2021-22 Ski Thread - First Chair to Last Call

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Day 1 in the books. Headed up to Mt Sunapee (2 trails, lots of people) for a few hours to kick off the season. Not the best driving:skiing ratio, but worth it to get on snow.

Noice.
Jealous.

Day 2 in the books. We were headed north to Sunapee again after a few inches fell Saturday night. On a whim we diverted to Pat’s Peak where we redeemed one of our Indy Pass days there. Snow was reasonable, especially in the morning. Lift lines rarely exceeded 3 minutes, mostly you just skied onto the lift. There are only 2-3 fun runs but they had a bunch more open that sucked up the crowds so we enjoyed 4 hours of skiing with one break at their heated outdoors picnic tables. Then lunch in the car and drove home, in the door before 2:00 PM.

Bridger Bowl opens tomorrow. Skinned up and got some turns last Thursday. Decent, but we need snow still. Definitely starting to feel the effects of my age on the uphill, dammit. Looking forward to Canada the end of February, but Omicron has me nervous for sure.

I made it up to Sunapee yesterday. There wasn’t a whole lot open, and what was open got pretty slick and skied-off as the day went on, but it was a fun day regardless. I’m looking at going to Vermont later this week.

We’ve got our annual overnight Scout ski trip planned for Pat’s Peak in February (which is where I learned to ski in 2015).

Finally enough snow to go XC (classic) skiing near me. The trails were not groomed. but somebody had skied before me on one loop. I blazed a trail on a smaller loop.

Brian

Got in a third day of the season at Mt Sunapee (Epic Pass) on Tue and we’re headed up tomorrow to Waterville Valley (Indy). Terrain is limited, and things get skied off by noon. But the morning is fun, and we’re getting our legs ready for better days.

Well, my pass is blacked out for the holidays, but that’s okay. So much snow, wind and road fuckery that they were closed, whole or in part, and getting there would have been an ordeal. I figure I’ll head up maybe tomorrow and see if I can dig the house out for access next week when I can actually ski. Could be pretty exciting as I suspect the driveway is deeper than the snowblower mouth. Might have to kinda tunnel around for a while. Gonna be a big job.

But I have resolved to mount bindings (got some NOS Look 77R’s) on the “New In Wrapper” Dynamic VR27’s that I found in a thrift a few years ago. Won’t be hitting any rocks with 12 feet of new snow! Man, I bet they are gonna be Sweet!

You have, um, esoteric taste in skis! Post pics of the snow! We still need some. Getting all the wind and not enough snow. At least it’s above zero today.

You don’t know the half of it!

This is how I imagine @Gatopescado:grinning:

That is so accurate, it is positively scary! But the pants are Navy/Black-ish.

I don’t know where you found that shot, but back in the day, around 3pm, camera crews would come out and set up just about where that shot was taken and film the Face Rats, then run the footage in the bar later. You very well may be able to find an actual picture of me. Green sweater, red gloves, blue jeans, Olin Mk VI.

There is one little snippet of me out there somewhere where I catch an edge, slam down into a trough of a mogul, pop back upright in a huge spray of snow, hit the bump in front of the camera and spread-eagle over the guy. Friend says he saw it on a local cable channel that would run junk like MTV did when they ran out of videos to play.

Had a nice day at Waterville today, got out of the house in Boston at 5:30, in line for first chair by 7:55. Skied for 5 hours, in uneven conditions, but mostly good snow. Much better than Tuesday at Sunapee. Not much terrain open, and rain due on Saturday.

I was gonna say, “Another unbelievable day”… at Heavenly. But you know? There are so many days like this. It’s pretty cromulant.

Warm, for the time of year, most excellent snow, little if no wait in line. Wore myself out good, I did. Waved to a special friend on the webcam every run. They messaged me they sar it. (Who reference)

I sense a little Apres :grin:

So over the holidays, I made it to Okemo, Crotched, and Attitash (all on my Epic pass). Conditions were generally just ok, with only about 25% of each resort open. All of them were blowing snow, but didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to open up new trails.

Then the New Year’s rain and warm temps arrived, so instead of skiing last weekend I went on a winter hike to the summit of a 4,000 footer in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Next week I’m supposed to go on a weeklong trip to Sugarloaf in Maine.

You are operating at “Scooby” level. Hell, I’m still apresing!

Head up for a day at Cannon tomorrow, and Pats on Sunday, our first back-to-back days. We’ve got to be able to do these for our Utah trip in Feb. We got more snow here in Boston than they did up north, but things are beginning to fill in.

I’ve taken to driving home in my ski boots. Taking them off in the lot when it’s -5 is freaking painful. Why after 50 years of plastic boots can we not make a boot that is reasonably warm, reasonably high performance, and EASY TO PUT ON AND TAKE OFF? Jeez. Bridger is an 8 minute drive from the house, and that is just enough to soften them up. Had to take a heat gun to them a couple years ago in Canada at -30, and I wasn’t alone.

I miss my SX93s!

Took advantage of the “heat wave” and XC skied the Central and North Loops at Black River State Forest.
(pdf) https://p.widencdn.net/93luvd/Hike-Bike-Ski-Snowshoe-on-the-Black-River-State-Forest---FR-562
Bonus, the indoor shelter at the Smrekar lot was open (and a fire was going) which made putting on / taking off ski boots a more pleasant experience.
Didn’t see any wildlife on the ski (heard some), but did see turkeys and deer on the drive.

Brian