I would have a rough time in the midwest during the winter. I'm coastal which sort of moderates the temperature it doesn't get nearly as cold. I saw some of those Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin temps this past week. Hell no.
When I left for the strip club Saturday night in my hoodie it was 7. When I returned to the hotel my hoodie it was 2. Skied last year at -17, so -2 Sunday morning felt warm. The less you focus on it, the warmer it feels.
Too funny CROSSCHECK. A friend and I were just discussing getting stuck on it in a blizzard. Damn cold lift. Do you recall the south ridge triple; the 'triangle" lift?
Skibum - Actually, I do remember the South Ridge Triple and the trail below it "The Jug." I had a scary moment on the The Jug in my early days of skiing when a good "friend" of mine dragged me down that way before I was really a good enough skier for that. Narrow trail, bumps, and lift towers in the middle.
As I age, I’m starting to enjoy the warmer seasons more. As a young guy, I loved to ski, and I spent time in New England, the western USA ski areas, and Austria. I enjoyed the experiences and the outdoors.
I got lost one night trying to find a friend’s house at Sugarbush Vt. A buddy and I spent the night in his car, in a blizzard, in the Sugarbush parking lot. That was miserable. We were some the first folks to get in the lifts in the morning.
I got stuck on the lift going up to the peak at Whiteface NY once, and we were hanging there for close to an hour in the wind and snow. It was frigid, but I kept thinking about the great skiing.
The worst chill was out sailing in late October on Long Island sound. The chill of the air, and the chill of the waves, was very uncomfortable over a several hour sail.
I’m already looking forward to the warm sun and sand - and late spring.
Like Cash, now that I don't ski anymore I enjoy winters less. On the other hand they have gotten less harsh. 1/12 and we still have not gotten any appreciable snowfall. I do need a change of seasons tho and really enjoy spring and fall. Lived in FL for a couple years.... not for me.
Cross - I appreciate your memories. 100% spot on about the Jug. Love the Jug and the jug handle. They replaced that lift with a quad and now the area is crowded, unlike in the past, which sort of ruined the trails. Cash - Sugarbush North (Glen Ellen) or South lot? Do you mind if I ask how old you were when you stopped skiing?
We skied one day at Sugarloaf. I didn't look at a thermometer, but watching tv after the lifts closed they reported -28 at Kingfield ME, with a 15 mph wind. I was at sugarloaf, further north and 1- 3,000 feet higher so it was colder. I will always recall the day for 3 reasons: I was the only skier out there and said to the lift attendant: "not a tough job today" and he responded: "If all the morons had gone home, I would have been able to as well"; I dropped ski pole, picked it up without a glove and "burned" my palm and it was the last day I could feel all of my nose. Still one spot without any feeling 25 years later.
Skibum - Trails like The Jug became much more enjoyable after I became a good skier. I improved quickly because I had played hockey since I was very young. Even at my peak though, I had no desire to go down anything insane like say Devil's Fiddle. That's what I always loved about Killington (where I first learned to ski), there is such a wide variety of terrain from easy to insane that there really is something for everyone. Or something for whatever your mood was/is on a given day.
Until the IKON pass was created, we were Killington pass holders. Always loved the south ridge area, but have to admit I love Devil's Fiddle and Outer Limits, even though despite popular belief neither is the steepest trail there. Looking like snow on Friday and a big one Monday here, so MLK day is looking like a Sugarbush day.
^ maybe not the steepest trail there, but plenty steep and ungroomed with huge bumps and natural features is plenty gnarly, more than I ever was willing to deal with. I gave up skiing about 4 years ago anyway as my knees don't handle it very well anymore. Same reason I gave up hockey as well, which is of course the reason my knees are bad in the first place.
I did like Sugarbush. Should be a good day for you with fresh powder.
My car sleepover was at Sugarbush North (what we used to call Mount Ellen). As it became evident we weren’t going to find our friend’s house, I was thinking of stopping in a bar. I believe there was one nearby called The Common Man?
I slowed my skiing after I got married. My ex-wife was not a skier - or a winter sports participant. After I married, I would spend maybe 3 days on the slopes each winter. Over time, it declined to not skiing for a couple years at a time. Shortly after I married, my closest ski buddy was involved in a horrible car accident, and he was never able to ski like he once could. My other ski buddy has since gotten Muscular dystrophy, and his body has declined significantly as well.
I played hockey in my youth and thought skiing was stupid. It was mostly pond hockey as youth hockey didn't even begin around here until Bobby Orr. Destroyed my knee playing hockey in college and lost the ability to skate backwards without killing my knee, so I then started skiing. Can still ski Bumps because it's the knee up and down, but I can't bowl because the knee hates anything side to side like skating, bowling and even golf without a knee brace.
I learned to skate at about 2 1/2 years old at the old Cohasset Wintergardens (long gone at this point) and was playing organized hockey by 5 years old. Played youth hockey all the way growing up, went to multiple hockey camps every year (including in Canada), played in high school, club hockey in grad school, and men's leagues for many years afterwards. I was always one of the smallest players on the ice, but I was always willing to play physical, so I put a LOT of mileage on my joints. Had my share of injuries, including a broken femur. Hence, by my mid-30s, hockey and skiing was becoming more and more difficult. By my early 40s, I gave them up as without fail, my knees would be visibly swollen the day after I skiied or played hockey. I still watch a lot of hockey (and sports in general) but my days on the ice or on the slopes are over I think.
40 comments
I don’t like shoveling snow.
Find me a place that gets cold but doesn’t snow
And fuck you too guy!
Yep, we're having a winter again.
In a typical year only maybe one or two days does it get down to 32 deg. Only once about every 10 years does it get into the 20s.
SJG
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Caravan ( Full Album )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGJRJTOE…
I got lost one night trying to find a friend’s house at Sugarbush Vt. A buddy and I spent the night in his car, in a blizzard, in the Sugarbush parking lot. That was miserable. We were some the first folks to get in the lifts in the morning.
I got stuck on the lift going up to the peak at Whiteface NY once, and we were hanging there for close to an hour in the wind and snow. It was frigid, but I kept thinking about the great skiing.
The worst chill was out sailing in late October on Long Island sound. The chill of the air, and the chill of the waves, was very uncomfortable over a several hour sail.
I’m already looking forward to the warm sun and sand - and late spring.
We skied one day at Sugarloaf. I didn't look at a thermometer, but watching tv after the lifts closed they reported -28 at Kingfield ME, with a 15 mph wind. I was at sugarloaf, further north and 1- 3,000 feet higher so it was colder. I will always recall the day for 3 reasons: I was the only skier out there and said to the lift attendant: "not a tough job today" and he responded: "If all the morons had gone home, I would have been able to as well"; I dropped ski pole, picked it up without a glove and "burned" my palm and it was the last day I could feel all of my nose. Still one spot without any feeling 25 years later.
I did like Sugarbush. Should be a good day for you with fresh powder.
I slowed my skiing after I got married. My ex-wife was not a skier - or a winter sports participant. After I married, I would spend maybe 3 days on the slopes each winter. Over time, it declined to not skiing for a couple years at a time. Shortly after I married, my closest ski buddy was involved in a horrible car accident, and he was never able to ski like he once could. My other ski buddy has since gotten Muscular dystrophy, and his body has declined significantly as well.
These last two winters have been like this.
SJG
Jazz Messengers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3vpiTgG…
Jennifer Fischer
https://jenniferfisherjewelry.com/collec…
SJG
Jazz Messengers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3vpiTgG…
Jennifer Fischer
https://jenniferfisherjewelry.com/collec…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unhqk-sA…
Can't you tell from his posts how much Shailynn already talks like Tilton.
SJG
Jennifer Fischer
https://jenniferfisherjewelry.com/collec…
Art Blakey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3vpiTgG…