We leave the Timber Ridge lodge with bellies full of sandwiches, eagerly anticipating the feeling of carving on snow. Afternoon flurries dot my cheeks, which are smiling despite the achy muscles in my legs. My ski buddy Annette, skis to the lift with precision and ease, her blond hair tucked under her helmet. “123, 223, 323” I chant to myself, attempting a rhythm within each turn. We are skiing from mid mountain to the base of Bergman Bowl in Keystone Resort. Both Annette and I are excited to try out runs within Keystone’s newest 555 acres of ski-able terrain. Boarding the Bergman Express chairlift, we are carried uphill, ski runs unfolding below us within what looks like a giant snowy amphitheater. We attempt to analyze the runs from the lift, trying to figure which ones have moguls and which do not. One of us is hunting for them, the other is trying to avoid them.
While scanning the wide open valley full of snow, I can’t help but be reminded of an artifact from my childhood, a Microsoft computer game called SkiFree. I first played SkiFree on a massive IBM ThinkPad in my friend Ginny’s basement in the early 1990’s. I had never skied before and my young mind considered this an introduction to the sport. The game still survives today, playable in a web browser.
Skifree?
SkiFree was created by Chris Pirih and released in October 1991. The objective is for the single player to ski down a mountain as fast as possible while avoiding obstacles such as rocks, trees, loose dogs, yellow snow, snowboarders, and an Abominable Snowman that appears out of nowhere and eats you. Players can choose from three versions of the game: slalom, freestyle, and tree slalom, or just ‘skiing free.’ Secrets of the slope abound, such as skiing fast enough over certain evergreen trees to set them alight. As a kid, I found the Abominable Snowman aspect of the game terrifying and hilarious at the same time.
My attention snaps back to the top of the chairlift which was quickly approaching. Upon unloading from the chairlift, we are greeted with high alpine views of Rocky Mountain peaks. Annette and I arrive at the top of two blue circle runs, Grey’s and Torreys which seem like an approachable challenge. Each ski run is named after a peak that stands 14,000 feet above sea level, and is visible from the top of the bowl. I select Torreys based on the absence of moguls that I’d like to avoid. Annette picks Grey’s and quickly disappears down the slope. I point my skis toward the view of Torreys and begin to carve a succession of ‘S’ turns into the hill. Gathering speed, I am careful to avoid the small stands of evergreen trees that are scattered around the mountain. Just before the end of the run I do a quick glance over my shoulder, relieved that there is no Abominable Snowman in sight.