SIGHTS
The Lodge: fireplaces, sitting areas with comfortable chairs and couches, dining rooms with tables and chairs, places to order food, condiment stations, vending machines, a kiosk for ski equipment rental, lockers, people walking awkwardly in ski boots and bulky snow pants, lines of people waiting to order food, people carrying trays of food, snow being tracked across the floors, melting snow, restrooms, extraneous clothing (hats, gloves, scarves, goggles) thrown over chairs or being used to reserve tables, lodge décor (wooden ceiling beams, vintage ski equipment and antlered heads on the walls, stone fireplaces), walls made of glass for a stunning view of the slopes, mounted TVs showing sports programming and the weather forecast
The Slopes: snow-covered hills, a large lodge nestled at the base, an outdoor skating rink, racks of skis and poles, rocky or tree-dotted mountains rising all around, ski lifts and gondolas going up the mountain, skiers and snowboarders coming down in sweeping wide curves, people lining up at the lift, a hill employee scanning lift tags, kids skiing in a beginner’s area, first-time skiers gathered around an instructor, color-designated signs to indicate a slope’s difficulty level, warning signs and orange mesh boundaries to mark dangerous areas, moguls and jumps, snow blowers, brown patches of earth showing through the snow, slopes crisscrossed with ski trails, cross-country trails leading into the trees, falling snow, low clouds, individual lodges leaking smoke trails from their chimneys, members of the ski patrol skiing by in orange vests, rescue teams on snow mobiles bringing an injured skier down in a sled, brightly dressed skiers clumped together at the top of a slope, fogged-up goggles, decreased peripheral vision due to one’s goggles
SOUNDS
The clump of ski boots crossing the protective grating at the lodge, a crackling fire in the hearth, the rustle of someone putting on a ski jacket and zipping it up, a lodge packed with people (the murmur of many voices as skiers tell stories, laugh, talk strategy and equipment, review video footage), the snap of boots locking into bindings, the swish of skis through the snow, a lift’s mechanical creaking, the whir of a gondola, the carrying sound of people talking as they head up the mountain on lifts, skiers on ski lift chairs clacking their skis together to shake loose snow clumps, snow plopping to the ground, skiers dropping to the ground and sliding along the snow, the sharp sound of skis hitting and sliding on ice, wind whistling across the slopes or rustling the trees, the muffled sound of music coming from a set of earbuds, skiers yelling as they fall, people laughing and calling to friends, kids squealing, boots crunching through snow, snow spraying as someone skids to a stop, a sled bouncing over rough bumps, snowboarders or skiers racing by
SMELLS
Coffee, sweat, wood smoke, wet woolen clothing, hot food, sunscreen, lotion, stale air being breathed through one’s ski mask or scarf, cold air, the ozone of snow and ice, hot onion breath trapped in a mask, scented lip balm
TASTES
Lip balm, lodge food (standard fast food restaurant fare), coffee, water, soda, hot chocolate, cider, hot tea
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
The confinement of bulky clothing, heavy ski boots, cumbersome skis, clumsiness from thick ski gloves or mittens, the awkwardness of walking in ski boots, slipping on ice and falling, struggling to carry skis and poles, finding one’s balance on a snowboard, snow melting in one’s boots, being swept up by a ski chair, the heavy feel of one’s legs dangling with skis on the end of them, a ski chair’s sway, a runny nose, wind-burned cheeks, a headache from the snow’s glare, cold fingers and toes, damp socks, sweaty hair under a wool cap, the out-of-control feeling of not being able to stop, sliding into other skiers and ending up in a painful tangle, picking up speed when one hits a patch of ice, skidding to a stop, cold wind blowing in one’s face and making the eyes water, stripping off one’s outerwear in the lodge, the cold-to-hot transition of stepping from outside into the warm lodge, chapped lips, dry skin, being sprayed by stinging snow, cold noses and fingers thawing out in the lodge, a half-frozen scarf stiffly rubbing at one’s face, the pinch of straps on ski goggles
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Beginner skiers on slopes that are too difficult for them
Overcrowded slopes and reckless skiers
A warm snap late in the season that threatens a ski vacation
Physically injuring oneself
Discovering that the accommodations fail to meet one’s expectations
Leaving the marked trails and getting lost
A blizzard blowing in
Skiing every slope and discovering that the resort is below one’s experience level
A ski dropping from a lift and landing on someone
Mechanical breakdowns that take one of the lifts out of commission
A pole breaking on a dangerous run
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
Lodge employees, maintenance crews, members of the ski patrol, rescue teams, skiers, ski instructors, snowboarders
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Rural Volume: Arctic tundra, forest, mountains
Urban Volume: Outdoor skating rink
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
While some ski resorts cater to a wealthy clientele, others are reasonably priced to accommodate both vacationers and local skiers who like to hit the slopes for the day. Location will also play a part in the size, atmosphere, and accommodations for a given resort; skiing in North Carolina is vastly different from skiing in the Rockies. The Alps and Andes are different animals altogether. Look into each geographical area carefully to choose one that fits the character and the story.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
The ski lift carried Brian up the mountain, giving him a bird’s-eye view of the slopes at night. Lights twisted down the slopes, outlining the trails like a dot-to-dot map. Voices occasionally wafted up to him, but they were distant, muted—nothing like skiing here during the day. He listened hard, his breath fogging the air. The only sounds were the creak of his ski chair and the wind sliding though the pines.
Techniques and Devices Used: Contrast, light and shadow, metaphor, multisensory descriptions
Resulting Effects: Establishing mood, reinforcing emotion