Fall is my favorite and most dreaded time of year. The sweet smell of apple cider, the glow of leaves changing from their chlorophyll-green to rich, dark reds and oranges, and the briskness of cold air in my lungs. My mind fast-forwards to a bottomless midwinter storm day. The three short months of fall seem like an eternity while I wait for that day when the bull cranks for the first time of the year. Fortunately Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood offers some salvation. For $36 you can satisfy your need to ski by making preseason laps on the upper Palmer snowfield.

Meeting up with Eric Pollard and his new wife Erin, we headed up to Timberline where we hooked up with Pat Keene and several minions from the TGR board to test out the newly pressed Bro Models. The Palmer snowfield basked in the sun above low-lying clouds and offered up some great corn and fun times. While the sliver of snow connecting the mid-station with the lower terminal of the lift was fondly referred to as "the ribbon of death," it provided an excellent opportunity to get the Bros up to full speed without worrying about other skier traffic. The biggest hazard was avoiding the jagged rock walls surrounding the ribbon.

So if you're sitting around twiddling your thumbs waiting for the snow, be proactive and head to Timberline. Skiing may seem like a far-off dream, but really it's only a car-drive away.