Kimberly Nicoletti

I started skiing when I was 5, on a pair of blue Blitz skis — complete with lightning bolts. Despite having to night ski (cheaper lift tickets) in the freezing Midwest (grew up in Chicago, skied Wisconsin), I fell in love with skiing.

As both a competitive figure skater and a skier, I dreamed of moving to Colorado, so as soon as I turned 19, I dropped out of college to become a ski bum in Breckenridge. I joined the Breck Freestyle Team and played around with ballet skiing and bumps, which lasted for a season; call me a wimp, but the combination of landing on my head a few too many times doing pole flips and having our coach assure us sticking with mogul skiing guaranteed blowing out at least one knee, made me rethink my competitive skiing plan.

So, I returned to college in Boulder, covered my bases with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and a master’s degree in somatic psychology, moved back up to Summit County and since then have been happily making a living as a writer and editor who can ski whenever she wants.

As an aside, I spent a season teaching skiing in Mammoth, when I discovered that chairlifts, rather than hiking, could deliver me straight to the steeps. Mammoth’s sweet, but Colorado’s home — at least for the near future. I must confess, though: A couple years ago, I bought a ski-in, ski-out lot at Powder Mountain, Utah, in hopes of an early semi-retirement lifestyle that includes serene powder skiing without the crowds. Did I mention I live to powder ski?

Q & A

How do you like to get down the hill, ski or snowboard?

Ski

What is your favorite trail?

East Wall on a powder day

What is your favorite restaurant?

Alpenglow Stube, atop Keystone Resort

What is your favorite off-mountain activity?

Writing, dancing (I teach Nia and Zumba), hanging out with friends and seeking adventure.

What is your favorite resort?

A-Basin