End of our skiing?

From:  Mel Magree
To: oldmanwinter@spiritmt.com
End of our skiing?

Hello,

The rumors have been flying about reduced hours for skiing.  One couple reported that the web site said that Spirit Mt. won't open until 1:00 on most weekdays.  I tried to find it on my iPhone without success this morning.  After much hunting on my laptop I found the tentative hours.  Sadly, the tentative plans are as they said.

From http://www.spiritmt.com/ski-board

2014/2015 Tentative Hours of Operation


Monday - Thursday  1pm to 8pm
Friday & Saturday  9am to 9pm
Sunday  9am to 5pm
Holidays  9am to 9pm (12/21 - 01/01, Jan. 17-18, Feb. 14-15)
Holiday Mondays 9am to 8pm (Jan. 19, Feb. 16)

If this is the case, we will not be renewing our season passes.  We are morning skiers as many other seniors are.  We like the less crowded conditions at 9:00 and even 10:00.  Many of those I spoke to feel the same.

As I left Spirit Mt. this morning, I noticed that all the near parking was filled and people were parking in the lower lot.  How many of these people will come at 1:00 instead?

You have probably considered many of the ramifications of this later opening.

Besides those who are morning skiers, will you be getting as many school groups?  Will they want to ski for an hour-and-a-half before they have to get on the bus to return to school?  Those same buses and drivers are going to have to be on routes at school closing.

How many people that would come up from the cities for a day will come for an afternoon of skiing?  It will be easier for them to go to Afton Alps.

What are the ramifications for the hospitality industry in Duluth?  Spirit Mt. is a "breeder reactor".  It's existence creates business for the city of Duluth that is not on Spirit Mt's books.

I hope you can come to a definite schedule for next year before April 15th, our last day to get the discounted season tickets.

Did I or didn't I?

Yesterday I decided that I had enough skiing for the season; it was just too rainy. I drove to Spirit Mt. to take the rest of my gear out of our locker, leaving only our skis. We thought that leaving the skis in the locker would be better for them. It would be drier than in our basement.

On my way out I looked at our locker through the window and thought it looked locked. I thought about going back in to double-check, but I didn't want to get involved in conversation again.

When I got home I convinced myself that it would be OK. If I didn't lock the lock, somebody else would. Then in the middle of the night I started worrying about it again. I couldn't specifically remember closing the lock. I couldn't get the thought out of my head. I took some valerian to go back to sleep and it worked.

I still worried when I woke up in the morning. I didn't want to worry all summer about this. I decided I would leave at a time that would let me get there after the doors were open but before the near parking lot filled up. I did get there earlier than I normally would, but the near lot was already half-full. It is Saturday, but it is a drizzly, warm Saturday!

Sure enough, the lock was locked and both sets of skis and poles were still in the locker. I put the lock back on and pushed it closed.

As soon as I was outside again, I wondered if I did. Should I go back and double-check? Well, this time I had a clear memory of pushing the lock closed. Or was that a memory from another time?