Better late than never: 1st ski of season

 

My first tele-turns of the season

Porphyry Peak above an empty Showdown Ski Area, two weeks before the ski hill opens

The first cross country ski of the season on Dec. 1?

That's pretty darn late.

I guess I could have gotten it in earlier if we hadn't traveled to Salt Lake City for Thanksgiving.

There really isn't a lot of snow.  But, it was set up just right on Showdown's Golden Goose runs so that I could take my first turns of the season.  It was a balmy 31 degrees on the hill, while the temperature in Great Falls, locked in an inversion, got only into the low teens.

There was 3-6 inches of snow on a shallow base, but it was a nice powder and of the right consistency for an enjoyable ski.

This was the first time I was trying something new to correct for that awful hammertoe on my left foot, and bunions on both feet.

While I have fairly new Scarpa T-3 boots, the left boot has never fit comfortably.

I went online and bid on a pair of used T-3s for $99 a half size bigger and now tried out the used left boot and kept my new right boot, a half-smaller, and it worked perfectly!

I skied without rubbing my hammertoe on the left boot and both boots felt good on my bunions.

Looks like that should work in the near term.  The left foot is ominously disfigured enough that I know I've got foot surgery in my future.

Seize the day!