Ski bum, trash bag, snowboard, whatever you want to call it, the point is that you are the kind of person who puts skiing first-the feeling, the adrenaline and the rush of cold air-above all else.

In my first year of hard work in the mountains, I was part of a wave of rookies, bright newcomers, a little out of place, standing around scanning tickets or colliding chairs. Many people leave in the spring and return to Minneapolis, St. Louis or Maine, looking for real jobs and relationships. We all moved to Vail Valley looking for adventure, but they were just trying out the shape of a snowboard. In the mountain city hierarchy, the children in the single season of the interval are the worst. They are above the clumsy, self-righteous tourists. But if you persist for one summer and then another winter, people will start to treat you differently. You do this, and then you continue to do this, your life will show a certain arc, you are a real skier.

By my second season, I had already developed muscle memory from the click of my boots and hitchhiked quickly on the lift line. With the advent of winter, a new wave of first-year lifts and ticket scanners poured in, and I accepted the dizzying second-year judgments and sharp territorialism. I don't want to connect with the new girl, I want to draw a line around myself to prove that I am loyal, I know the rope. I have always been an omniscient person, but I am sure that I was particularly uncomfortable that winter.

I want to be a stubborn person, a local, a garbage bag, and a skier. I defeated my own blue grinding bump line, trying to teach myself effortlessly through hard work. This should be a sign that I have been working hard to make it really work, but after hours of hacking, I have a bet. This is my mountain now. I have a favorite running, I have a sneaky hideout, and I have a much older ski patrol boyfriend who makes me feel legal, even though our relationship emphasizes every stereotype. Even if he helped me hone my field skills and took me deep into the mountains, it would be difficult to get rid of the feeling of a new girl Tagaron. I have always been insecure about my rank and status. But I found a second job in a pizzeria, where there was a group of local bumblebees. They began to remember my name. When they came in to enjoy the happy hour, I started to recognize the staff at Terrain Park. I beg the old patrolman to tell stories and know which hotel swimming pools you can dive into. It feels like a part of the rhythm is new.

A big part of skiing is a commitment, taking the time to learn about the mountain and deciding to invest in it. When did you become a ski enthusiast, who counts as one? Even the ski tramp is part of the myth and performance. Claiming possession of dirty stuff is a privilege.

Pink Day: Ski lovers, ski towns and the future of chasing snow

Ski bum, trash bag, snowboard, whatever you want to call it, the point is that you are the kind of person who puts skiing first-the feeling, the adrenaline and the rush of cold air-above all else. Love, stability, money or friends, there is a proverb that says that these are not important on fan days. Psychologists call this rejection of norms anti-social behavior, which is another common denominator. Ski enthusiasts do not follow the standard rules of society very well.

You learned to quickly spot signs of devotion on the mountain, because skiing fatigue is physical, mental, and temporal. You can pick out the smooth locals by how they carry snowboards and stand in boots. The racer bends forward, ready to run. It was someone who skied next year, but their father got a hat for free in the 1980s. They have meals (PBJs and PBRs, bacon, whiskey) in their pockets, and they have a certain value for use. It is most noticeable in sports, that is, when starting a turn with ease. It knows gravity and how to bend your body. Obsession is helpful because it is part practice and part love, not rational thinking. This is how you chase sports, and it's something you give up because you live outside the rules.

But the space for this kind of dedication is shrinking. You must be satisfied with the routine and rush of your work. Sticking to it is not a logical way of life. "Who among us would want to do it now, who can do it?" said the historian Anne Coleman. "This is a long and slow capitalization process. In the more corporate labor market, the space for ski lovers has been shrinking. It is so narrow in terms of race and economy."

To truly put skiing above everything else, you usually have to give up some things that may make you happy and satisfying in the long run, such as companionship and stability. To do this, you may have to have certain financial and physical privileges, and your dedication must be very brave. The ridge hike in the afternoon is beautiful, but there are some deliberate oversights. You must be willing and able to shrink the bubble and focus only on this. It may be easy to judge the garbage bag that started life here as an escape from responsibility, but there are some beautiful and rare things about this promise.

Heather Hansman (Heather Hansman) is the author of "Powder Day: Ski Wanderers, Ski Towns, and the Future of Chasing Snow", now available from HarperCollins/Hannover Plaza Press.