Fall to Winter, Notes From The North Face

As the days get shorter, I can’t help thinking about the skiing, powder, beautiful, amazingly snowy days ahead. The winter is always on my mind, and in the hopes of skiing in reality like I do in my mind, I lose myself favorite skiing soundtrack and start walking up the trails I usually race down. Heading up those trails lets me shake off that summer dust and build some endurance and muscle, while the trees are starting to provide spectacular color and photo ops!

Jodi lives for skiing, and on her off days,
manages The North Face Summit Shop.

Another sure sign of colder (snowier) weather to come is all the new gear appearing at The North Face Summit Shop. Each season, the new arrivals put a little perk in my step and make it even harder not to think about the winter ahead. 

For example, the new North Face Blaze Jacket is an essential addition to the outdoor repertoire – and a piece you can use now for hiking and later for skiing/riding. It is highly compressible, fitting nicely under a heavier coat or shell as an extra midlayer, or on its own for a highly wicking warm light coat. The non-bulky Flash Dry fabrics helps remove moisture and regulate temperature making this a versatile piece of equipment for many activities. You’ll also be able to find the Flash Dry technology in this season’s North Face fleeces, and with those temperatures starting to fall, it’s starting to feel like I should be carrying these in my Recon backpack!

I plan on enjoying every minute of this time of year (with the help of great gear). Autumn does represent the final hurdle to my favorite season and my reason for existence, and it won’t be long now before I’m waking up before dawn to catch first chair, carving first tracks and then going back for more...

But back to reality, and unpacking box after box of ski pants and jackets. Hats and gloves and Denali coat after Denali coat. I keep squinting out the window looking for snowflakes, counting down the days. The North Face is ready...are you?