MilkRun
An inordinately early session whose main advantages are that the snow is
pristine, the light is magical and the lateral bullets are mostly still abed.
Being Norway’s largest ski resort isn’t the only thing that dis-
tinguishes Trysil, in the eastern county of Hedmark. It’s also
an exceptionally comely place. And, a couple of times a week,
you can have it all to yourself (nearly) by joining its early
morning ski sessions. The daybreak runs start at 7 a.m. with
a “normal Norwegian breakfast” (cheesy crispbreads, ham
rolls, etc.) in a small wooden hut at the base of Høgegga. This
is the peak with the highest concentration of black-diamond
slopes in the resort (whose longest run is 3.4 miles). Høgegga
is, according to Trysil spokeswoman Lise Moen, “challenging
even for the good skiers”—and yet there’s a great sense of
peace to be had hurtling down its deserted slopes, the sun
just beginning to tinge the treetops. “All you can hear is the
sound of your skis carving the virgin snow,” Moen says. “It’s
a special feeling.”
Lateral
Bullet
A skier whose engagement with
the forces of gravity and friction
has gone so badly that he finds
himself pinging across the slopes
rather than down them.
For inexperienced skiers,
there must be something
comforting about heading for
Diamond Peak
,
given that this
Nevada resort is located in a
place called Incline Village as
opposed to, say, Plummeter’s
Gulch. Fi ingly, much of
the resort is geared toward
making the rookie’s cross-trail
pinging as pain-free as pos-
sible. The slopes at this Tahoe
favorite tend to be gentle
and—most important—wide.
The patrons, moreover, are
not the sort given to providing
spirited commentaries when
you cut them off.
Knuckle Dragger
A term used by skiers to describe snowboarders,
referring to the crouched, loose-armed stance
of these territorial rivals, as well as to their
perceived lack of finesse.
Mad River Glen
is like one of those gen-
eral stores you still find in Vermont—the
ones selling apple cider made by a local
named Mavis. There’s a fierce dedication to
tradition at this Fayston, Vt., resort, which
opened more than half a century ago. The
trails follow natural mountain contours
and there’s very li le snowmaking. You
ski as nature intended, or not at all. And
when we say “ski,” we mean just that:
The resort isn’t open to snow-
boarders. As former owner
Betsy Pra reportedly sniffed,
“
Snowboarding on a ski moun-
tain is like playing croquet on
the 18th green. You can do it,
but I don’t think it’s
appropriate.”
98
NOVEMBER 2012
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HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
