of you who may be craving après ski time with your buddies, as I am, I’ve perfected a step by step guide to making après a reality in these quarantined times.
Après skiing wouldn’t be complete without your best ski friends. Seeing as how they probably also aren’t doing much, give them a call. Many phones can do conference calls these days, so set something up so all of your friends can be present. Or better yet, get a Google Hangout, Skype or Zoom session going to see their smiling faces.
Whether backyard, balcony, or couch in front of a window, you’ll definitely want to be sitting in the sunshine for this. Sitting in a dark room simply does not capture the essence of après skiing, so put some pants on and find some sunshine!
BONUS: Forgo the sunglasses for your goggles. We know you’ve been dying to put them on anyway, so why not work on that goggle tan? But don’t forget the sunscreen! No one wants to get sunburned from the comfort of their own backyard.
Go to your favorite ski area’s website and pull up their base area camera (linked below). Just because you can’t be there doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the view. Most ski areas still have their webcams running and après skiing wouldn’t be complete without your favorite view—without this, you’re just drinking in your backyard, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
BONUS: If you did a video chat with your friends, set up a screen share so your friends can see the base area too. That way you all can take in the gorgeous view. Trust me, they’d rather see Winter Park’s base area than your face on their screen anyway.
Head to the fridge or pantry and get your hands on whatever you can mix, open or create. Grab that last PBR that’s been hiding in the back of your fridge, or that Cliff bar that you’ve been saving for a rainy day. Not sure what you want? For inspiration on what beverage or snacks to choose for an authentic experience, check out our blog on what to eat and drink at each ski area.
No après ski is complete without stories of your awesome day on the slopes. Seeing as how none of us have been skiing in a while, this is the perfect time to brag about your best days on the mountain. Regale your friends with tales of that two-foot powder day, or the day you found those untouched trees weeks after the last storm, or even that time you hit the mogul wrong and yard saled directly under the lift. The crazier the story the better, and they likely won’t be able to tell if you just make one up or use something that happened in a dream (I landed my first backflip in my dream last night!).
We’re just as starved for tales of mountain happiness as you are. Have a great story to tell from this season or a memory you want to share? We’re sharing our favorite season memories for the next few weeks, be sure to share yours!
While this advice may not scratch your skiing itch, at the very least it’ll give you the chance to chat with friends about skiing—who doesn’t love the chance to do that?—and might even inspire some trip planning for next season. Keep thinking about skiing and snowboarding and before you know it, the next ski season will be right around the corner.
~ Mike