Treble Cone finally opened with a bang yesterday. After a week of the entire staff finding ways to occupy their time while waiting for the snow to hit, we had a wonderful storm on Thursday and Friday. With no small measure of relief we finally were able to open to the public on Friday and remember first-hand why it's such a great place to ski and ride. I'll post some photos of the mountain in full swing within the next few days, but in the meantime I couldn't resist this shot of the northern end of Lake Wakatipu beyond Glenorchy. It's just one of the many places here on the South Island that is so beautiful that it literally will stop you in your tracks.
I hope everyone at home had a great Independence Day. Don't worry, I made sure to remind many of the English staff at TC precisely why the day is so important.
At Treble Cone, in between the Home Basin and the Matukituki Basin, is a place called View Point. It's a high ridge below the summit which affords an incredible view looking North into the Harris Range, including the Rob Roy Glacier and Mount Aspiring (namesake of the Mount Aspiting National Park). Recently, during the first sunny morning in several days, we enjoyed some really astonishing views. Enjoy. 
I spent the entire afternoon skiing off-piste today at Treble Cone, making turns with a friend and ski client of mine. It may not sound like such a big deal, especially considering that something like 85% of our terrain is off-piste and that I am, after all, a professional instructor, but it was a pretty big relief for me. It's now ten months since I blew out my knee and nine months since I had reconstructive surgery. I've spent countless hours in the gym and on my bike and have watched as my friends and colleagues enjoyed the best season Vermont has seen in a generation. I've tried and sometimes failed to maintain my focus, tried and sometimes failed to be patient, and I have leaned on many people at numerous times for support and encouragement. I have a long way to go and a lot of work yet to do, but today I really felt in my movements on skis and generally, in a very visceral way, that I will be able to come all the way back to where I was and that I may actually have learned some things in the process. I'll post some photos of the skiing at TC shortly, perhaps even some action shots of yours truly, but it's now time for a beer, some laughs with friends and a big bag of late-night frozen vegetables for the knee.
