Killington, VT 10/24/99

[Gil]

<I>(Note from the Administrator: This report was originally posted on 10/24/99. Due to our move to new servers, the date and time attributed to this post is incorrect.)</I> <BR> <BR>The winter season has begun!!!!! <BR> <BR>It's been 104 days since I last went snowboarding and today was the beginning of a new season. Killington has been waiting for the cold weather to hit and it finally happen. Last year they managed to open on the 4th but this year Mother Nature wasn't too helpful, I figure it's my fault. I had novel training sechuled for two of the weeks during Oct and weather always looked good (for snow) for those times. But the training got cancelled and the weather turned warm (I was free to go boarding then). Well, Killington made snow the begining of last week figuring that they would open but once again the weather turned warn. <BR>Once again, I had training planned for this upcoming Monday/Tuesday and the weather turned cold again. Well they planned to try to open on Sunday (today) but Saturday was looking bad so they changed the plans to Monday. I have training for that ruled out going on Monday. Well, I figured, wont get another chance to g until next weekend if I did try for today. <BR>So I made plans to go and earn my turns (hike). So a call to them this morning reported that they wont be open but good news, THEY GOT A FOOT of NATURL SNOW Saturday night!!!!!!! This day is turning out better than planned.. <BR> <BR>So I got to the parking lot around 11am, and started the hikeà Hiked up with another boarder and made it to the bottom of Rime trail around 11:40. There were some other backpacks there from some others that also had the same idea (can hear some above but can't see them as we where in the clouds). Some Other boarders soon appeared from down below joined the nuts that couldn't say noà <BR>So the hike continues to the top of Rime (About another 20 -30 mins). After a short break at the top, I was off to make my first turns of the season.. Time to teach the legs to turn J After some oppses I got the rithome going and the bottom of the trail came way to quick (5-10 mins).. The snow was a little on the heavy/wet side but you can't complain about a foot of natural on top of a half a foot of man made stuff. Well the crowd has been growing and by this time I would say we were up to 30 people (mostly boarders). <BR> <BR>Other hike up and this time I figured I would try East Glade trail (next trail over, no man made, all natural). <BR>Not many had been over there so it was time to made new tracks in the snow (I think there were three other tracks). The snow was getting heavier by now and the ruts going across the bottom half the trail was making it very challenging. So it was off to the top again (2pm by now) and other time down Rime. The legs were getting tired now so I called it quits for the day (most others had to). So it was down East Fall (about 6-9 inches of snow). Very ruff and brushy and only made it down third of a way before I took my board off. Hiked down from there and made it to my truck by three. <BR> <BR>I had a great time. <BR>Take Monday off!!!!!!! we did a good job of tracked up the snow so don't plan on finding a foot of naturl snow on monday :-(