February 09th, 2026

​Since our local ski area is closed due to lack of snow, I drove down to Mt. Shasta Ski Park last week. I just had to try out my new hip.
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Great day! They still had some good snow, plus the mountain provided a modest lenticular cloud. Because of the warm temperatures, it was like spring skiing in February. Soft, but not too soft, and you had to watch out for bare spots and rocks. Having taught there back in 1998, I felt a bit like Rip Van Winkle. So much has changed since I was a ski instructor there in the late 90s.

As for my hip, my ski stance had been somewhat compromised due to compensation for my wayward pelvic region, for a long time. Without getting too technical, my right leg needed to be gently coaxed into recalibration when initiating turns. Plus it was the first day skiing for me at all this winter. Still, it was a whole lot of fun, with no crashes!