By: Claire Botsy
Are you considering moving to a ski town and becoming a ski bum for a season (or longer)? There are some ski bum steps you should take to prep yourself for the transition and some things to think about before you make the move, like what’s it like to live as a lifty or what job you should get on the slopes. In addition to all that info, here are 5 more things to think about if you’re moving to a ski town.
1. Nature always wins - Your car is no exception, especially when your friend’s driveway becomes a sloped ice-skating rink and it starts dumping midway through dinner. Impromptu sleepover! Snow, ice and the elements in general dictate your life. From providing you with fresh snow to both shovel and shred to closing roads and ending seasons, the elements have the last say at the end of the day. That’s why you’re here though, right? 2. You will learn to take your time - Because later may mean sometime tonight or sometime next week and that is totally normal. As stated earlier, a snowstorm has no competition, nor does a subsequent perfect pow day which can’t be ignored. From getting around town to waiting for a beer, people take their time and you should learn how to do the same if you plan on staying for long.
3. Seasons - Because last season saw the best pow week of the last four seasons, and next season you will be working in the demo shop instead of rentals. There is the ever permeating question of mountain life that defines you, “are you a seasonal or do you live here year-round?” There is also always the awkward few weeks in between seasons that everyone dreads when work comes to a crawl, there’s no snow to ride on but it’s too muddy to get the bike out. It is a confusing time for everyone. With seasonal work comes the dissolution of any sense of coherent years.
4. Locals vs. Vacationers - Gapers, tourists, whatever you like to call them, there is always an attempt to divide the line between who is a local and who is not. While they may make grocery shopping on Fridays impossible and you avoid riding on the weekends, they are the reason why most businesses have any business. Be grateful for the cash they spend, because essentially it is your paycheck whether you work at the resort or not.
5. Be Nice to Everyone - Throw a smile wherever you go, because the lifty might be the bartender at your local watering hole or your co-worker might know the owner of the ski resort. Random connections make mountain towns a ridiculous web where somehow everyone knows everyone else. Small communities foster opportunities to have an awesome network of friends and acquaintances, but also where word travels fast, sometimes to an advantage and sometimes not.