In the Midwest, summer reigns supreme. There are, however, the twisted few of us who yearn for when temperatures begin to slide and we can embrace the reason so many people become former Midwesterners.

When that first freezing week comes around in late fall and every conversation begins and ends with a weather complaint, we can hear the snow cannons firing up at our local hill.

We may not have the best terrain, the best ski areas, the best amenities or anything resembling a snowpack, but what we do have is misguided, undying positivity and the desire to make every turn count.

We do this dance each snowless, sub-zero season because we know that each day sliding the icy hills of the Midwest makes us appreciate the frolicking, knee-deep wonderland of our trips west.

Skiers of the Midwest, please join us on this journey and know you aren’t alone. We are all out there scraping our local hill while checking weather reports and flights in search of greener pastures. Follow along as we do the same. Send us your photos from your home hill or from you escape to the west.

As a good friend told me about skiing in the Midwest: “You’ve gotta want it.”