Evening star., 1953-11-29
By Jacques FutreIIe, Jr.

By Jacques FutreIle, Jr.
Not every one takes a winter
vacation. In fact, it is not in the
realm of the impossible to come
across an individual who has
become so content in harness
that he boasts of not having
taken any vacation at all for 20
or 80 years. Well, every one to
his taste.
Those who do exercise their
privilege of recreational roam
ing generally select summer as
the ideal time. And those who
choose a winter respite from the
work-a-day grind lean heavily
toward a summery atmosphere
and activities that thrive under
a friendly sun. The thought OF
ice and snow sends shivers down
their spines and chills the de-
sire to expend precious leave.
Drawing its people from every
State and from foreign coun-
tries as well, the Washington
area population has a goodly
contingent of those who are per-
sonally acquainted with the
thrills of skiing, who long for
such old-fashioned pastimes as
sleigh rides and have ingrained
in themselves from childhood a
deep affection for snow sports.
They look to winter with
more-than-usual delight and,
like thousands of New York City
office workers, give some rarely
used muscles a severe tryout by
crowding in as many downhill
trips as a skiing week end can
contain. Gruelling. but they
love it.
Skiers Look Awoy
In the last three or four dec
ades, millions upon millions OF
dollars have been invested in
developing American resorts
that appeal to skiers. There are
some isolated instances OF skiing
facilities not too far from wash
ington. And, on an occasional
winter, special ski trains nave
run over the Baltimore & Ohios
tracks into Western Maryland
for a day of skiing.
Disappointed perhaps once
too often, Washington skiers
have learned to look to more
distant points for good and re-
liable snow-the Pocono Noun
tains of nearby Pennsylvania,
New York State, which has de-
veloped at least so ski resort
areas worthy of mention. and
New England.
For those who can combine
the skiing urge with longer trips,
there are such places as fash
ionable Sun Valley, in the noun
tains of Idaho; the ambitious
layouts and facilities of the
Northwest's Oregon and Wash
ington; New England, with a
climate that still encourages
resort operators to expand facil-
tiles and the LaurentianS OF
Canada. Then, of course, there's
Switzerland and Austria.
Bio Shows Expected
New York's skiing season usual
ly begins about December Is and
continues to March Is. Already
it is gearing up its annual system
of collecting reliable reports as to
snow conditions in each area and
making the information readily
available TO devotees of slippery
boards.
A recent report by meteorolo-
gist stationed in Albany, N. Y,
bears out the expectancy of a
great skiing season this winter.
The New York State Department
of Commerce, quoting the survey
by Ernest c. Johnson. says:
Records which have been
maintained since 1890 for more
than ITS stations indicate that
the average annual snowfall for
New York State is 71.2 inches.
The heaviest snow is north of the
Mohawk Valley. Over the more
southern counties of the State,
the average begins at 40 inches
and builds up to more than 80
inches in the Catskills. In the
Adirondacks. the average is more
than 100 inches"
The report brings out that un-
usually heavy SHOWS fall in the
Tug Hill region as the result of
storms which sweep across Lake
Ontario and under certain con-
ditions, become virtual snow fac
tories" These Great Lakes
storms frequently produce snow
falls 3 to 4 feet deep.
Fun for Others, Too
Unquestionably, the star on
the winter sports scene is the
skier, and most of the facilities
and a chalet's warmth of well
come are designed for him and
his fair companions. And in some
VACATION FUN IS YOURS ASSURED
-AFuE RHMnET