It's hard to believe, but we're halfway through the season! And just in time, a bone-chilling cold descended on the mountain and allowed Wintergreen Resort's SnowPower to kick into high gear! We're closing January with good snow and great students!
You know we celebrate every student, every lesson and every day. But some days are just extra special. So, this week, we're giving a shout-out to Birthday Girl Katie Read, one of our weekend supervisors!
So far, it has been another stellar season in the making. True, we were nearly shut down by an extended warm spell that melted away all the snow in front of The Hut, but that was quickly fixed with a cold snap, a little natural snow, and a lot of manmade powder. Fortunately, we were able to persevere, and when our busy weekends rolled around, there was plenty of the white stuff to get our students up and out.
And there is a chance that we might see some snow on the mountain this weekend! In typical Central Virginia fashion, there's some precipitation moving in while temperatures are fluctuating up and down. We're hoping that all the ingredients come together at the right time for snow, but no matter what the weather we'll be here with smiles on our faces.
While we sure would welcome some more snow this weekend, we're also gearing up to welcome some of our favorite annual guests on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Our fearless Board President Chris Ziegler previews what we're looking forward to in this latest installment of ...
Ziegler's Zingers!
Another busy and inspiring weekend is upon us as we welcome our wounded heroes and their families to the mountain. When people ask me what “hooked” me, pretty much permanently, to WAS, I tell them it was my first Wounded Warrior Weekend some 13 years ago. At that time the wars in both Afghanistan and in Iraq were in full swing, reports were regularly coming in from both fronts. I think, like a lot of us, I felt a great need to find ways to do my part. Wounded Warrior Weekend was for me then, and remains for me today, a small way to show my appreciation and help those who have sacrificed so much for us. I hope all of you who volunteer this coming weekend will feel the same way whether it is your first Wounded Warrior Weekend or your 14th.
Finally, a quick recruiting message. We see a different student population on weekdays as groups of students and their teachers/leaders come from local schools and other organizations to learn with us. Weekdays are significantly more laid back than weekends, there are typically no crowds so lots of terrain to teach on and you can park right outside the hut. We can almost always use more volunteers during the week, if you have a day off from work or school coming up, please consider sending Caroline an email to see if she can use some help on that day. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Well said, Big Zig! Wounded Warrior Weekend is indeed an annual highlight for all of us. Every available instructor is working, and every available piece of equipment will be on the slopes. Here's a quick throw-back picture to last year's event:
The lessons, the meals, the lodging ... it all comes at no charge for the Warriors and their families thanks to generous donors, including Wintergreen Resort. It is our small way of saying "thank you" for the sacrifices these Warriors have made for us, and for the just-as-important sacrifices their families have made as well.
Well, that's it for this episode! Thanks so much for reading our little newsletter and, as always, look for us whizzing by in our trademark purple jackets! See you soon!
Mike Mather, editor.