Dave, are you at Beaver?
Beaver?
Dave, are you at Beaver?
Tom Owen
Owner - Browns Lane and Racelaminates.com
Sorry no. I'm at Osler Bluff.
Ahh the steeps of Osler. Just checking to see if I could bum a ticket!Originally Posted by JustDave
Tom Owen
Owner - Browns Lane and Racelaminates.com
As an active CSIA instructor all you need is a letter of introduction(?) from your ski school director. Present this to my ski school director and you get a freebie for yourself (you won't have to teach). The club is open this Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday to Thursday and open again Friday 21 to Sunday 23. After that it will week by week depending on the membership demand. Let me know if your interested.
Dave Coughlin
Last edited by JustDave; 03.14.14 at 4:07 PM.
Used to be that the hard-core people would climb up whatever slopes still had snow just to get a few more runs in, and the ski areas didn't mind at all. Unfortunately, it seems that insurance regulations have stopped that -Looks like we'll be skiing into April.
It will be one of those seasons when you curse at the closed lifts as you look at hills still covered in 5ft of snow.
Except at Tuckerman Ravine:
http://vimeo.com/88662670 A couple guys having some fun last week.
https://www.google.com/search?q=tuck...w=1852&bih=959
All sorts of pics of the place - skiing usually lasts well into June, but way back when (1969) we were skiing there in August!
I wouldn't even survive the climb up anymore!
Springtime in the Rockies
Springtime - we would take about 5 cars to a turnout at the bottom of Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mtn Natl Park, pile everyone into one and drive to the top of the Continental Divide ~11K ft, then ski the corn all the way back to the cars and repeat.
“Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty.” -Peter Egan
Did a whole week recently at Bohemia Mtn in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and it is hardcore, very nice after some 30+ inches in a few days, they are up to 290 inches this season. If you like steep trees lines, lots of trees, great gravity traverse lines... was able to pull some 10+ minute runs and the view of Superior is unforgettable. Gotta stay sharp there or can get in trouble quick, not for intermediates, unless you stick to the one blue run out of 94 "runs".
Bohemia looks like a great place. Too bad it is such a long drive from here! Love the "No Beginners Allowed" sign!
Will have to check it out next yearsometime, AFTER I get my legs back a bit more!
Richard, the drive is long but you can actually go through Green Bay and get there in a 7-8 hour tow, from Indy, once there you will not want to go back. I myself make the drive through Mackinac bridge and enjoy stopping at places like Escanaba and Manistique, the land up there is enchanting. Roads are kept up very nicely, the equipment for clearing snow up is probably the best I've seen.
As far as getting your legs ready, I understand but the fatigue factor is minimal compared to places like Loveland or wolfcreek, hopefully by the time you get up there, a third lift will be in place to service this huge ski area for Midwest standards.
Ps. If conditions get really bad the mountain stops lift service but many take a hike up the main face and it is free, if you opt to stay in Houghton, Michigan Tech campus has a great library with good stuff to browse.
Woke up Saturday in Collingwood with the temp just below the freezing mark and a dump (for us) of 25cm of fresh "Ontario Powder". A morning of skiing in toothpaste followed by an afternoon of dense clumpy "moguls". What a blast! Sunday, the temp dropped to -22 overnight and the snow dried up. It was like skiing on velvet. Unbelievable sunny weekend of skiing and this is the end of March. WOW! Did I say the ski club was empty. A lot of the members are in the been there, done that, gone south for the March break, lets do something different, mode.
Last edited by JustDave; 03.24.14 at 7:08 AM.
gods of Winter
Yes ! The gods of Winter have smiled on central Mn. Last Friday saw temps in the 40's (F) with water running off the slopes. Early Saturday morning the temps fell to single digits. The groomer turned out ball bearings of ice & made for very fast conditions. Sunday morning was even better with the groomer making "powder" on the ice. Monday morning has brought 1" of fresh, fluffy snow covering the corduroy. Temps in low 20's (F). This is about as good as it gets here. Looks like we may have five more good mornings ahead, IF the Spring rains are held at bay & we get good hard freezes each night. I know.... 1" of "powder".... This ain't the U.P., let alone out West. Still beats a snowmobile tow
"An analog man living in a digital world"
Ah, shut up! :)
Unfortunately, our little place here closed last weekend - for some weird reason there don't seem to be enough hard-core skiers around here to justify their staying open when the conditions get slushy. Absolutely heartbreaking looking at the webcams with all the trails still having plenty of coverage!
Agreed. The problem is the vast majority of skiers who show up show up when the conditions go 'South' are season pass holders. No new revenue. Same daily overhead. It would be nice if they could keep one lift operating for us diehards who'll ski on anything that remotely resembles snow
"An analog man living in a digital world"
ski area closings
Most of the ski areas in VT will close while still under full operation, all trails and lifts opened. It is a money thing, like stated, at the end of the season it is just season ticket holders who show up. Killington used to stay open till June if they could. Skied there on June 4 one year. But now even they close it down in May.
I still plan on a few more trips this "winter". As there is still some skiing left in these old legs I need to work out before summer.
Always remember "Life is a Mountain not a Beach", and "Lift with your back, save your kness for skiing".
Ed
Way back when in sking's dark ages, I remember that the good areas stayed open almost until there was no snow to ski on. We'd break out our "rock skis" (worn-out junkers) to handle the mud, grass, and occasional rocks. Having to take the skis off and walk down across some long rocky bare spots was pretty common!
Spring skiing was also a great time to start spreading out your face tan to the rest of your body!
This week Blue Mountain Resorts in Collingwood have 5 chairs still running. Probably trying to stay open 'till easter so they can offer the ski AM and golf PM package. After yesterdays blizzard one thinks they might make it.
Dave
Ski the morning. Golf the afternoon. That's a good day !
"An analog man living in a digital world"
Racing & Skiing
Just read an article in Ski Mag that Killington's new CFO wants to go back to the Killington open early and stay open to June model. So maybe I can ski in June again. Forget the golf, how about race at Lime Rock on Friday/Saturday and ski Killington on Sunday. Now that would be a weekend.
Sad, sad, sad....
My skis are now standing up in a corner, looking like a misbehaving school kid being given a "time out" by the teacher..........
Just loaded four pairs of skis in the car for the trip to Vail.
I'd say "Break a leg", but that only applies to actors!
Thanks for the thought. I am the luckiest guy in the world, or maybe the second luckiest to Kate Upton's boyfriend Justin Verlander
and out here in drought land we've actually had several days of rain since i last posted oh so long ago.
unfortunately it's all been way too little and too late.
we start water rationing the first of may.
easy to meet the rules, roughly 50gals/day.
been there, done that about 30 years ago.
in the meantime my heart goes out to those in washington who lost loved ones to too much rain in too little time.
ironic how the world works sometimes.
been feeling kinda left out. then i remembered we've had snow in santa cruz too...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/46681980@N03/7146937437/
Just got 7" of snow. One thing about Minnesota.... we get more than one "First day of Spring" ! kinda like 'Groundhog Day' all over again...
"An analog man living in a digital world"
April showers bring May flowers or.... a foot of snow !
"An analog man living in a digital world"
More snow
We had a dusting in central CT the other day. My friend invited me up for some Good Friday skiing in northern VT. I sadly had to pass on his offer. I skied Mt Snow in VT on 4/12, their next to last day of operations.
"I love the smell of race fuel in the morning. It smells like victory!"
Barry Wilcock
Pit Crew: Tumenas Motorsports/Houndspeed, Fat Boy Racing
Snowed here in Indy on Tax Day. Not a good omen!
It's all my fault. Purchased a new battery for the motorcycle on Monday so of course it had to snow on Tuesday. Plan B - skiing at Killington tomorrow, leave bike in garage. (we have Good Friday off - boss is nice that way).
Wow. Just finished working around the base of Blue Mountain Resorts Collingwood and they have spring skiing with mid-winter snow depth. +12, corn snow and sunny Saturday. Looking good for turns, beer and burgers on the deck.
Dave Coughlin
"Glade" skiing, anybody?
Someone asked earlier about glade skiing. Here a couple vidsI found of it taken to the extreme:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYvM6j56IBk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcV3UZrgnWw
This guy is not only damned good, he's certifiably crazy!
Oh, to be young again and have the legs (and wallet) for this!
Last edited by R. Pare; 04.18.14 at 5:45 PM.
Thankfully, YouTube was not available back on the day. I barely survived the stunts we came up with on our own
"An analog man living in a digital world"
reporting in from droughtville again...
water rationing starts thursday even though we did get some decent rains recently.
forecast was for 74f today. topped out a 84 and it's currently 79 at nearly 7:30pm.
forecast is for 90 tomorrow so i guess maybe that means 100.
oh well, they're saying we're in for an el nino winter starting in november.
maybe i should start building an ark tomorrow??
An Ark or a cistern
"An analog man living in a digital world"
if indeed we get an el nino winter like some i've seen in my 60+ years in living in this part of the world, then an ark may well be more useful, pardon the pun.An Ark or a cistern
cisterns get more than full in serious winters.
it's not unheard of for big rain storms to bring down big trees, sometimes redwoods, in the foothills in this area.
during an el nino winter about 30 years ago my neighbor and cop friend took me out on a bridge on the river near downtown. got pics.
bridge had been shaken apart by big trees getting crossways to the flow and pounding relentlessly.
mother nature can definitely get your attention.
The one constant is the ever changing weather...
"An analog man living in a digital world"
weatherman got it right today. called for it to be 90 and that's what it was.
83 at the present.
but in minneapolis...twins/dodgers game on the telly...lots of the players are wearing ski masks and other cold weather gear.
i doubt it's 83 there.
Closer to 33
"An analog man living in a digital world"
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