Ski town optimism

Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power
    —William James

Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday, November 3. The idea makes some people groan and others smile. Remember to have your clocks “fall” back before going to bed Saturday night. That time change is a bonus for early risers but a bit gloomy for lovers of afternoon daylight. There will be less of that daylight starting next week and lasting for a while.
 The annual Chamber of Commerce winter forecast is never gloomy. That held true Tuesday morning when it may have lasted a tad long but the reports all came back positive and full of optimism. More people will come to ski more snow and spend more money than ever before. The travel will be easy and the experience divine. Even when the weather forecaster gave a less than golden long-term prognosis for the winter, he said he’d bet on a wet and snowy winter for the upcoming months. He is a skier after all.
We live in a ski town. We are all snow farmers. We look to the sky in optimism of a long dark cloud bringing lots of precipitation. Farmers rely on so much not in their control that they have little choice but to be optimists. In a ski town, November may be one of the darkest months, but it is still a month of optimism.
The ski season will start in less than a month.
It’s the time of year when visions of fluffy powder seem guaranteed. Early numbers from CBMR look much improved over last year at this time. The snow guns will start making the whales on the hill this weekend if the temps drop enough. You’ll regret it soon if you haven’t bought a pass, so get on it.
On another note, the Chamber and town of Crested Butte are holding a citizen’s summit on November 11 to try to determine what the “community” wants for its future. The facilitators, Todd Crossett and Dan Marshall, want to touch on shared values and give people a chance to contribute to the fabric of this community. They are counting on “meaningful discussion and collaboration.” While that certainly might seem optimistic, it is also based in reality. It can happen if you want. But you have to participate. I don’t know what this meeting will be like but you can’t win if you don’t play.
As we head into the home stretch of fall before the lifts begin to spin I’m optimistic I’ll get one more bike trip at Hartman’s. If not, hey, there’s always Lily Lake or the front side of Owen…