Page 47 of Rise After Fall

“Nighttime is when the resort will be blowing snow and grooming the trails. It’s extremely dangerous to be around that equipment when it’s in operation, so it’s best to avoid uphill skiing when it’s taking place,” Zoey answers.

“Why didn’t you tell us we could be on the mountain at night?” Clay asks Zoey.

“There are no lights on the trails, so you’d have to use headlamps. You’ll be skinning up the slope in the dark.”

“English, please,” Erin bellows.

“The skis need to be fitted with specialized bindings and adhesive skins on the bottom to provide grip in the snow. They’re textured felt skins. The binding lets your heel lift so you can make it up the steep inclines. You also need Alpine touring boots that have more flexibility for climbing.”

“Sounds uncomfortable,” Jena says.

“You remove them for the downhill descent. At the top, you remove the skins, toss them in your backpack, adjust your bindings to downhill mode, and clip your heels in. Then, you’re ready to go,” Joanna says.

“Again, why are we just hearing about this?” Scooter asks.

Zoey shrugs.

“Let’s go,” Erin yells.

“You can’t,” Zoey says.

“I thought you just said we could?”

“No,wecan.” She gestures to me, Scooter, Clay, Joanna, and herself. “For now, we are the only ones allowed to go uphill—no students, no guests, and no family or friends.”

“Boo,” Erin calls.

“Uphill skiing is hard. It’s not like snowshoeing. You aren’t stepping. You’re sliding upward on your skis, which is a quad burner and quite an aerobic workout at high altitudes. You’re carrying extra weight as well because your helmet, goggles, and a set of dry clothes are in your backpack. You get sweaty during the climb, and you want to strip that outer layer and put on something dry for the downhill. So, only advanced skiers can pull it off safely.”

“Got it.”

“Can we ski anywhere we want?” Scooter asks.

“No out of bounds allowed,” Zoey says.

Clay groans.

Out-of-bounds areas are everything outside of a ski area’s boundary line. Slopes inside ski area boundaries are controlled by the ski patrol who use explosives and other means to prevent avalanches. However, out-of-bounds areas aren’t controlled at all which make them thrilling to ride but unsafe.

“Ah, come on. We’re on the East Coast. There isn’t a big avalanche danger here,” Scooter gripes.

“Yeah, on-piste is boring,” Clay whines.

Zoey puts her hands in the air. “I don’t make the rules.”

“No, you just withhold the information,” I mutter.

Her eyes cut to me and narrow. “Oh, and you can’t do it when you’re drinking either.”

“Fuck,” Scooter quips.

“And now, you know why I didn’t tell you before,” she says.

“Tomorrow?” I ask.

They all nod.

Tomorrow it is.