Over spring break, some of my friends and I went skiing at a friend’s condo in Maine. I had only been skiing a couple times before and this was my first time going this far north in the USA or going to such a large ski resort.
I love learning new things, so skiing was a fun experience for me. After overcoming the initial frustrations of repeatedly falling while learning to control my speed I gained confidence and explored the far reaches of the mountains by way of the easy trails. I was struck by the size of the ski park, with over 743 acres of developed trails. As the ski lift took me to the top of the mountain for the first time I was astonished by the breathtaking view. I could see the entire range of mountains as the wind whipped at my clothing and snowflakes frantically spiraled around me. At the top of the mountain there were some quiet slopes that were not very steep and offered beautiful views out over the mountain range. The paths were skinny and had rows of evergreen trees on both sides. It was an otherworldly experience to quietly slip through these woods surrounded by gently falling snow.
My thoughts wandered to what we have learned in earth lodge and the environmental impact that resorts such as this have on the environment. The trails carved through the mountainside disrupt the habitat on the mountain, fragmenting the mountain ecosystem and dividing the forest. On the Sunday River website, they boast about the ability to convert 9,000 gallons of water into snow per minute. This water usage must be drawn from a watershed somewhere and I wonder about how this augmentation to the water cycle impacts the entire ecosystem.
Ski resorts offer visitors a unique recreational experience. They allow visitors to seek out extreme adventure in the wilderness in a relatively safe way. They are evidence of man literally moving mountains in order to pursue pleasure. When I was tired or waiting on a friend I would stop at the edge of the trail and look out into the woods, appreciating the quiet beauty and noticing the small things, the tracks of small animals that still remained in this semi-natural habitat. I had fun skiing and would perhaps do it again, but for now I am happy to not be falling down multiple times a day.