Skiing and Foraging, Two of my Favorite Things
If you have been following my Instagram since it launched late this summer, you may be getting tired of all my skiing related posts. I totally understand this as it initially was fully dedicated to foraging -so let me first apologize for this derailment. But in my defense, there really is no foraging to be done here in Stowe, Vermont in the middle of our long, cold winters. Everything is dead, and covered and snow.
I thought for a while about what I would do with my Vermont Forager Instagram account. Show old photos of my fruits of the forest? Or perhaps some throwbacks to some of my more recent travels around the globe? Well, I am, and will continue to do this, but the reality is that in the winter, I ski… like every day, I ski.
So rather than shamefully hide this great passion that consumes my day to day life in the wintertime, I figured I would showcase it instead. Then I started to realize, skiing is kind of like foraging in some ways. I mean, it is completely different, but really, it is sort of similar. Hear me out!
Skiing and Foraging – Two peas from the same pod?
So how are skiing and foraging in Stowe Vermont possibly alike? Well let’s make a little list:
- They both take place outdoors for an extended period of time: Both of these activities are best enjoyed with a sizable chunk of time spent outdoors. There are many times when I am skiing when the weather is not great. Meaning there is no fresh powder in sight, and the sun has not been seen in weeks. Really what this means is that I spend most of my time on skis just wandering about the mountain, letting my curiosity our our natural world get the best of me. And this leads me to the next thing on our list.
- They both encourage exploration: Really, I can’t think of two better activities to get you into the exploration mindset. While this is always true for foraging, skiing is only about exploration about half the time. But during those times when you are exploring while skiing, you are really exploring. On the top of a freezing cold mountain covered in 10 feet of snow, the inner explorer in you is sure to come alive!
- They both put you into the FLOW Zone: If you don’t know what the flow zone is, it’s that feeling of complete immersion into whatever activity you are doing. In skiing, you are almost always in this state, as it is often dangerous to let your mind wander. And with foraging if you are really ever going to find anything worthwhile, you really do have to stay focused on the task at hand.
- The Joy of Discovery: In both foraging and skiing, you are often searching for something. In foraging you are searching for a wild and delicious edible to take home and cook up. In skiing you are searching for the fresh powder, or the perfect line to take. Both of these activities have the power to unlock the natural joy inherent in the act of discovery!
Skiing and Foraging – Not so Different After All!
Well I hope I have convinced you somewhat that skiing is actually pretty similar to foraging in a lot of ways. I know I have convinced myself, which is important so that I can continue to feature skiing on my Instatgram! Haven’t seen the Insta for Stowe Forager yet? Check it out here!
