Bretton Woods, NH - May 7, 2004

M

Max

New member
Ever since the meeting of my knee with a Mont Sainte-Anne rock on April 21, I was hoping I could get back into shape fast enough to conclude my season on a better note. <BR> <BR>Last week, my knee had recovered enough for me to think of getting a few lift-served turns on an easy slope. Not many options were available: Bretton Woods would be the way. <BR> <BR>Along with a friend, we arrived in the parking lot at 9:30. We were glad we hadn't expected much... All we saw was bare ground, with a few large patches of snow. At first, it was quite difficult for our eyes to see a connection amongst the patches, but looking carefully, we realized that they did, in fact constitute a run. <BR> <BR>Of course, as the website said and ticket-lady told us, some walking would be required. Upon our observations while going up, we saw that only one middle section and the very top had breaks, and while skiing, we discovered that we could "grass ski" our way over them. <BR> <BR>So it was pretty much up and down all day, with the sun making a real damage to the trail. The breaks became larger, and the narrow connector to the loading area disappeared, forcing us to walk from the trail to the lift. Other breaks appeared in the middle section. <BR> <BR>Soon enough, we started wondering if that would be their last day of operation. We were told that they would open one more day, mostly to get the passholders happy... Saturday was certainly not really worth it anymore. <BR> <BR>Anyway, the most interesting part of the day was certainly at the end... No snow had been put back on the loading area during the whole day, leaving much of the wood structure exposed... <BR> <BR>After I sat down on the chair, the tip of my ski got pushed towards the plank of wood at the end of the loading area... <BR> <BR>But due to the lack of snow the tip did not go over the plank... <BR> <BR>And I couldn't lift my ski... <BR> <BR>Nor could I slide it on the side... <BR> <BR>So as the chair went forward, the pressure built... <BR> <BR>So my ski bent... <BR> <BR>And bent... <BR> <BR>And broke. <BR> <BR>Then the chair went forward again... <BR> <BR>Getting to my pole, which I was trying to use to help me lift my foot... <BR> <BR>Thus breaking the pole too... <BR> <BR>And then the chair stopped. <BR> <BR>Sounds like fun? <BR> <BR>Not really, but the resort certainly did its best to ease the pain. I was quickly brought to guest service, whose manager promptly appologized and offered to replace or reimburse my equipment. <BR> <BR>Having had to deal with resorts' client services quite a bit in the past, I must say that though it was clearly the worst problem I had encountered, it was certainly the best response and attitude I had ever experienced... <BR> <BR>But now, how can I end the season on a good note?
 
Max wrote: <BR><BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1><B>Quote:</B></FONT><P>Soon enough, we started wondering if that would be their last day of operation. We were told that they would open one more day, mostly to get the passholders happy... Saturday was certainly not really worth it anymore.<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE> <BR>Max, you may find the answer to why they held on here: <BR><A HREF="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/news/stories/108419749343609.shtm" TARGET="_blank">http://www.FirstTracksOnline.com/news/stories/108419749343609.shtm</A>
 
Geeezzz, that what I call (another) stupid way to end a season. (The another stupid way was driving to go skiing only to get someone to hit your car from behind will you're waiting for the light to change. In fact, I managed to come back for one last day at Ste.Anne on their last Saturday of the season, May 1st). <BR> <BR>Sorry to heard what happened to your ski and pool. <BR>At least the ski area was offering to replace or reimburse the damages AND that it's only your ski that broke and not your knee. <BR> <BR>Look on the bring side, your skis were probably finished after the number of ski days you had this year (unless you have any different pairs).
 
ISHHHHH Max... poor you, you're not lucky in this season's end. <BR> <BR>At least it was a great attitude from the resort. <BR> <BR>Sad that the hiking will be something like impossible for you in the next weeks, as Mt Édouard would be a terrific way to end a season. <BR> <BR>So welcome in the club of those who broke a ski in 2 this year on the slopes !
 
Max, you give a whole new meaning to the word "Extreme sports", may I humbly suggest signing off for this season ? like we say in french: "jamais deux sans trois"
 
Wôôôw Boomer (and welcome on FTO) (we should think to merge FTO and ZK next year LOL) <BR> <BR>I wonder if there is still something skiable on the Dynamique at Sutton for Max. With the high temperatures of the recent days, I guess there is about only Killington, St-Sauveur and La Réserve that worth some turns actually, except going up north in the province here.
 
Hi Frank, is this winter ever going to be over for you ? <BR> <BR>I must say I'm a little envious of you, I wish I had the guts to drive 4 hours and then hike up a hill to ski it ! maybe one day... <BR> <BR>enjoy yourself !
 
I think that winter is never over in my head (don't tell this to my girlfriend please !) <BR> <BR>I'm "sure" to ski up to june this year too, with the huge snow remaining in the snowpark of Mt Avila (even though it will just be 150' long or so in june, I don't care). After that, we'll see... now that our technica of grass skiing is quite fair, may be we'll just buy some older rock skis and enjoy the fresh wet grass <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":)"> <BR> <BR>For the 4h drive to go hiking up a hill, I must say that it needs some other factors. We had a great opportunity last weekend, so we drove up to there. (it's more 5h or so for Mt Édouard btw)
 
Thanks for the notification Marc... I should have figured out that there was some "bragging motivation" behind their opening on Saturday! <BR> <BR>Luckily the skis were not my only pair... But they were the ones I rarely used, so they were pretty much brand new even at season-end. <BR> <BR>And Frank, FYI, the Dynamique would still have been 75% skiable on Saturday, with a few breaks I'm sure you wouldn't have mind taking your skis off... Still quite a bit natural snow on the Northern part of Round top down to a bit lower than Spruce Lake, also (But nothing skiable over there). <BR> <BR>Boomer, I guess I'll follow your advice and close my season... Until Summer maybe; I'll see how my project to go to NZ comes along. <BR> <BR>So my stats for this first end of season are: <BR> <BR>123 days of skiing, from November 9 to May 7, my longest season ever, breaking my 83 days record from last year. <BR> <BR>Every ski day cost me an average of $1,50 (that's Canadian $) in lift ticket, slightly up from last year ($1,46). <BR> <BR>Breakdown by resort is: <BR>1 Saint-Sauveur <BR>1 Bromont <BR>1 Bretton Woods* <BR>1 Stoneham* <BR>1 Owl's Head <BR>2 Mont Sainte-Anne <BR>2 Tremblant* <BR>5 Saint-Bruno* <BR>109 Sutton (2 of which hiked) <BR>[* = first visit] <BR> <BR>My lifetime total now reaches 1009 days, or 13% of all days since my birth (or almost one ski day every week). <BR> <BR>Worse day of "skiing": April 19, Mont Sainte-Anne, the resort had closed the mountain based on forecasts. The day turned out to be 20 celcius, with a bit of sun. <BR> <BR>Best day of skiing: December 15, Sutton, the day after the 80 cm storm, with the opening of Chair IV. <BR> <BR>Best thing about this season: the snow, the sun, the mountains, the town, the ski, the friends. <BR> <BR>Worse thing about this season: Not being able to live it again!
 
My brother skied at Mt St-sauveur on saturday May 8th, and the skiing was top to bottom with no walking. He sent me alot of pictures, but unfortunatly they are in a yahoo photo album, that I can't seem to share with other poeple. Anyway my brother said that the snow was quite firm because it was cold early on saturday morning. The trail was very narrow in spots, but I guess that it's better than walking.
 
Yeah, I imagine that it was quite narrow at some places, cause it wasn't looking good on the 3rd of may... so I imagine the following weekend ! <BR> <BR>Anyway, that was surely a lot of fun !
 
Max, <BR>You skied 123 days this year? <BR>That's incredible! how do you find the time: let me in on your secret! <BR> <BR>Aren't you bored of skiiing sutton after 109 days in a season? I've never been there, but i can't really imagine skiing one hill that much, that often..
 
Sutton is enough special for that. <BR> <BR>But I admit that the total ski days at Sutton of Max is pretty scaring me. I couldn't ski a thousand times a ski area in a life, so I guess certainly not in 20 years... <BR> <BR>Sutton has so much off-pistes and glades... and when you teach there, it's easier to accumulate the ski days I guess ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top