This past weekend was for beginning the process of getting ready for winter: pulling out gear, checking bindings, sharpening ice tools, locating my balaclava and thermos. (The weekend was also for what has now become a weekly tradition; the Sunday sauna.) After Thanksgiving I might send ice screws for sharpening and base wax my fleet of skis.
Before I headed out to see if the Whiteface toll road was skiable (yahoo ... it was), I perused the Ski Heritage archive. Given that the college racing season is almost upon us, I suggest a quick read of this article about the Dartmouth Winter Carnival. This year on Feb 9-10 Lucy and SLU skiers take on the Big Green.