This weekend

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Trying to decide. It'll definitely be Vermont, and with the snow what it was this week it'll definitely be northern Vermont. I was just at Jay last weekend, so as good as it looks I'm thinking perhaps Sugarbush on Saturday and Smuggs on Sunday.

Anyone else? Anyone?

Bueller?
 
I'll be in southern/central VT. Mt Sneaux saturday and Kmart on Sunday.

I will have a small posse of mostly chick skiers with me, none of whom are ski-bunnies.
 
I'm pretty sure I 'm hitting the Sherburne tomorrow(friday12/17). But I'm leaning on bringing my Swissbob sled as I'll be with a non skier.
My legs are finally feeling semi normal from my first day out this past sunday. It's time to suck up the pain and get out while the getting is good.
((*
*))NHPH
 
Hmmmm...decisions, decisions...

Jay's got the most snow, and the most open terrain (90%), but I was just there last weekend and I'm not yet convinced I want to hit it up 2 weekends in a row. Ordinarily that wouldn't be a problem, but after 8 years patrolling there, at times it feels a bit too familiar.

Sugarbush is about the right spot on the drive time/snow quality continuum for an early Saturday a.m. departure, but they're quite a bit lower on the open terrain percentage stat (although they did shoot up to 70% this week). There's always MRG next door, and I know that some folks will be there tomorrow, but as their first Saturday the MRG devotees will be out in droves. Plus, the place will beat me into a pulp this early in the season. Stowe would be good, but it's the only VT resort that doesn't accept my pass.

I could always drive up tonight, to go a bit further north for skiing, but that means two hotel nights instead of one. Burlington would be my home base, for lodging is cheap -- key for a snow scribe in this Christmas shopping season. That would give me the flexibility of Smuggs for Saturday or Sunday, as Smuggs is a bit far for leaving home on Saturday morning. I'm not a fan of skiing all day alone, and I do know that at least vtRat will be there part of each day this weekend.

Bolton? A bit too small to be driving that far.

Oh, what to do, what to do?


Here's this morning's Vermont snow report:

Ascutney Mountain - Thu 11:00p packed powder machine groomed 12 - 16 base 1 trail 2% open, 1 lifts Dec 18: 3-5 trails,

Bear Creek - Plan to Open 12/26

Bolton Valley - Thu 9:27p powder machine groomed 29 - 32 base 26 trails, 45% open, 4 lifts

Bromley Mountain - Thu 8:58a packed powder machine groomed 8 - 16 base 4 trails, 10% open, 1 lifts

Burke Mountain - Plan to Open 12/17; w/ 3 lifts, 7 trails

Haystack - Plan to Open 12/25 --

Jay Peak - Thu 5:12p packed powder machine groomed 18 - 40 base 70 trails, 90% open, 7 lifts

Killington - Fri 5:24a packed powder machine groomed 22 - 48 base 110 trails, 50 miles, 55% open, 13 lifts

Mad River Glen - Thu 4:30p packed powder machine groomed 8 - 15 base 32 trails, 71% open, 2 lifts

Magic Mountain - Plan to Open 12/18

Middlebury College Snow Bowl - Plan to Open 12/17

Mt Snow Haystack - Fri 5:50a packed powder machine groomed 18 - 30 base 38 trails, 17 miles, 250 acres, 37% open, 6 lifts

Okemo Mountain - Thu 2:10p packed powder machine groomed 16 - 30 base 57 trails, 15 miles, 286 acres, 50% open, 11 lifts Dec 18-19: Trails: 60, Lifts: 12,

Pico - Thu 4:00p packed powder machine groomed 16 - 24 base 14 trails, 28% open, 3 lifts

Quechee Lakes - Plan to Open 12/22

Smugglers' Notch - Thu 4:10p packed powder machine groomed 14 - 32 base 41 trails, 163 acres, 53% open, 4 lifts

Stowe - Thu 7:18a packed powder machine groomed 24 - 34 base 42 trails, 30 miles, 88% open, 5 lifts

Stratton Mountain - Thu 9:30a packed powder machine groomed 12 - 22 base 26 trails, 12 miles, 146 acres, 27% open, 4 lifts

Sugarbush - Fri 5:30a packed powder machine groomed 6 - 24 base 79 trails, 39 miles, 324 acres, 70% open, 6 lifts

Suicide Six - Thu 3:53p packed powder machine groomed 6 - 8 base 2 trails, 9% open, 2 lifts
 
Marc, you poor thing. Too many choices:roll:

When faced with so many options, if I were you, I would go to the place where the people whom you most want to spend time with will be. Ultimately its the people who make a ski day fun, though certainly good snow helps too.

I often choose to go to a place (like Gore or WF) because it is where my dearest friends are skiing. Often, it doesn't matter where I am, it's who I'm with.
 
Sharon":300omgex said:
Marc, you poor thing. Too many choices :roll:

When faced with so many options, if I were you, I would go to the place where the people whom you most want to spend time with will be. Ultimately its the people who make a ski day fun, though certainly good snow helps too.

I often choose to go to a place (like Gore or WF) because it is where my dearest friends are skiing. Often, it doesn't matter where I am, it's who I'm with.
Click to expand...

Well, it's a combination that I'm trying to find: the most snow, with a few friends. I'm ditching the idea southern or central VT because of thinner snow pack and thicker crowds. I'm just trying to find the right hookup somewhere in N VT.
 
Well, if all else fails, Kton on sunday may not be a bad option. 23 lifts and over 110 trails, plus, there will be 3-4 wearers of the plaid there (Paul T, Henry, Jonathan Shefftz as well as Pam, Kelly, Bubba and myself).

Did you read Rick's report http://basinski.com/

With more terrain and lifts open, the crowds should spread out some, and on sunday it is not so bad since many are nursing hangovers and such. We plan to start early. If Bear Mtn opens, we'll start from there. They are making snow there now, so it is a possibility.
 
Sharon":18l2au8o said:
Well, if all else fails, Kton on sunday may not be a bad option.
Click to expand...

Thanks, it would be good to ski with you, but nah. Killington
would be a little too far left on the
"short drive <--> deep snow/small crowd" continuum
for me this weekend.
 
NHpowderhound":3b8p32zx said:
I'm pretty sure I 'm hitting the Sherburne tomorrow(friday12/17). But I'm leaning on bringing my Swissbob sled as I'll be with a non skier.
My legs are finally feeling semi normal from my first day out this past sunday. It's time to suck up the pain and get out while the getting is good.
((*
*))NHPH
Click to expand...

You must check out some of the yummy pics found as follows:

http://www.chauvinguides.com/PhotoArchi ... rchive.cfm

and

http://www.tuckerman.org/photos/tucks/
 
I'm slowly coming around to the idea of Jay tomorrow, Smuggs Sunday. I know that gincognito was planning on Jay tomorrow, and his pix from Wednesday sure look sweet! Anyone else?
 
Cool. I know what to look for now, so hopefully I'll see you there. I expect we'll be in the tramhaus sometime between 8:30 and 9:00. After that...wherever the snow takes us!
 
decisions, decisions. looks like i may burn a free pass to SR tomorrow, stay over in gorham then hit cannon sunday. leave cannon around 2pm and bag my first turns at the crotch in the evening. seems like a full weekend to me!
 
Dang it! Here I sit in Pep Boys' service department as my left front brake caliper started sticking en route home from work. :cry: Actually, I got here at 4:45 but they just brought the car in. Of course, on that car the caliper is a special order item unless I get it from the dealer...which is closed until Monday. :cry: :cry: Hopefully I'll still reach the Promised Land tonight! I'm hopeful that flushing the caliper will work.
 
FWIW, Stowe has been very nice the past two days. The groomers are firm and carvable, and the natural snow trails (nosedive, chinclip, etc) are still very soft from the snow earlier this week. None of the trails are terribly bumped up either, yet.
 
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