As I headed home from a long weekend of friends, skiing, apres fun and just plain soaking in the Mount Washington Valley life after MLK weekend, I had a thought: Are we skiers and riders letting our expectations of perfection get in the way of our joyful moments out there? And are we letting our (oft well-deserved) criticism of big ski companies do the same?

Let me explain. There’s been a lot of social media buzz (does it feel like even more this winter?) about how bad things are at some places. And mind you, a lot of it has a valid base (The Park City patrol strike didn’t help at all; and some of the lack of open terrain at some spots while others have lots more does make you scratch your head). The management issues at Vail Resorts are no mirage; most everyone has concerns.

And we’re allowed expectations of our ski days. We pay a lot to be skiers and riders; even if we plan way ahead (purchasing passes the spring before; booking lodging months ahead; never mind the financial commitment to the gear). It takes most of us a long time to travel to and from, and there’s a whole lot of packing, planning and coordination. We should feel good about our experience, and we deserve the best quality product a place can put out.

But this is what gave me pause: The vitriol from other skiers and riders on social media the week prior to my visit to Attitash Mountain Resort was – and this is an opinion piece so just hear me out – worrisome. The mountain was in a shambles, some said. The skiing just isn’t worth the trip, others claimed. It was so constant, forceful and similar, I actually considered skipping the weekend or going elsewhere (We have a 30 year tradition of skiing there with hometown friends).

I sharpened my skis, crossed my fingers and headed up.

Friday was our first ski day. It was sunny and just cold enough; barely a breath of wind. The super-white peak of Mount Washington cut lines into the bluebird sky.

The new quad soared, and the day just felt right.

Now, mind you, barely half the mountain was open. It was pretty clear by the time we hit Conway that this winter has not been an easy one. I know: other resorts have more open. But here’s what I saw: the trails that were open were pristine. I could see whales on some others, so I knew more would come soon. Many of my favorite runs were far from ready to be open.

There were three ways down, for the most part, on the Bear Peak side and maybe a ways more on the Attitash side. If you were one to bore easily, you would. But us? The weather, the surface and the fun of kind of getting to know everyone on the hill that day kept us out there. We barely stopped for water.

It held up all weekend – with some scratchy spots here and there, but with even the mountain’s usually tricky spots holding up well. (Illusion skied like a dream). It was busier, but not holiday weekend busier, and that probably helped.

Oh, and so did the five or so fluffy inches of snow that dressed things up halfway through.

So here’s the thing: I know we deserve perfection: We are such loyalists to our sport. But sometimes, maybe, giving a mountain we love a chance even in hard times pays off.