Burke, Burke, Burke...

I'm biased...I readily admit it.
I LOVE BURKE MOUNTAIN!

I learned to ski in my early thirties at Burke Mountain. I had heard so many great stories about skiing Burke, that one day I packed up my kids and decided we were going to become "skiers" or "boarders". I remember walking out the front door, my wife kissing me good-bye and telling all of us (me specifically) to be safe. I was convinced the kids were more than old enough to take on the challenge. My oldest daughter and son quickly decided that they were skiers. My youngest son and I were determined to be rebels and ride boards. After arriving, renting equipment, each of us went off to our individual instructors. My early experiences riding the j-bar were "interesting". As I struggled just to get up the bunny hill, my kids were slowly gliding downhill with their instructors. Occasionally, they would look at me with sympathy and wave awkwardly. I'm not sure whether it was during day one or two of snowboarding lessons, but I had amassed enough self-inflicted bone bruises to decide that I was not a boarder.

After picking up the broken pieces of my ego, I was left with trying to ski. Something about my legs potentially going in two distinctly different directions while sliding 30-40 mph on snow/ice...just had me concerned. To everyone's amazement (mostly mine), I was a natural born skier. After one weekend of lessons, I was parallel skiing from mid-Burke. Within a week or two I was skiing from the top of the mountain. I've never seriously hurt myself and despite stories around my family's dinner table...I think I am a pretty decent skier.

There was the time after a minor fall that I didn't properly lock on my ski before preceding down a steep section of the mountain. It wasn't long before the unattached ski went in one direction and I (after trying to ski on one foot) went another. Then there was my first and only attempt at skiing the trees. I won't get into the specifics but my body did things that defy gravity and physics. I figure two funny stories over ten years isn't half bad.

Over the years, I've made it a point ski mountains throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. Each has had advantages and disadvantages. For the college crowd...there are better party mountains. For those that genuinely enjoy risking their lives...there are plenty of icy New England slopes to conquer. For those that appreciate skiing versus standing in lift lines...Burke. If you enjoy immaculately groomed classic ski trails versus massive open corridors...Burke. If you are looking for a mountain that can provide challenges for an Olympian as well as lessons for a beginner...Burke. Burke is hands down the most family oriented and non-pretentious mountain I've ever had the pleasure of skiing.

All these years later, I am still a laid back skier. Slow and steady...I enjoy taking in all the views and just being outdoors. My kids...well...for the most part I haven't seen anything but the back of their jackets in years. Of course, they still take a moment to wave awkwardly when they catch a view of me gliding along.