New England Ski Blog from YankeeMagazine.com

I Want To Ride My Bicycle

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Back in the day, all my friends rode mountain bikes. I upgraded from my post college mountain bike, a Specialized Hardrock, to a tough looking Jamis hard tail with cool front shocks. It was the year before disc breaks became de rigueur which meant I saved an extra $1,000 on something that at this point spends most of its time resting in one spot and not being used.

I rode a lot for a couple years. Climbing hills was not my strength, but I loved single track and fun downhills. Then I decided it was time to get clipless pedals, and things went down hill for me in a bad way. Try as I might, I had such a difficult time getting out of those pedals. I started crashing a lot. I got really bruised. Random people on the street would see my bruises and ask me if everything was ok in my life, fearing perhaps that I was in an abusive relationship. The only abusive relationship was the one I was having with those darn pedals.

My bike friends assured me that it takes a little time to figure out clipless pedals, but I would get it. They were wrong.

As my group of mountain bike friends moved away, one by one, I did not seek to replace them. If I were more committed to the sport, I certainly would have found others who wanted to ride. But, I was actually relieved at the time. I wanted a break from all the stuff I needed to pack in order to go for a ride - like my Camel back, bike shoes, bike gloves, helmet, bike tools, bike shorts, bike shirt, and most importantly the bike. And I no longer had to rush home from work to make the 5:30 group ride. And of course, the whole clipless pedal thing still was not resolved at that point either.

Since then, I've developed a fondness of the simplicity of going for a run. All I need is my running shoes. It's so easy. I leave from my house; I run a loop and am back at my house for a short stretch. Lance Armstrong made a similar claim about the simplicity of running in a recent Runner's World interview:

"Why running at this point in your life? Well, several reasons. One, I believe that fitness is a huge part of leading a happy, healthy, rich life. So, I can choose to do a lot of things. I can run, I can ride, I can swim, I can kayak, I can do a lot of things, but I happen to enjoy running. We have a huge running community here in Austin so runners are well supported and there's a great trail around town and a good environment to run in. And also it's a very efficient use of my time. With cycling, you need more of a time commitment in order to get the same workout. So if I'm trying to juggle my work with the foundation, my kids, exercise, running just makes a lot more sense. Then if you layer all of that into a travel schedule, certainly it's easier to pack up shorts and running shoes as opposed to the bike, the wheels, the helmet, all the gear that that requires."

Last summer, though, I bought new clipless pedals. Amazingly enough, I clicked right out of them. I realized that after struggling, and adjusting the settings, lubing them up, that my first pair was just bad pedals. Why, I hadn't thought of blaming my inability to release on the pedals themselves in the first place was beyond me. Who does not love to blame their lack of athletic prowess on a malfunctioning piece of equipment? I certainly do.

So now that I am finally ready to ride again, there sits my bike with a flat tire that I need to change. And I look at it and decide, I'll just go for a run today and change it tomorrow.

Post Season Ski Disorder

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Winter is suddenly over.

There are three kinds of people. There are people who hate snow and never want to see another white flake, ever. There are people who like snow, but only a couple months of it, then want it to go away. And there are people who love snow and are sad when winter is over.

There are probably only five people who fall into the third category, me included. The other four people who feel that way are afraid to admit it publicly.

Most New Englanders say they love the four seasons and that they could not live somewhere without four distinct seasons. I used to say that sort of thing when I was younger, but then I realized, I really only like true winter with lots of snow and true summer with lots of time to read in a hammock and paddle on the lake. Yes, fall foliage is beautiful and the crisp apples and fall mornings are great too. And spring with everything blooming, yes, that is lovely. But I could live happily with six months of winter and six months of summer. Or, I could take one year of winter and one year of summer. I would be fine.

No matter what, winter ends so suddenly for me. One day, I wake up and the snow is gone in town. The next day, ski areas are closed. Then, I have to figure out what happens next: a little too mushy and muddy for mountain biking or hiking; a little too chilly for lake kayaking or sailing my little Sunfish; perfect for jogging and yoga, but, that is just jogging and yoga. Questions come up. Should I throw on some wax and store my skis till next winter? Or, maybe I will climb Tuckerman's in a couple weeks? It's a perplexing time. Skiers who love to play golf have a much easier transition.

I used to start my mourning for winter sooner, late March, when my ski buddy Johnny Metzger would leave Killington and start working his prep cook job on Lake Sunapee. It was the first sign for me that winter would soon end. Forget the traditional signs of spring like the hardy little flowers called snowdrops that can push their way through a covering of snow, or, when the red-winged blackbird returns to our area. For me, as soon as Johnny Metzger started talking about leaving for his off-season job, I would start suffering from an abnormal type of seasonal affective disorder.

Having said all that, there is still some skiing. But it is getting close to the final end. Johnny Metzger is back at work. The small areas are closed. Killington, The Beast of the East that used to stay open sometimes through June, is closing this weekend. It's not over--over, but it is almost--over. And, once again, it's ended too soon.

Spring skiing is bittersweeet. Sunny skies, warm temperatures, tight zipper lines and corn snow, deck parties - all wonderful and fun. But then, boom -- nothing. Unless I go to Chile.

Until the "boom -- nothing" happens, there is still some hope for the four of you out there who are part of the third category of people who love snow and are sad when it is over. Check out snocountry, and ski a little more. 15 mountains in New England are open this weekend.

Ski Instructors Take Lessons Too

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100

There are many perceptions and misperceptions about ski instructors. One of my favorite jokes about the subject is: "How many ski instructors does it take to change a light bulb?" The answer: "Ten. One to screw in the light bulb and nine to say, 'Nice turns.'" That is funny for a few reasons, but the main reason is because sometimes during ski clinics with other instructors, we are all just standing around commenting on the nice turns we all make.

Despite being a "retired" ski instructor, to maintain my certification levels through Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), I have to pay yearly dues, and take an educational clinic from them every other year. This year was one of those years, and last weekend I took my clinic at Stratton.

Unlike other clinics that I have taken, such as Advanced Trees and Steeps, the title, "Workshop Clinic" was a little vague. Of course, out of everyone, I showed up late and had to find a group on the mountain. In the dense fog, I wasn't sure that would happen, but it did, and soon I was skiing with a group led by a woman named Aga who is a jet engine materials engineer - and a ripping ski instructor.

Aga told me that the groups were divided by how much people wanted to ski - slow, medium, fast. I am not sure that I would have chosen to be in the medium group, but I found out after lunch that I was with the right people. As we headed out for the afternoon, the fast group was heading in for lunch...at 1:15. You can call me what you want, but please, don't call me late for lunch (or breakfast, or snack, or dinner).

Long ago, when I first started teaching skiing, I did not plan to go through the certification process for various reasons. But, I ended up needing to get certified to teach some special clinics, so I finally took my Level 1. I was so impressed with our Examiner (Examiners are the people who teach the teachers) that I continued through the process and every year or so would take another exam.

Once again, I wasn't disappointed. Some of my group last weekend was "retired" and needed to take the class to maintain certification while others were newer instructors eager to learn more. Aga had what is called a split group - or a group with different needs. However, she did a great job of developing a focus and allowing us to move at our own pace.

I took away a couple things from my weekend clinic. The first was a refresher on a very cool way to ski (I'll save you from the details) that allows you to power through crisp turns with great control and speed. Perhaps some day I will explain it for you, but not right now.

The second was that group lessons are fun since I always meet super nice people. Of course, my groups are always with other ski instructors, who, for the most part, are personable and friendy people. But, if you take a lesson, you will have one of these instructors as your affable and knowledgable guide.

So, what does the experience amount to for me? Once again, PSIA does a great job and, as usual, I will pay my dues.

Coming Home From My Western Ski Vacation

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100

Last week I headed out west to the Lake Tahoe, California, region for some spring skiing. I really wasn't sure how I would break the news to my blog readers that New England's Ski Blogger actually skis in places other than New England. I know it is shocking, and you probably think less of me. I am sorry. I did it, and enjoyed it...a lot.

Home base was Reno, Nevada, not because I thought that would be the perfect place for home base, but because a friend of mine has a traveling nurse gig there and this whole ski adventure (though the other two in my gang are snowboarders) was meant as a visit with her.

We skied Mount Rose, Sugarbowl, Alpine Meadows and Kirkwood. Mount Rose was quite windy (though the sun was out and the sky was blue) the day I was there, and my feet fell asleep, which is a whole other story, but I'll just leave the day at that.

After snagging a pair of comfortable rental boots, the next day we headed to very sweet Sugarbowl, where we skied perfectly sweet sugar snow. Well, it was probably corn snow, but we were at Sugarbowl so just let me call it sugar snow and also let me say sweet one more time. It reminded me of how much I love skiing on natural snow in the spring, when the snow sets up during the cold night, then corns up after the sun warms it during the day. Man-made snow gets a little like mashed potatoes or glue in the spring. I am not complaining. In fact, I think that we are lucky to have man-made snow, but I feel even luckier when I can ski on the real stuff.

If Sugarbowl was sweet, then Alpine Meadows was an even sweeter treat. First of all, our friend Courtenay, who my whole gang knew from our Killington days, had been living there for probably the last eight years. She is a California girl who had always wanted to live in New England. But, since she is a California girl, she eventually headed home.

We found her at Alpine Meadows on Easter Sunday in the kids ski area, dressed in a pink bunny suit, giving out candy (she teaches at the mountain part-time). We got to ride with her, and ski with her husband, as they swapped turns hanging with their precious one-year oldish daughter in the lodge.

Alpine Meadows is just past Squaw, practically around the corner from it. So if you ever head to the more popular Squaw you have to visit Alpine Meadows. There is very little real estate development there because most of the mountain is part of a national forest. The skiing was great, a perfect mix of everything from gentle slopes to challenging trails, but I think one of my favorite things was that they have recycling receptacles everywhere--at the top of the lifts, and at the bottom of the lifts. And people use them, which means they recycle their beer cans or soda cans rather than dropping them from the lift on the ride up.

We also headed to Kirkwood, because everyone I talked to before and during my trip raved about it. No disappointment there either.

Here is the surprising part, though. I thought that upon returning to eastern skiing I would feel let-down. I had just spent four days skiing in blissful spring conditions. How could I possibly ever write a ski blog about New England after skiing a whole bunch out west with sunny blue skies every day.

No problem on that concern. And if you skied this past Saturday at Mount Snow, you would know why. Mount Snow got a great dump just before the weekend. Saturday was definitely chilly, but the sun was shining all day and the snow was p-e-r-f-e-c-t. It was as though we just jumped right back into winter conditions, which I love. And what a treat to get those kind of conditions the last weekend of March. I think that you have to be a real skier or rider to understand the last sentence. But, if you are reading this blog all the way to this point, there is a good chance you are. And by the way, I am glad that you are.

With all this snow, spring skiing here in New England is going to be outstanding, as soon as Mother Nature decides that it is time to have spring skiing.

Cross Country Skiing on the Catamount Trail in Vermont

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0100

This past weekend, I finally cross country skied on the Catamount Trail. I've seen the blue blazes with the Catamount foot print that mark the route during hiking season, but finally I spent a dedicated afternoon skiing it.

The original plan was to head out on some logging trails in southern Vermont, but before my big cousin and I got more than 20 yards we were already choking on snowmobile exhaust, which is not really enjoyable. So we took a quick left and headed on a skinny trail that twisted through pristine woods.

The sky was blue and the snow was like cake frosting but fast and very deep which I realized after I augured myself into a snow bank from taking a downhill stretch a little too fast. After seeing me struggle to get out of my snow hole, my cousin decided walking with the skis might be a better option than skidding down the steep stretch. Of course, she took a step and, as her leg sank deep in the snow, we realized there was three and a half feet of snow underneath. She decided to ski it and did it much more gracefully than I did.

The skiing was especially fun because the terrain was so diverse with twists and turns and ups and downs. It felt like a combination of tele-skiing through bumps, cross country skiing (because that is what we were doing) and mountain biking (single track through the woods). The good thing was that we were not mountain biking, because, for me, mountain bike crashes hurt a lot more than landing in a soft, deep mound of snow.

The Catamount Trail is 300 miles long and open to the public for skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Here are some other details from CatamountTrail.org:

The Catamount Trail follows remote wilderness routes, groomed cross-country ski trails, snowmobile trails, and old logging roads.
It is divided into 31 sections, each of which has its own volunteer trail chief.
The trail features stretches appropriate for a broad range of skiing and snowshoeing abilities.
It also crosses private land through the generous permission of more than 200 landowners and traverses approximately 130 miles of public land including Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont state land, and town-owned parcels.

There are many ways to get on the trail. Here is some information on where to go to access it: http://www.catamounttrail.org/trail. The web site also gives hints on trail etiquette and information on becoming a member of the Catamount Trail Association.

Happy Catamount Trail to you!

Jack Williams Ski Race for Wednesday's Child Raises $390,000

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:00:00 +0100

The weather report for this past Saturday was not good. Regardless, I planned to head to Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, because the mountain was hosting the 24th Annual Jack Williams Ski Race for Wednesday's Child which Yankee Magazine has supported for years.

During the entire drive up, I thought I was listening to the wrong weather report because the sun was shining. Of course, I was choosing not to notice the dark, gray, ominous-looking clouds.

The morning weather ended up being fine with soft spring-like snow and mild temperatures. Around 11:45, however, a big heavy rain drop hit my forehead, then a couple others. But by then, Yankee's Marketing Director and I were headed in for our noon assignment to sell $100 dollar raffle tickets to benefit Wednesday's Child.

The other great thing about the weather holding off was that the ski race itself was wrapped up before the first drops fell!

We were camped out by the cafeteria line, and I was amazed how generous people were. It seemed like every person we talked to knew about Wednesday's Child and the great work it does to support special needs adoption. Of course, knowing that their good deed donation of $100 could make them the lucky owner of a new Volvo helped, but really every person who bought a ticket from us did it to support a great cause.

In fact, from the ski race fundraising effort alone, $390,000 was raised. Organizations like Wendy's, American Airlines, Waterville, Volvo Coors Light, WBZ-TV, WBZ radio, Clark Appliances, and Dr. Pepper all helped, as well as a core group of motivated volunteers.

The Jack Williams Endowment for Wednesday's Child is affiliated with several organizations and adoptions resource groups and non-profit agencies.

So despite the crazy weather last Saturday, it was a glorious day.

Why I Love Mad River Glen

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100

I skied Mad River Glen last Saturday. It was magical.

The first time I skied Mad River, I was in third grade. I have scattered memories from that trip. Getting up at 4 a.m. was not my idea of a great start to a weekend, but I realized by the end of the day that I loved that place. I remember the parking lot and the covered walkway between the two yellow buildings. I remember the red and white "Ski It If You Can" bumper stickers; my mother explaining what glades meant; and her comment to me after some guy tried to give me a tip on how to ski the glades better, which was: "He could learn a thing or two from you."

Every time I go back, all these 20 plus years later, it is the same as I remember it, which as you can guess, in my opinion, is perfect.

I am definitely not alone in this sentiment. Mad River is a beloved mountain. There are so many reasons why this mountain has such a fervent and loyal following. Quite often, people who cannot explain why a place is special use the excuse that words cannot quite capture the majesty of it. But with Mad River Glen, it is easy to explain, but takes a really long time to do so.

If you have skied Mad River, then maybe you love it for the same reasons that I do, or maybe you love it for different reasons. In either case, instead of writing it all down, I made a list of what I love about Mad River Glen:

*The walk from the parking lot

*The bustling lodge

*The looping single chair lift line

*The single chair

*Music at the midstation

*Going right, or left, or anyway off the lift

*Skiing

*The stories about Roland Palmedo

*The stories about Betsy Pratt

*The stories about some of the shareholders

*Grilled cheese sandwiches

*The pictures above the bar

*The beer mugs

*The way natural snow skis - in any condition

*Perfect bump lines

*Skiing in the trees

*Sunshine on the deck

*Skiing

*Feeling really tired from skiing

*Sleeping really well that night

*Realizing the next morning that I dreamed about skiing

*Going back Â

Read more New England Ski tips from Heather Atwell.

Ski Tips for Kids

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100

Some of us are destined to ski, whether we like it or not. My nephew is one of those people.

He's two and ½ and this Christmas he almost ended up with three pairs of skis. There would have been more, except at some point family members started to coordinate their gifts better.

Unfortunately, he's still too small for the snazzy ski set-up that I had picked out for him. Instead he's skiing on a pair of plastic skis that strap to his snow boots, a gift from my Dad who tracked them down in a ski shop after seeing a small child wearing a pair. My nephew likes them because there is a picture of a snowman on each tip. Of course, he also likes everything, except interrupting whatever he is doing to get his diaper changed.

Actually, there is one other thing he does not like much and that is waking up. However, this past weekend while I was visiting him along with my parents, I woke on Sunday morning to the sounds of a little someone happily singing his ABCs. He knows two versions of the song, a fast one and a slow one. He was singing the fast version. I opened the door to his room and there was a little guy who was not bothered by the bright sunny Sunday morning at all, especially considering he is not usually a morning person.

He looked at me with a huge smile and said, "It's bright outside." He then explained that he was singing the fast version of his ABCs, not the slow version, while he performed an interpretive dance in his crib of the song. I decided to call for my brother (his father), because, despite having a very stuffy nose, I could smell that it was time to call my brother. I guess my nephew and I have some things in common. He does not like to get his diaper changed and I don?t like to change diapers.

After pancakes, the entire extended family trudged outside to make some turns with our favorite two and ½ year old. My brother packed out a ski trail in the front yard with a tobbogan. My father stood guard on the road, at the end of the slope. My mother attempted to take pictures. My sister in law got her son set-up, strapping his skis on and pointed him in the right direction, down.

I pretty much knew what would come next. As described by my nephew, his technique for skiing is: "Put your hands on your knees and stick your bum in the air." And that is what he did. And we all cheered. He had perfect two and ½ year old form: His balance was a little bit tippy and his skis kept crossing, but he had a huge smile on his face. And after three runs, he was on to tobogganing. And after that, he was on to making snow angels. And after that, he was on to eating snow. And then, he was on to a nap.

My intention for this post was to outline some tactics on how to teach little kids to ski. It's been years since my days spent teaching kids how to ski - ten to be exact - and the same amount of time since I actually thought about teaching kids to ski. But with a nephew at the ripe old age of two ½ and another close friend's kids at two and ½ and three, the topic had obviously come up again. So, when asked for some tips, I said I would write about it in my blog.

I was going to give a lesson plan with tips like, "The key to teaching kids how to ski is pizza, French fries, peanut butter and jelly, and hot chocolate."

Then I was going to explain:

*Pizza = wedge or snowplow

*French fries = skis parallel

*Peanut butter and jelly = when sidestepping up the hill, one foot is peanut butter, the other is jelly

*Hot chocolate = inside when all else fails

Of course, my ideals were quite high for this younger set, but my nephew said it best when he explained to his grandma and grandpa his technique to schuss down the mountain with phrasing I am sure we will repeat around the Christmas dinner table for years to come.

"You put your hands on your knees and your bum in the air."

In my nephew's case, his "bum" goes straight up toward the sky, while his head sort of points toward the snow. That is actually not the proper technique to ski, but for a two and ½ year old who is playing outside in the snow, and walking on the snow with his little plastic skis, it is the perfect technique, especially while he and everyone around him is having so much fun. And that is probably the most important tip when teaching very little kids to ski. Have fun.

Check out Snowmonsters and Winter Feels Good for fun ideas to teach kids to ski.

Six Degrees of Separation from Sugarbush Resort

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100

I have three degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon, which means everyone I know has four degrees, except for my friend Lydia who is the link for me and is two degrees away. The trivia game bearing Bacon's name is based on the the phenomenom that claims everyone is six degrees from every other human on earth - or something like that.

Even though the game's goal is to link Kevin Bacon to other movie stars, you can probably sense that I am proud to be separated from Kevin Bacon by three degrees. I am. On this subject of games and celebrity, I am really glad that I haven't used any of my 15 minutes of fame yet. I want to save those minutes to make them count toward something special, like winning a Nobel Prize in ski blogging. I would probably spend at least ten of my 15 minutes stuttering so if I don't use them ever, that is fine by me.

If you are wondering why I am writing about stars like Kevin Bacon and fame since my blog is supposed to be about skiing in New England, not celebrity gossip, it's because The Today Show is broadcasting live from Sugarbush Resort today and I am so excited. First of all, I love Sugarbush. Second of all, I love The Today Show. I could go on with third of all and fourth of all, but I won't.

This is not the first time Sugarbush has been in the limelight. In the '60s it was known as Mascara Mountain because the rich and famous would jet set there. So if Sugarbush were a person, then he (I think Sugarbush would be a boy) would be hitting the ceiling on his 15 minutes - and deservedly so.

I hope you had the chance to tune in, but if not here are some fun clips to watch:

Obstacle Course - Look for my friends in the red Ski Vermont jackets who help with the snowshoes.

A great segment on the charms of Vermont with Matt L.

The hills are alive with maple syrup!

Read more New England Ski tips from Heather Atwell.

Take Great Ski Photos with These Tips

Yankee Publishing (rss@ypi.com) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100

When I was young I dreamed that, one day, I would become a ski model for a Warren Miller film. Though I never made it to the big screen, I've done a little skiing for photographers. It's fun, but certainly not as glamorous as I'd thought it would be as a youngster.

Take my day skiing in the trees at Jay Peak in the deepest powder imaginable, exactly one year ago tomorrow. It was the day after the fabled Valentine's Day Blizzard. Justin Cash was going to shoot some pictures and asked me if I was available. In fact the picture on the homepage of my blog was taken that day by Justin. You can see all the powder. It looks like a great action shot. The truth is, I was hardly moving. And for more truth, I did not spend the whole day skiing. I really just took one run and realized that I might not be tough enough to be a ski model, especially on cold days. Luckily, he had four other skiers and one rider who were tough, which resulted in some great shots.

This was not supposed to be about me, though. I really wanted to use it as a segue to introduce a real live ski photographer to you and have him give you some tips on taking ski/ride photos. So, enough about me, and here is what Justin has to say (and for more information on the life of a ski photographer visit Justin's blog):

What is the best part of being a professional ski photographer?

That's easy. All the money, fame, girls and travel to exotic locations. Did I mention all the money? I drive a '98 Ford, you know?

Seriously, though, photography is something I am passionate about. So the best part of being a professional ski photographer is doing what I love and having everything click on all cylinders -- great snow, great light, fearless athletes that want to create amazing images. There is nothing better.

I had one perfect day like that last year. It resulted in four published images which is very gratifying. The thought that maybe someone will take a look at one of my ski images and get stoked on skiing or snowboarding is cool too.

Where and when is the best time of day to take pictures?

The best time of day to shoot pictures is either very early in the morning or late in the afternoon. I prefer later in the day so I don't have to get out of bed two hours before sunrise.

On sunny days, during the very early morning or late afternoon, the light is much warmer and at a lower angle in the sky -- the magic hours.

On cloudy and snowy days, head for the trees (glades). The trees will cast small shadows and add contrast and depth to your photos.

What is the best way to frame a shot?

First, it's always good to place your subject on a horizon line so they aren't up against a plain white slope. Using a horizon line will add definition and contrast and make him/her pop in the image.

Next, determine what you are trying to convey with the image.

If you want to show how much fun your kids are having, then you might want to get up close and personal and capture their expressions.

If you are trying to show how steep something is try using a tele-photo lens and shoot from far away. The tele-photo lens will compress the image and make it look really steep.

If you're trying to shoot a jump, go with a wide-angle lens and get as close as possible, it will make the jump look big.

This subject gets more complex, but incorporating the above elements is a good place to start.

What mistakes did you make early on?

The most common mistake early on for me (when I was still using film cameras) was getting the right exposure when shooting in a snowy setting. Snow can play tricks with your in-camera metering, leading to images that are either under or overexposed. I wasted a lot of film. Now, with digital cameras, I have instant feedback and can adjust on the spot to get perfectly exposed images. Also, in post-production, I can tweak images that are exposed incorrectly if I happen to be a little off. Of course, that almost never happens (wink, wink).

What are the differences between professional cameras and common digital cameras?

I use a professional DSLR (digital single-lens reflex camera). For common digital cameras, there actually two groups -- point and shoot and prosumer digital SLR (single-lens reflex).

The two main differences between my professional DSLR and point and shoot digital cameras is the option to change lenses and lag time between "pressing the shutter button" and the camera taking the picture.

My camera has no lag time. When I press the shutter button it takes the picture. On a point and shoot there is a split second delay that might cause you to miss the peak of the action. The main difference between my professional DSLR and a prosumer DSLR is the ability to capture a high burst of frames per second (FPS). My camera captures 8.5 FPS, whereas a prosumer DSLR might capture 3-5 FPS.

I know it doesn't sound like a big difference, but when a skier is ripping a powder line you want to make sure you get every moment of the action. Oh and the biggest difference of them all? $4,000-$5,000.

Read more New England Ski tips from Heather Atwell.