On the Cords with Carly

Who am I, how did I get here, and why am I waking up at 5 in the morning?

I keep asking myself these questions. Well maybe not “who am I?”, but definitely the other two. To answer the first question, my name is Carly Karnatz, and I am Sugarbush’s new Snow Reporter. And yes, it’s kind of the greatest job ever. I am from North Carolina, where the beaches are warm, and well, the mountains are also warm. I started skiing at the age of 3 when my parents threw me into ski school to get rid of me for a few hours. I grew up skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado as well as whichever resort in the Appalachian Mountains had snow that year. Eventually, I turned to the dark side and took snowboarding lessons, where I fell in love with being on the mountain all over again. Fast forward 10 years, I graduated from East Carolina University, where I was on the ski team (shout-out ECU Shred Squad).

To answer the second question, after graduation my family knew that I wouldn’t stay in North Carolina for long, as I love to travel, which probably comes from my parents reading “Oh the Places You’ll Go” to me every night as a child. Earlier this year I got the chance to visit the Green Mountain State and do a bit of riding at another resort. I had my first real taste of Vermont maple syrup and was hooked (seriously what do you put in that stuff?). From there, I started applying to jobs up north and finally got the call from the man himself, John Bleh, to come up to Sugarbush. I packed my things into my 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee and hit I-95. 900 miles and a broken windshield wiper later, I pulled into Warren, VT.

I can now officially say I have lived in Vermont for 3 weeks and for the third time in my life, I’ve fallen in love with being on the mountain. Surprisingly I’m also getting used to these 5 AM wake-up calls, as I was more of a night owl growing up. Sure, it might take 2 Red Bulls and an egg sandwich from the Gate House Cafeteria to help me keep going, but I’m managing. The quiet mountain and the awesome sunrises make recording the snow phone (802-583-7669!) at six in the morning worth it.

I’m planning to contribute frequently to the SugarBlog now. This blog will be about learning everything there is to know about Sugarbush. Historically I’ve been a fast learner, but I’ve also never been completely on my own in a new part of the country, so this will be a real test of seeing how quickly I adapt. While it’s still early season conditions and there are only 4 lifts spinning, I am skiing each day like there’s no tomorrow. I can’t say I have a favorite run yet, it’s too early to tell, but I will say Organgrinder holds a piece of my heart (no pun intended). I look forward to learning more about the mountain, the valley, and everything Sugarbush this season, so if you see me out on the slopes, don’t be afraid to say hi and maybe slide some local recommendations my way.

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