skiing in the midwest?

So as many of you know, Ryan is an avid skiier. And thanks to him and my two brothers, I have become addicted to the sport as well. Living in Utah, we were surrounded by skiing resorts, and tried to take advantage of them. We have many memories on family ski trips (visit my brother Dave's website for full details and some really funny videos too!) and wish that we could go more often now. But sadly - Ohio does not have any mountains! People say that there are some, but we want to clarify their falsehood by stating the fact that they are merely hills. There is no such thing as a mountain out here. Sadly enough.

So when the medical school started publicizing a ski trip in January, Ryan and I were a little sketchy about if it would be worth it. But skiing is skiing, right? And desperate times call for desperate measures. We decided to chance it. The resort was four hours away, in a place called Champion, Pennsylvania; and we heard that it was one of the best resorts out in the mid-Atlantic region (which, honestly, instilled little confidence).

Even though it was different than other ski resorts we'd been to, for instance the elevation was 3,000 feet with a 750 foot vertical drop, and the longest run is barely over a mile long which gives you just enough time to really get warmed up and then you're back at the lift again. When we first drove up, it was like the entire mountain (if it really is on) could be seen all at once. All the runs were wide open and visible from the bottom it seemed like - not much room for exploring! Nevertheless, it was still skiing! And that made it all worth it! Here's some pictures from our adventures:

These are the pictures of what is right outside the lodge. Wide open space, covered with people. We decided that this really was one of the best resorts for about a 4-5 hour radius - meaning that everyone from Washington D.C., Virginia, Ohio, PA, and surrounding states would all accumulate here. It was a very busy weekend!

The one on the left is Ryan showing what scary terrain they have. No easy way down? Hmm ... looks pretty flat to me! The picture on the right are our friends Justin and Brianna. It was Brianna's first time ever skiing, and Justin was a great teacher! Plus, I had some company in the lodge whenever Brianna wanted a break, and Ryan had some company out on the slopes whenever Justin was available! We made a great team.
This last picture was needed for documentation purposes. Yes, we did drive 4+ hours to get there. Yes, we did have a chance to go skiing at least once this winter. And yes, I would've given anything to be out there on the slopes with Ryan if I could've. But there is a slight chance that this baby will be forever grateful that I did not risk mine and his life for one weekend of pure pleasure. I was the fan club watching everyone's belongings in the lodge, and trying to read as much as I could. It was a hard sacrifice to make, but I guess I'm just in training! However, I am pleased to announce that he was moving around like crazy whenever I would go outside. He likes the snow already, and he will definitely have skis on his feet as soon as possible. It's for his own good. Trust us.