Skis and bags are stuffed frantically in the back of a black rental SUV in the parking lot of Western’s Mountaineer Fieldhouse as the sun sets Thursday, January 5th; two days after the big mountain team’s planned departure for freeride world qualifiers in Revelstoke, British Columbia. With over a foot of new snow at their home mountain of Crested Butte, however, who could blame them for the late start?