Yeah, the Epic pass has an exception process for getting a refund, for very limited situations, such as a major health issue (broken leg, surgery, debilitating illness, etc.), losing your job, and a couple other issues. I think they will prorate the refund based on any usage, but before the season starts I think it’s a full refund for the specified conditions.
@Gatopescado if you get a refund on your pass, Heavenly may also revoke your privileged parking spot.
They can’t take it if they don’t know where it is! 
I didn’t wanna post… but…
I tore the fuck out of my right leg Christmas Eve. Pulled the Achillies tendon and calf muscle and ankle swelled up like a cantaloupe.
Got back on the planks a few days ago, and …
Holy Shit! Weak thighs, injured shit, swollen stuff. I ain’t done nothing like this in … ever. At least I get good parking. They say No Pain, No Gain. Well, I’m gaining butt-loads.
Last season was a Watershed. Hope this one isn’t one too. Parking is good… so there is that.
This is the second year for my kids to snowboard. We came up from Taiwan, where snow only falls on the tops of the tallest mountains every few years, to Hokkaido, land of Japaw.
Last year, they only went three times and I went skiing twice. They really loved it and we decided to get a season pass at Rusutsu for them. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to ski that much or not, so I went with their 25 hours pass (plus 5, so 30 hours total).
After a couple of decades of not skiing, it took a few times to get back into form.
This year, my daughter has gone seven times and my son 12ish? I’ve burned up most of my 30-hour pass. Next year, I’ll get a season pass but I can top up this one as well.
Son just learned how to do a 180. My daughter can beat me down the hill.
My son is off with his friend today and my daughter may go with her friend tomorrow.
It’s wonderful having this nice of snow within an hour our of place.
Well, that sucks! Get better. I smacked my injured knee Tuesday getting out of the tractor and it blew up like a melon, too. Just getting back on the PT train.
A couple of friends were at Snowbird for the 8’ of snow last week, which sounds great, but they were trapped in interlodge most of the time. So, not great.
2 other friends headed to BC yesterday for a last minute 50% off heli trip–which should be awesome.
Last minute trip up to Jay Peak VT this weekend to take advantage of the snow all week. Temps were frigid and we knew there would be wind holds up high, but we have all the right gear and were prepared. What we weren’t prepared for was a power outage at 11:00 AM on Saturday that shut down all the lifts for the rest of the day. We had gotten three great tree runs in so far, so we were a bit bummed that we couldn’t keep the day going. Fortunately, Jay gave everyone a voucher for another day (and for those of us on Indy they canceled the redemption for the day).
Went back on Sunday and the Flyer and Tram were still on wind hold but we lapped Jet and one frigid run on the Bonnie and the trees still delivered. We were toast by 1:30 and had a long drive home so we called it a weekend.
My wife getting the goods
The Jay Cloud in action
Fresh powder could still be found
My buddy in BC reports good conditions, but some people in the group aren’t prepared. They started yesterday in one of my favorite zones–steep trees that are the go-to storm skiing area. 3 members of his group couldn’t deal and had to go in at lunch. All these backcountry operators like to market themselves to “strong intermediate skiers.” The reality is that you are likely to have challenging conditions some of the time, and most intermediate skiers fight their skis and wear themselves out. If you have never let the skis do the work (which is admittedly hard at the average ski area), you are going to struggle.
Got back in the moguls yesterday. Legs a still pretty feeble, but you gotta do what you gotta do!
Interesting article on backcountry touring in the age of global warming.
And in counterpoint.
4 people got banned for Life from Heavenly the other day. Caused an avalanche in the then-closed Mott Canyon. From the limited info I have, they were buried and it took quite a rescue effort. Very fortunate to be alive I was told.
Another Shit Day!
Parked about 20 feet from the Tram, a blustery 38 degrees with a savage wind of ZERO from all directions, blistering sunshine in my eyes, massive crowds of 1 and 2 people in the lift line! Only a couple inches of fresh snow.
What a bunch of SUCK!
I dunno, at 38 degrees the snow might get a little manky in the sun…
Heli ski Helicopter Crash in Terrace, BC, with 3 fatalities and 4 critically injured. I spent most of a week flying in that machine–a Koala, so not too common. Most of a week because we were flying out towards the end of the week and the was a loud BANG and half the skid came loose from the ship. A very quick turn around and the pilot had to hover at the pad for half an hour while they cribbed up under the ship with tires and firewood. Unrelated I’m sure but kinda sketchy. Turns out backcountry sports have risks.
No skiing this weekend, in COVID recovery mode. But last weekend we hit three different ski areas for three very different experiences. On the way out to my sister’s ski house at Gore we stopped for a half dozen runs at West, a small Indy Pass mountain north of Albany, NY. Soft, spring like conditions that was tough on my knee, but enjoyable. Saturday was a bluebird day at Gore, crowded but they handle the crowds well. Only a lift line near the base - we skied elsewhere on the mountain all day. Firm and fast, very edgeable, ungroomed wasn’t much fun but we cruised all day.
Bluebird day at Gore
Sunday we stopped at the Hickory Ski Center, a tiny, old school hill with 3 surface lifts, no snowmaking and no grooming. They haven’t operated in several years, this was the first time they’ve been able to open thanks to funding from Indy Pass and Unofficial Networks. I’m pretty sure we were the only people on the hill most of the time we were there. Poma 1 was a hoot, launching you in the air multiple times and keeping you on your toes the whole trip up. Conditions were rock hard and many obstacles to deal with, but classic old school New England skiing.
Looking down at the lodge
At the top of the Poma
Getting launched by the Poma
Some sections were a little thwacky
A Poma? Do they pay you to ski there? 
Old school, baby. The experience of coming up to the lift, leaning against the post, the liftie (75+ year old guy who walks with ski poles) grabs one pole from the pile, puts it in position and pulls the cord to grab the cable, and says “There you go!”, followed by a launch into the air. You can’t get that experience on a HSQ.
Thank Goodness!
My “Most Interesting” ride up a mountain was when I got to ski the Glacier at Chalcaltaya way back in the day. You had a rope with a wooden handle on one end and a hook-like chunk of metal on the other. You had to hook a cable that was run via pullies up the mountain from an old car chassis wrapped around the wheel. When you got to the top, you would yank yourself forward to relieve the tension, and let the hook fall free. Wrap the rope around your waist for the trip to the bottom.
Oh, and on the way up the very steep sheet of ice, you had to dodge rocks and crevaces. Good times!
When I first started skiing at Nashoba Valley MA (240’ vertical drop) all they had were rope tows. A few of them were manila ropes looped over the rear axels of old pick up trucks. When the ropes stopped, someone had to jump in the cab, drop the clutch, and get it moving again. They got rid of those pretty soon after, got a t-bar, and became a resort. 
I learned to ski with the Reno Junior Ski Program at Sky Tavern, about halfway up Mt Rose Highway. All the “lifts” there were poma. Sometimes the snow was so deep they had to carve a chute about 6 feet wide, and there’d always be some kid falling off at the steep spot and jamming-up the works. I think Northstar still employs a poma to get people up a small nearly flat slope leading from the main area over to the Lookout Mountain area. I haven’t seen a rope tow in ages - since Sky Tavern!
At Black Mountain of Maine they’re doing a Last Skier Standing race. You skin up and ski down every hour. You need to be at the start line to head up at the top of the hour or you’re out.
They’ve been going 70 hours/laps; 3 remain.
We plan on skiing there next weekend.