It was actually sunnier than this most of the day!

Skiing is one of those sports that is admittedly difficult to coordinate groups for, especially when not all the people in the group know each other. Everyone skis (or snowboards) at a different level, and is comfortable with different speeds and conditions. Some people are fine on ice, some people would rather plow through knee-deep slush. Finding that perfect balance within a group, where everyone is happy, is always a bit tricky, but with some good collaboration it can happen. This past Sunday, a group of Ridj-iteers managed to make it work quite well.

After the first car met up at Wellington Station and loaded up their ski gear, we set off on a quiet hour and a half ride before arriving at Sunapee. The weather was perfect: cold enough that the snow wouldn’t melt, and sunny but not oppressively so. There was no problem getting the discounted lift tickets, and after a short while rider Mandy’s rental skis were sorted and everyone was out on the slopes. The group was happy to make a plan to meet for lunch two hours later, and let everyone ski what they wanted, whether in groups or independently.

There was a bit of trouble finding the people from the other car, but a bit of smarts and a really bright hat eventually brought the groups together. When it became clear that just meeting at a specific point was not going to work out, the first group sent the other a picture of driver Tomas, who happened to be wearing a yellow jacket and an obnoxiously bright, neon pink hat. Not even fifteen minutes later, Tomas and I were skiing under a ski lift when we heard someone shout “TOMAS!” from above. We waited where we were, and before long we were joined by Andi and his brother - also Tomas. If the same name thing weren’t enough, they were also dressed the same (aside from the hat).

Bros

After skiing a run or two together, the group went to the Spruce Lodge for lunch and drinks. For pricey ski lodge food, what we ate in the upper level of the Spruce Lodge was actually pretty good and definitely hit the spot. Nothing soothes sore legs quite like a cold, well-earned beer. The group enjoyed the time to chat and get to know each other, in addition to the food.

Such a cute couple

Well-fed and happy after lunch, the entire group skied together for a few runs. The faster skiers “welcomed the excuse to take longer breaks” while periodically waiting for the rest to catch up. By scheduling our lunch break a bit early, we got to enjoy relatively empty slopes, sunshine and perfect photo opportunities. Eventually everyone split off again, but into surprisingly different groups than the morning’s distribution.

A couple of hours later, we were all tired and eager to get back to catch the Pats game. It was a great day and another peaceful ride home, with much fun had by all.