Resort or Ski Area: Burke Mountain Resort

Conditions: packed powder

Trip Report:
Kid #1 didn’t want to ski yesterday, apparently still traumatized by a horribly cold day at Smuggs last month. Since I didn’t have to get him into a morning lesson and hadn’t been to Burke in ages, I kept going past Cannon. Last time I was there was before they put in either of the new HSQs, so it was a bit of a different experience. There was a race going on, so the Poma was closed to non-racers. (I’m rather fond of that lift, one of the few old-school Pomas with a turn in it in North America.) East Bowl was big fun; I’d forgotten what a great trail that is. Dixiland glade was steep, tight and bumpy, but opened out further below. Carriage Road/Big Dipper was a lovely little cruise. Did another run on East Bowl, then decided to do one more bump run before lunch, and went down Doug’s Drop. Just down from the top I saw the entrance to Scooby Doo glade, and decided to check it out. Got 10 feet in and somehow managed to fall really awkwardly to the right. Felt something pop in my right knee as I went down, and landed right on my thumb.

Well, crap. Was able to backtrack out of the glade and skied really carefully the rest of the way down Doug’s Drop. The knee didn’t hurt, but definitely felt unstable. Went and had lunch, but it was clear I was done for the day, and headed for home right after.

When I stopped for gas in Concord, it was definitely getting painful to walk on and the thumb was turning all kinds of interesting colors. I’d already decided I needed to get it looked at as soon as I got home, so I went straight to Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge and limped into the walk-in clinic, ski gear and all. They poked at the knee and thumb and took X-rays of both, and determined I hadn’t broken my thumb or torn anything major in my knee. I’m currently wearing a knee brace and have a referral to an orthopedist if it’s not rapidly getting better by midweek, which so far it is. Think I’m probably done for the season though.