ONE WINTER IN VERMONT

As a child I learned to ski at a young age. On weekends I would travel to Swanton, Maryland, to arrive at my Aunt’s house. She lived in a log cabin of sorts, and it was beautiful on a winter afternoon and especially on a winter evening. As the Northern Lights shown down upon the covered porch, I could barely see thru to the lake at Nana’s house. That would have been my cousin’s grandmother.

               

 Deep Creek Lake is one of the most picturesque in all the United States. Nestled in the middle of a small resort town, it is home to only eight hundred folks. However, the value of the land itself, and the housing on top of it would surely reach more than a few and possibly several hundred millions. Millions that some owners would never dream of.

The first bungalows; and I mean just that, popped up on Deep Creek Lake in the mid-fifties. Owners were simply happy to own a piece of land on the water. You see, the Army Corps of Engineers were tasked with the project in the early 1950’s. The end result would be a man-made lake that was finished in the late fifties. Houses would soon pop up here and there, as the local businessman were the only ones who could afford such a luxury.

               

  Fast forward to age five, in 1982. I traveled to my Aunt’s house on the weekend en route to Wisp Ski Resort. Later built, it is a small mountain set upon a nice grade of mountain land with elevation nearing 4,000 feet above sea level. The slopes hold about twenty-seven trails, everything from a bunny slope which is about a mile long, to double-black diamond slopes fit for any professional.

                As most people would imagine; and they would be right, I learned to ski down the mountain with a rope around my waist following in my Uncle’s tracks. Lessons were held on Saturday mornings and I participated with enthusiasm. It would not be long before I was flying down the bunny slope at a breakneck speed. As I got better, I tried bigger and more advanced slopes. Each weekend, it seemed as if my knowledge, skills and abilities were enhanced.