Shawnee no-show!

[Jay Pique]

I went down and skied Shawnee Mountain in the Poconos this weekend.
100% man-made snow, but it was actually pretty decent - not crowded at
all either. And I'd like to point out that no one had the cajones to
call me names to my face. I rule.

JP
************************************
King of the (well...that) hill.

[john]

"Jay Pique" > wrote in message
...
>I went down and skied Shawnee Mountain in the Poconos this weekend.
> 100% man-made snow, but it was actually pretty decent - not crowded at
> all either. And I'd like to point out that no one had the cajones to
> call me names to my face. I rule.
>
Do they normally? I once fell 15 times getting down a short blue trail, and
no one called me a name; so I have to wonder what you might be doing!

[Walt]

Jay Pique wrote:
> I went down and skied Shawnee Mountain in the Poconos this weekend.
> 100% man-made snow, but it was actually pretty decent - not crowded at
> all either. And I'd like to point out that no one had the cajones to
> call me names to my face. I rule.
>

I'll be skiing the poke-your-nose over XMas, as I have done every year
for the last decade or so. If you've got any cojones left over from the
Shawnee trip, I'm all ears.

Thank you, drive through.

//Walt

[JQ]

"Walt" > wrote in message
...
> Jay Pique wrote:
>> I went down and skied Shawnee Mountain in the Poconos this weekend.
>> 100% man-made snow, but it was actually pretty decent - not crowded at
>> all either. And I'd like to point out that no one had the cajones to
>> call me names to my face. I rule.
>>
>
> I'll be skiing the poke-your-nose over XMas, as I have done every year for
> the last decade or so. If you've got any cojones left over from the
> Shawnee trip, I'm all ears.
>
> Thank you, drive through.

>
> //Walt

Hey Walt,
Which mountain will you be skiing while in the Poconos?
JQ
Dancing on the edge

[Walt]

JQ wrote:

> Hey Walt,
> Which mountain will you be skiing while in the Poconos?

Probably Jack Frost. The terrain is not much to write home about, but
it has the best snow of the ones I've been to*.


*Blue, Spring, Camelback, Big Boulder, Bear Creek.

//Walt

[JQ]

"Walt" > wrote in message
...
> JQ wrote:
>
>> Hey Walt,
>> Which mountain will you be skiing while in the Poconos?
>
> Probably Jack Frost. The terrain is not much to write home about, but it
> has the best snow of the ones I've been to*.
>
>
> *Blue, Spring, Camelback, Big Boulder, Bear Creek.
>
> //Walt

Have you tried Elk Mountain? If you like to ski bumps they generally have
at least 3 different bump runs. It is further north and has the best
terrain of the Pocono ski areas. The snow conditions there are generally
better than most of the other areas, but I do agree with you Jack Frost
generally has better snow than the other resorts south of it.

JQ
Dancing on the edge

[Yabahoobs]

On Dec 15, 5:26*pm, "JQ" > wrote:
> "Walt" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > JQ wrote:
>
> >> Hey Walt,
> >> Which mountain will you be skiing while in the Poconos?
>
> > Probably Jack Frost. *The terrain is not much to write home about, *but it
> > has the best snow of the ones I've been to*.
>
> > *Blue, Spring, Camelback, Big Boulder, Bear Creek.
>
> > //Walt
>
> Have you tried Elk Mountain? *If you like to ski bumps they generally have
> at least 3 different bump runs. *It is further north and has the best
> terrain of the Pocono ski areas. *The snow conditions there are generally
> better than most of the other areas, but I do agree with you Jack Frost
> generally has better snow than the other resorts south of it.
>
> JQ
> Dancing on the edge

Elk was always my favorite when I lived in Joisey. It was definitely
worth the added drive.

[Walt]

JQ wrote:
>
> Have you tried Elk Mountain? If you like to ski bumps they generally have
> at least 3 different bump runs. It is further north and has the best
> terrain of the Pocono ski areas. The snow conditions there are generally
> better than most of the other areas, but I do agree with you Jack Frost
> generally has better snow than the other resorts south of it.

No, I haven't been to Elk yet - I day trip out of Wilmington over Xmas
and the 3 hour haul to Elk is somewhat of a disincentive vs. the < 2 hr
trip to JF. And since I try to get friends/family to join me the shorter
trip to the easier skiing is an easier sell.

I went to Camelback last year, and even though it's at about the same
latitude as JF the conditions were night and day different - Camelback
was almost entirely boilerplate with death cookies on top; the
conditions were so bad I quit after only five hours. JF the next day
had quite that nicly groomed soft-but-firm surface.

//Walt

[VtSkier]

Walt wrote:
> JQ wrote:
>>
>> Have you tried Elk Mountain? If you like to ski bumps they generally
>> have at least 3 different bump runs. It is further north and has the
>> best terrain of the Pocono ski areas. The snow conditions there are
>> generally better than most of the other areas, but I do agree with you
>> Jack Frost generally has better snow than the other resorts south of it.
>
> No, I haven't been to Elk yet - I day trip out of Wilmington over Xmas
> and the 3 hour haul to Elk is somewhat of a disincentive vs. the < 2 hr
> trip to JF. And since I try to get friends/family to join me the shorter
> trip to the easier skiing is an easier sell.
>
> I went to Camelback last year, and even though it's at about the same
> latitude as JF the conditions were night and day different - Camelback
> was almost entirely boilerplate with death cookies on top; the
> conditions were so bad I quit after only five hours. JF the next day
> had quite that nicly groomed soft-but-firm surface.
>
> //Walt

Soft but firm eh? Is that somewhat like
styrofoam? Really quite hard but very
edgeable? Common here with manmade.

[Walt]

VtSkier wrote:
> Walt wrote:

>> nicly groomed soft-but-firm surface.

> Really quite hard but very edgeable?

Exactly. The top inch or two gives a little, but below that it's rock
solid.

Like astroturf on asphalt. I love that stuff.

//Walt

[VtSkier]

Walt wrote:
> VtSkier wrote:
>> Walt wrote:
>
>>> nicly groomed soft-but-firm surface.
>
>> Really quite hard but very edgeable?
>
> Exactly. The top inch or two gives a little, but below that it's rock
> solid.
>
> Like astroturf on asphalt. I love that stuff.

Well, you'd like killington then.
>
> //Walt

[VtSkier]

Walt wrote:
> VtSkier wrote:
>> Walt wrote:
>
>>> nicly groomed soft-but-firm surface.
>
>> Really quite hard but very edgeable?
>
> Exactly. The top inch or two gives a little, but below that it's rock
> solid.
>
> Like astroturf on asphalt. I love that stuff.
>
> //Walt

I wrote a 'history' piece for K's 50th birthday
and in a couple of places tried to inject some
humor. Apparently the state of Vermont was 'named'
by a dude, standing on Killington's peak exclaiming
"Verde Mond" while breaking a bottle of booze
(serious waste). This got recorded at "Vermont",
which, according to a local history book, gets
translated from the French as "Mountain of Maggots".

This got left in my piece while my reference to
"styrofoam-like" man-made snow got cut by the
marketing department.

[lal_truckee]

VtSkier wrote:
> ...
> I wrote a 'history' piece for K's 50th birthday

POST?

[MoonMan]

VtSkier wrote:
> Walt wrote:
>> VtSkier wrote:
>>> Walt wrote:
>>
>>>> nicly groomed soft-but-firm surface.
>>
>>> Really quite hard but very edgeable?
>>
>> Exactly. The top inch or two gives a little, but below that it's
>> rock solid.
>>
>> Like astroturf on asphalt. I love that stuff.
>
> Well, you'd like killington then.

and Dendex

Chris *<:-)

[Walt]

VtSkier wrote:

>> Like astroturf on asphalt. I love that stuff.
>
> Well, you'd like killington then.

There's only one way to find out. What's your calendar look like the
last week of January?

//Walt

[VtSkier]

Walt wrote:
> VtSkier wrote:
>
>>> Like astroturf on asphalt. I love that stuff.
>>
>> Well, you'd like killington then.
>
> There's only one way to find out. What's your calendar look like the
> last week of January?
>
> //Walt

Pretty good actually. Email me off group
for contact particulars:
mistypndATvermontelDOTnet with
appropriate substitutions.

[VtSkier]

lal_truckee wrote:
> VtSkier wrote:
>> ...
>> I wrote a 'history' piece for K's 50th birthday
>
> POST?

<blush> well OK. This is the pure text
version with one 'correction' not done.
Actually it was a clarification. This
talks about Great Eastern and then says
(in the same paragraph) that you can go
(today) from top to Skyeship Base on
easier trails. This was read by others
to mean that Great Eastern still goes
from Peak to Skyeship base, which is does
not and so I modified the paragraph to
be clearer.

You might need to look at the Killington
trail map at www.killington.com to follow
along.

Killington
The Magical History Tour

1958-2008

Richard Walsh, Glenn Jacobi

Killington Mountain Ambassadors

To our Valued Guest: Thank you for visiting Killington during our 50th
birthday celebration! Big events are planned for you this season! If you
are here for the first time-welcome! If you are a returning guest:
Welcome back!

Snowshed:
In the early 1900's, Killington was the site for a logging industry. In
order to bring the logs down, elongated covered bridges were erected.
These 1/2 mile long "snow sheds" would become icy and dangerous, and the
logs would fly down the mountain. So they stopped building them, but the
name “Snowshed” remained and is the 3/4 mile easier, green circle slope.
The first lift was installed in 1961 and was the first area within a ski
area to be solely devoted to beginning skiers and teaching. This was a
novel idea at the time. Originally, the plan called for putting the
parking lot at the TOP of the slope, so skiers could start down the
slope without taking a lift. As we walk through the tunnel to Ramshead,
you may be interested to know Killington offers two other tunnels you
can ski through. You can find them on the trail “Home Stretch”. Tolls
for the tunnels are collected on the return uphill trip only! The
venerable wire ticket wicket (now replaced by the colored plastic
thingys we use) was invented at Killington to spare your clothing. An
old chicken coop was the first ticket booth in ’58.

Ramshead:
The yellow building houses our ski patrol. Also here is a full service
medical clinic, operated by Rutland Regional Health Services, so if
anybody catches a case of the sniffles or boo-boos while visiting, the
medical staff can get you back out on the slopes quickly. The 4 roofs on
top of Ramshead lodge are Killington’s version of Mount Rushmore. These
structures were built to represent the four peaks of Killington basin.
When the Ramshead lift was first built, in 1963, it went clear to the
top of the mountain, which can be seen riding the lift. It offered some
"exciting" skiing from the top and a long run out at the bottom. Later,
a new lift was installed with a top station lower down and a "family
skiing" designation. Ramshead is now the base for our children’s
programs, including daycare.

Snowdon:
We are now standing at the very first area to open, December 13, 1958.
There were only two Poma surface lifts open at that time. But soon, that
first season, two more Poma lifts were opened to the public: The Glades
Poma, since replaced by the Northridge Triple and a Poma on Highline
where the Ski Club building is now located. Poma surface lifts work
well, are reasonably priced and can help get a ski area going rather
quickly. If you are not familiar with its use, our lift operators can
help. In 1958 we opened with four lifts. In 2008, we now have over 20
lifts.

Killington:
In 1763, The Reverend Samuel Peters christened the State of Vermont from
the top of Killington Peak. Reverend Peters is credited with naming the
state "Verde-Mond" for Green Mountain as he smashed a bottle of booze on
the rocks. The name was recorded as “Vermont”, however, which translates
from French, meaning “Mount of Maggots!” The view from the Summit is
spectacular. On clear days you can see all six New England states, a
good portion of New York and the French part of Canada. In summer that
view is almost completely shades of... green. Killington is Vermont’s
second highest peak, the first is Mt. Mansfield. And the bedrock at
Killington Peak is 900 million years old, making the Green Mountains,
the 2nd oldest mountain range in the world. Number 1? The Adirondacks.
It has snowed at Killington peak even in July (1979.) The original name
of the town was Killington. Later on it became Sherburne, and was
officially changed back to Killington a few years ago. Driving down
Killington road from the mountain, if you look for the firehouse on the
right side of the road, it reads “Sherburne Fire Dept.”

Killington Ski Area was the dream and brainchild of Preston Leete Smith,
originally from Connecticut. The skiing bug bit him after joining the
New Haven and Waterbury Ski Clubs. "I had a terrible time skiing every
weekend because I didn't earn very much money. I used to drive 12 hours
in a snowstorm in an old convertible, wearing a moth-eaten raccoon coat
and eating peanut butter and crackers." is a quote from Smith. Tiring of
the long commute and becoming a better skier, he sought to find a way to
shorten his commute. He toyed with the idea of a ski lodge in Stowe, but
had the brilliant idea of building his very own ski area. With the help
of friends and encouragement from the State of Vermont, he raised the
money and built a ski area. And 50 years later, what a ski area it has
become! The original lift to the top of Killington was a double
chairlift installed in 1959. It was slow and miserable to ride on a cold
day, but it did go to the top. On REALLY cold days, the attendant gave
out blankets to cover up in the face of the cold wind. Speedier lifts,
an enclosed gondola and MUCH better clothing have made the blanket
routine a thing of the past.

Early on Killington was a leader in the industry. Snowmaking was
installed in 1963 making it possible to ski on artificial snow any time
until the real snow fell. This proved to be a boon for early and late
season and lean snow years. Pres Smith was the first to understand how
important snowmaking was, even in Vermont! Today, Killington uses
sophisticated and energy efficient snowmaking equipment to churn out
tons of “designer snow.” GLM instruction (Graduated Length Method)
where skiers started on short skis and worked their way up to
full-length skis was developed at Killington. It is still used in a
modified form to this day. Many parents boldly claim, “I learned how to
ski at Killington, and so did my kids!” During the 1966-1967 season,
Killington instituted a five day learn-to-ski package, which included
GLM equipment, lessons, lodging and meals! The total cost in 1966 for
this five-day package was $97. Just a little bit less than it costs now.
Killington was the first ski area to offer such a program! During the
same season, we also debuted the “try before you buy” idea, where guests
could try the slopes for the 1st hour to see if the conditions were
right for them, before purchasing a lift ticket.

The first Gondola was installed in 1968 and stretched from the present
Skye Ship Base three and a half miles to Killington Peak. It was a
lovely ski down the Great Eastern trail to Route 4 and a scenic ride up.
Guests used to unload in what is now the Peak Restaurant. The trip now,
from Killington Peak, down to Skye Peak Base, is over 4 miles long, on
easier green trails, with lots of scenery on the way. The only
Killington ski trail that is longer, is Juggernaut, which is about 10
miles long. And every Easter Sunday, a Sunrise Service is offered for
our guests at Killington Peak.

Skye Peak:
Skye Peak was the second stop on the original Gondola (the first was
Northbrook) and soon other lifts and various trails sprouted up along
the ridges and hills. The length and time spent on the gondola
contributed to the decision to stop the lift at Skye Peak when the old
lift was replaced in the early 1990's. Some consider Skye Peak to be the
"Heart" of Killington. Killington Peak and Bear Mountain have a couple
less difficult trails and the rest are mainly for advanced skiers. At
Skye Peak you have a bit of everything. Some is reasonably easy terrain,
there is lots of good mid-level trails and a few gnarly, challenging
runs available here.

Bear Mountain:
Richard: Bear was opened in 1979, December. I have a memory of skiing it
in 1978. There was no base lodge and the Bear Mountain chair was
running. Nobody had been there before us and my skiing partner of the
day suggested that we go over. No tracks. No people. Just a nice, steep
run in deep powder. A wonderful memory. Because the area is protected
from the wind and upper mountain clouds, and its challenging trails,
Bear Mountain is a magnet for high-level skiers. Many nationally
televised events are held here, and each spring we feature the “Bear
Mountain Mogul Challenge” where some of the best skiers compete. You may
remember champion skier Suzy Chaffee, aka Suzy Chapstick, one of several
Olympic-level athletes who have trained at Killington.

And Here We Are:
At Snowshed once again. We've made a complete circuit of the 5 mountains
of Killington. So, as we learned, we have five mountains at Killington,
and seven areas to ski or ride: Bear, Sunrise, Skye Peak, Killington,
Snowshed, Snowdon and Ramshead.

For a different experience, check out Pico Peak, which is a part of
Killington, but you can't ski there from here. You'll need to get into
your car and drive over. It's small, it's fun, it has great (but not a
lot) of trails. If this paper whetted your appetite for more information
about our resort, I would like to suggest reading the book, “Killington,
A Story of Mountains and Men” by Karen Lorenz, from which some of the
material for this article was borrowed.

The sixth mountain of Killington, which was alternatively called
Northeast Passage or Sunrise Mountain, originally went from the junction
of Route 4 and Route 100 to two peaks way to the south and east of Bear
Mountain. The lower portion of this lift has been removed and the base
lodge now houses Killington Snowmobile Tours. The upper portion remains
for the use of condo and home owners. There is a restaurant owned by one
of the condo developments that is easy to reach from the trail.

As you enjoy your visit, we would like to suggest that as you glide down
our beautiful mountains, take the time to stop to relax for moment,
smell the air, and listen to the wind as it rustles through the
snow-covered trees. Gaze at the scenery. What kind of wildlife may have
made those tracks running off the trail into the wood? How many guests
have gone down Bear Cub (used to be Falls Brook) without even knowing
there is a stream running along the trail? For 50 years, Killington has
been a leader in the industry, and with new trails cut, and faster lifts
installed this year, this will be one of our most exciting seasons! It
is the goal of the Ambassador Program for you, our valued guest, to
leave Killington with a sense of enjoyment and fulfillment, and the
desire to return again and again.

**************************************

The free “Meet the Mountains” tour was carefully designed by Ambassadors
to demonstrate how easy it is to navigate Killington. We invite everyone
to join us on this, our 50th birthday season and help us celebrate! We
wish to thank all the Ambassadors who contributed to this article, and
especially, Grizz, our Program Director, for his encouragement.
Richard & Glenn, December, 2008.

[Richard Henry]

On Dec 16, 9:46*am, VtSkier > wrote:
> lal_truckee wrote:
> > VtSkier wrote:
> >> ...
> >> I wrote a 'history' piece for K's 50th birthday
>

Nice write-up. Growing up far to the north in Vermont and New
Hampshire, I never made it to Killington. Too mny good areas along t
he way. I spent most of my development years at Jay Peak and Cannon
Mountain. The furthest south the family ski tours ever got was
Sugarbush.

In 1972, while attending a Navy school on Long Island, I attempted to
ski Killington one stormy weekend. After two traffic delays (the
second due to a head-on collision on a bridge west of Bridgewater
right in front of me), I gave up and drove north to my parents' house
in Barton.

[VtSkier]

Richard Henry wrote:
> On Dec 16, 9:46 am, VtSkier > wrote:
>> lal_truckee wrote:
>>> VtSkier wrote:
>>>> ...
>>>> I wrote a 'history' piece for K's 50th birthday
>
> Nice write-up. Growing up far to the north in Vermont and New
> Hampshire, I never made it to Killington. Too mny good areas along t
> he way. I spent most of my development years at Jay Peak and Cannon
> Mountain. The furthest south the family ski tours ever got was
> Sugarbush.

Thanks.

If you could 'grow up' at Jay and the 'bush why would you
go to Killington?

> In 1972, while attending a Navy school on Long Island, I attempted to
> ski Killington one stormy weekend. After two traffic delays (the
> second due to a head-on collision on a bridge west of Bridgewater
> right in front of me), I gave up and drove north to my parents' house
> in Barton.

Yeah, we sometimes have weather like that.

[VtSkier]

Richard Henry wrote:
> On Dec 16, 9:46 am, VtSkier > wrote:
>> lal_truckee wrote:
>>> VtSkier wrote:
>>>> ...
>>>> I wrote a 'history' piece for K's 50th birthday
>
> Nice write-up. Growing up far to the north in Vermont and New
> Hampshire, I never made it to Killington. Too mny good areas along t
> he way. I spent most of my development years at Jay Peak and Cannon
> Mountain. The furthest south the family ski tours ever got was
> Sugarbush.
>
> In 1972, while attending a Navy school on Long Island, I attempted to
> ski Killington one stormy weekend. After two traffic delays (the
> second due to a head-on collision on a bridge west of Bridgewater
> right in front of me), I gave up and drove north to my parents' house
> in Barton.

Thanks, I replied to this previously but
I have a question for you.

Aren't you now living in the California
desert? And if so, I was wondering how
you can stand it? Alternatively how long
did it take for you to become acclimated?

I drive through desert on my way from Reno
to South Lake Tahoe and while I don't mind
visiting, I don't think I'd like living
there at all.

[Richard Henry]

On Dec 16, 11:13*am, VtSkier > wrote:
> Richard Henry wrote:
> > On Dec 16, 9:46 am, VtSkier > wrote:
> >> lal_truckee wrote:
> >>> VtSkier wrote:
> >>>> ...
> >>>> I wrote a 'history' piece for K's 50th birthday
>
> > Nice write-up. *Growing up far to the north in Vermont and New
> > Hampshire, I never made it to Killington. *Too mny good areas along t
> > he way. *I spent most of my development years at Jay Peak and Cannon
> > Mountain. *The furthest south the family ski tours ever got was
> > Sugarbush.
>
> > In 1972, while attending a Navy school on Long Island, I attempted to
> > ski Killington one stormy weekend. *After two traffic delays (the
> > second due to a head-on collision on a bridge west of Bridgewater
> > right in front of me), I gave up and drove north to my parents' house
> > in Barton.
>
> Thanks, I replied to this previously but
> I have a question for you.
>
> Aren't you now living in the California
> desert? And if so, I was wondering how
> you can stand it? Alternatively how long
> did it take for you to become acclimated?
>
> I drive through desert on my way from Reno
> to South Lake Tahoe and while I don't mind
> visiting, I don't think I'd like living
> there at all.

After yesterday's rain, it is about 70F and breezy with scattered
clouds today. If I take the right route to the grocery store today, I
will see snow on two different mountain ridges (Palomar and
Cuyamaca). When I call my brother still living in Vermont, the
conversation usually works around to "**** your weather".

And "good" day skiing is about 2 hours away at Big Bear or Baldy and
weekend/longer at Mammoth/June (simplifed driving instructions from my
house to Mammoth - 6 hours north on 15 and 395, then turn left). For
a time when my sons were old enough to take along, but not yet
committed to year-round soccer (as a measure of which, they are
involved in 21 games between them over the next two weeks), we were
skiing every other week at Big Bear and a few week-long trips every
year to Mammoth and Lake Tahoe, more skiing than I ever did when I
lived in Vermont.

Last weekend my younger son drove up to Big Bear with a soccer/school
friend to pick up her snowboard from her parents' slopeside condo.
When he came back, he was moaning about how much he missed the skiing
days. I pointed out to him that if this year goes well in a soccer
sense for him, he won't get a free weekend until late March.

[The Real Bev]

Richard Henry wrote:

> Last weekend my younger son drove up to Big Bear with a soccer/school
> friend to pick up her snowboard from her parents' slopeside condo.
> When he came back, he was moaning about how much he missed the skiing
> days. I pointed out to him that if this year goes well in a soccer
> sense for him, he won't get a free weekend until late March.

Jeez, crazy people go there on weekends. The crowd is bad enough during
the week, unless there are serious "wind advisories". Summit webcam:
http://www.snowsummit.com/stream.php Of course they only have the main
runs open, but still...

I would encourage him (and you) to toss your obligations to the windS
and go during the week. I wish I'd taken way more mental health days
when I was working :-(


--
Cheers, Bev
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++
It's true that Smokey the Bear deserves praise for his
campaign against forest fires, but nobody ever mentions
the boy scouts he kills for their hats.

[lal_truckee]

VtSkier wrote:
>
> I drive through desert on my way from Reno
> to South Lake Tahoe and while I don't mind
> visiting, I don't think I'd like living
> there at all.

Desert? That area's the Eden of Nevada, bountiful and rich with tender
nature.

As Horace should have said: "Head South-East from Carson. That's were
they keep the Big Empty." (and the gold and silver.)

Actually everybody should load up with canvas water bags hanging on
their bumpers and head into the desert at least once in their lives.
Outrageous scenery - and you can really see the scenery: no silly
growing things to hide the earth's skeleton.

[The Real Bev]

lal_truckee wrote:

> VtSkier wrote:
>>
>> I drive through desert on my way from Reno
>> to South Lake Tahoe and while I don't mind
>> visiting, I don't think I'd like living
>> there at all.
>
> Desert? That area's the Eden of Nevada, bountiful and rich with tender
> nature.
>
> As Horace should have said: "Head South-East from Carson. That's were
> they keep the Big Empty." (and the gold and silver.)
>
> Actually everybody should load up with canvas water bags hanging on
> their bumpers and head into the desert at least once in their lives.

A motorcycle definitely makes it easier.

> Outrageous scenery - and you can really see the scenery: no silly
> growing things to hide the earth's skeleton.

I just watched part of a travelog (HD) by that guy who tells you more
about photographing stuff than about the stuff he's photographing. Art
Somebody? Baja California. Desert concentrated. Gotta record it
again, this time there was no sound and it was somehow set to jump ahead
every 5 seconds or so. Still incredibly beautiful.

I thought it would be cool to do the Baja 500 or 1000 before cars
dominated. It would still be cool to have done it.

VtSkier would probably think Death Valley was horrible :-(

There are no mountains back east, just medium and medium-large hills.
Having a snow or ice frosting makes no difference.

--
Cheers,
Bev
================================================== ==============
"Some people say that when it rains it means that God is crying,
probably because of something that you did." --Jack Handey

[Richard Henry]

On Dec 16, 1:29*pm, The Real Bev > wrote:
> Richard Henry wrote:
> > Last weekend my younger son drove up to Big Bear with a soccer/school
> > friend to pick up her snowboard from her parents' slopeside condo.
> > When he came back, he was moaning about how much he missed the skiing
> > days. *I pointed out to him that if this year goes well in a soccer
> > sense for him, he won't get a free weekend until late March.
>
> Jeez, crazy people go there on weekends. *The crowd is bad enough during
> the week, unless there are serious "wind advisories". *Summit webcam:http://www.snowsummit.com/stream.php*Of course they only have the main
> runs open, but still...
>
> I would encourage him (and you) to toss your obligations to the windS
> and go during the week. *I wish I'd taken way more mental health days
> when I was working :-(
>
> --
> Cheers, Bev
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++
> It's true that Smokey the Bear deserves praise for his
> campaign against forest fires, but nobody ever mentions
> the boy scouts he kills for their hats.

I've been known to call in sick on a Wednesday from the base of Snow
Summit.

The sunburn the next day is a give-away, however.

This year, things look better, anyway - I am currently un-employed,
errrr, re-retired.

[VtSkier]

The Real Bev wrote:
> lal_truckee wrote:
>
>> VtSkier wrote:
>>>
>>> I drive through desert on my way from Reno
>>> to South Lake Tahoe and while I don't mind
>>> visiting, I don't think I'd like living
>>> there at all.
>>
>> Desert? That area's the Eden of Nevada, bountiful and rich with tender
>> nature.
>>
>> As Horace should have said: "Head South-East from Carson. That's were
>> they keep the Big Empty." (and the gold and silver.)
>>
>> Actually everybody should load up with canvas water bags hanging on
>> their bumpers and head into the desert at least once in their lives.
>
> A motorcycle definitely makes it easier.

I could do that.

>> Outrageous scenery - and you can really see the scenery: no silly
>> growing things to hide the earth's skeleton.
>
> I just watched part of a travelog (HD) by that guy who tells you more
> about photographing stuff than about the stuff he's photographing. Art
> Somebody? Baja California. Desert concentrated. Gotta record it
> again, this time there was no sound and it was somehow set to jump ahead
> every 5 seconds or so. Still incredibly beautiful.
>
> I thought it would be cool to do the Baja 500 or 1000 before cars
> dominated. It would still be cool to have done it.
>
> VtSkier would probably think Death Valley was horrible :-(

I just wouldn't want to live there.

> There are no mountains back east, just medium and medium-large hills.
> Having a snow or ice frosting makes no difference.

Well, of course there are mountains in the East.
They are just... different from the mountains
out west. I happen to like both varieties.

[lal_truckee]

VtSkier wrote:
>
> Well, of course there are mountains in the East.
> They are just... different from the mountains
> out west.

Surely.
They're just more mature and wearing down a bit - not unlike us...

[VtSkier]

lal_truckee wrote:
> VtSkier wrote:
>>
>> Well, of course there are mountains in the East.
>> They are just... different from the mountains
>> out west.
>
> Surely.
> They're just more mature and wearing down a bit - not unlike us...

Which brings us to another subject.

I'll be visiting your mountains the 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Will you be around? Numbers still the same?
Should I just show up at the usual spot?

I may try and drag IS up there with me.

[Richard Henry]

On Dec 16, 4:54*pm, VtSkier > wrote:
> The Real Bev wrote:
> > lal_truckee wrote:
>
> >> VtSkier wrote:
>
> >>> I drive through desert on my way from Reno
> >>> to South Lake Tahoe and while I don't mind
> >>> visiting, I don't think I'd like living
> >>> there at all.
>
> >> Desert? That area's the Eden of Nevada, bountiful and rich with tender
> >> nature.
>
> >> As Horace should have said: "Head South-East from Carson. That's were
> >> they keep the Big Empty." (and the gold and silver.)
>
> >> Actually everybody should load up with canvas water bags hanging on
> >> their bumpers and head into the desert at least once in their lives.
>
> > A motorcycle definitely makes it easier.
>
> I could do that.
>
> >> Outrageous scenery - and you can really see the scenery: no silly
> >> growing things to hide the earth's skeleton.
>
> > I just watched part of a travelog (HD) by that guy who tells you more
> > about photographing stuff than about the stuff he's photographing. *Art
> > Somebody? *Baja California. *Desert concentrated. *Gotta record it
> > again, this time there was no sound and it was somehow set to jump ahead
> > every 5 seconds or so. *Still incredibly beautiful.
>
> > I thought it would be cool to do the Baja 500 or 1000 before cars
> > dominated. *It would still be cool to have done it.
>
> > VtSkier would probably think Death Valley was horrible :-(
>
> I just wouldn't want to live there.
>
> > There are no mountains back east, just medium and medium-large hills.
> > Having a snow or ice frosting makes no difference.
>
> Well, of course there are mountains in the East.
> They are just... different from the mountains
> out west. I happen to like both varieties

The mountains in the east have the nice feature that their tops
(3000-4000 feet) are way below the bottoms of the mountains out in
California (6000-9000 feet). Breathing is easier, especially for us
older sedentary types.

[The Real Bev]

Richard Henry wrote:

> On Dec 16, 1:29 pm, The Real Bev > wrote:
>> Richard Henry wrote:
>> > Last weekend my younger son drove up to Big Bear with a soccer/school
>> > friend to pick up her snowboard from her parents' slopeside condo.
>> > When he came back, he was moaning about how much he missed the skiing
>> > days. I pointed out to him that if this year goes well in a soccer
>> > sense for him, he won't get a free weekend until late March.
>>
>> Jeez, crazy people go there on weekends. The crowd is bad enough during
>> the week, unless there are serious "wind advisories". Summit webcam:http://www.snowsummit.com/stream.php Of course they only have the main
>> runs open, but still...
>>
>> I would encourage him (and you) to toss your obligations to the windS
>> and go during the week. I wish I'd taken way more mental health days
>> when I was working :-(
>
> I've been known to call in sick on a Wednesday from the base of Snow
> Summit.
>
> The sunburn the next day is a give-away, however.

FEVER. You came in even though you're still sick because you have so
much to do that you just CAN'T take any more time off. No idea how you
explain the raccoon-thing. Or use sunscreen.

> This year, things look better, anyway - I am currently un-employed,
> errrr, re-retired.

Perfect! I guess next week is the last opportunity before the ravening
hordes and increased prices, though. Oh well, January is almost here...

--
Cheers,
Bev
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^
Why is it so hot and what am I doing in this handbasket?

[The Real Bev]

Richard Henry wrote:

> The mountains in the east have the nice feature that their tops
> (3000-4000 feet) are way below the bottoms of the mountains out in
> California (6000-9000 feet). Breathing is easier, especially for us
> older sedentary types.

Do you have trouble breathing at Big Bear? I was miserable in Rocky
Mountain NP where the road is ~12K feet, but BB is only 8K at the top.

--
Cheers,
Bev
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^
Why is it so hot and what am I doing in this handbasket?

[Richard Henry]

On Dec 16, 7:54*pm, The Real Bev > wrote:
> Richard Henry wrote:
> > The mountains in the east have the nice feature that their tops
> > (3000-4000 feet) are way below the bottoms of the mountains out in
> > California (6000-9000 feet). *Breathing is easier, especially for us
> > older sedentary types.
>
> Do you have trouble breathing at Big Bear? *I was miserable in Rocky
> Mountain NP where the road is ~12K feet, but BB is only 8K at the top.
>
> --
> Cheers,
> Bev
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^
> Why is it so hot and what am I doing in this handbasket?

I first noticed shortness of breath last year climbing a set of stairs
in Santa Ana, I'm guessing about 500 foot elevation or less.

[Norm]

"VtSkier" > wrote in message

>>>
>>> Desert? That area's the Eden of Nevada, bountiful and rich with tender
>>> nature.
>>>
>>> As Horace should have said: "Head South-East from Carson. That's were
>>> they keep the Big Empty." (and the gold and silver.)
>>>
>>> Actually everybody should load up with canvas water bags hanging on
>>> their bumpers and head into the desert at least once in their lives.
>>
>> A motorcycle definitely makes it easier.
>
> I could do that.
>
>>> Outrageous scenery - and you can really see the scenery: no silly
>>> growing things to hide the earth's skeleton.
>>
>> I just watched part of a travelog (HD) by that guy who tells you more
>> about photographing stuff than about the stuff he's photographing. Art
>> Somebody? Baja California. Desert concentrated. Gotta record it again,
>> this time there was no sound and it was somehow set to jump ahead every 5
>> seconds or so. Still incredibly beautiful.
>>
>> I thought it would be cool to do the Baja 500 or 1000 before cars
>> dominated. It would still be cool to have done it.
>>
>> VtSkier would probably think Death Valley was horrible :-(
>
> I just wouldn't want to live there.
>
>> There are no mountains back east, just medium and medium-large hills.
>> Having a snow or ice frosting makes no difference.
>
> Well, of course there are mountains in the East.
> They are just... different from the mountains
> out west. I happen to like both varieties.

If theres trees on top its not a mountain.
Stil can be nice but its not a mountain.

[The Real Bev]

Richard Henry wrote:

> On Dec 16, 7:54 pm, The Real Bev > wrote:

>> Do you have trouble breathing at Big Bear? I was miserable in Rocky
>> Mountain NP where the road is ~12K feet, but BB is only 8K at the top.
>
> I first noticed shortness of breath last year climbing a set of stairs
> in Santa Ana, I'm guessing about 500 foot elevation or less.

:-)

--
Cheers, Bev
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\
"He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already
earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by
mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice."
-- Albert Einstein

[lal_truckee]

VtSkier wrote:
> lal_truckee wrote:
>> VtSkier wrote:
>>>
>>> Well, of course there are mountains in the East.
>>> They are just... different from the mountains
>>> out west.
>>
>> Surely.
>> They're just more mature and wearing down a bit - not unlike us...
>
> Which brings us to another subject.
>
> I'll be visiting your mountains the 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
> Will you be around? Numbers still the same?
> Should I just show up at the usual spot?

Expect to be. Yes and yes.

I also expect those to be busy days, that many poor suckers AKA working
people will have the week off.

>
> I may try and drag IS up there with me.

[twobuddha[_2_]]

On Dec 14, 3:40*pm, Jay Pique > wrote:
> I went down and skied Shawnee Mountain in the Poconos this weekend.
> 100% man-made snow, but it was actually pretty decent - not crowded at
> all either. *And I'd like to point out that no one had the cajones to
> call me names to my face. *I rule.

I would. If I skied a ******** like Shawnee. You do. Which says
everything I need to know.