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Every year we do a ski weekend for Mrs SnoBunSki’s birthday, so even though she’s still on the IRL for the rest of the season recovering from rotator cuff surgery, we headed North early Friday morning. First stop was a lunch break and a few runs at Magic Mountain. I’m trying to get a little value out of my mostly unused Indy Pass - I think I’m down to around 33 bucks a run lol - and check out the Black Line lift that is finally up and running. My second ride up I spotted the rope drop on Talisman and lapped that a few times, fun corn with a little walk across a grass patch to get back out. It was fuckin’ blue bird! Got back on the road to Lake Bomoseen, a beautiful evening to light a fire to watch the sunset while we waited for the other couple we were skiing with to arrive. Saturday we ski’d Killington, overcast and temps in the low thirties, conditions were rough with sugar piles and ice after the week’s rain. I ski’d tele all day as one of the other skiers was a beginner, it was fun social skiing putting new root combos together and I didnt feel like I was missing much with the conditions. I thought about hitting the Killington-Pico traverse and checked out the entrance, it wasn’t roped but didn’t look inviting either so will save it for another time. Mrs S made the best of her time The forecast had changed from rain/mix to snow and it started coming down hard during apres. Sunday morning woke up to a coating of slush but at Pico they had reported 9”. Got there at opening to 10” or so of thiiiiick snow. Tracked out the lower mountain solo while waiting for the summit lift to spin. The heavy snow was a lot of work, took a quick break followed by a few more down low then got word that the summit lift had opened. The snow was a little better up high, one of my favorite trails anywhere is Summit Glades and lapped that until my legs were cooked. The intermittent wet snow and sleet changed to full on nice snow after lunch. I went back out to do a few more summit runs with our friend but visibility was bad and I had no gas left in the tank so I ski’d right past the summit loading area to call it a day. Ended the trip with a nice dinner pit stop at Rip VanWinkle Brewing.

Rode from 1030 to 1230, nobody was home except c1er and some old heads. So windy, like zero speed on challenge windy but otherwise very nice out. They blew last night only in dumb spots like Vista which was already deep and that stuff was glacial but everything else was nice soft butter turns. Coming Soon continues on the theme and was particularly rowdy. Challenge had good turns but was so windy you never got moving. Razors was much better as was lower main though there really isn't a reason to go over there anymore. Dis was most excellent as its 6 inches deep but NMDW was rotd. Deep base with good spring snow and lots to jump off of. They didn't seem to loose much, maybe 3% depth loss which is ok considering the amount of water coming down hill. https://youtu.be/KWo-02Hsab4?si=0kIWKeK-DD60TVp0

Super fun morning with the soft snow. It was good to see BMR didn't need to close Rzrs completely to do gate practice. Wild how both can use it at the same time. Saw my first turkey at Blue. We could hear it gobbling on the six on the hill across from the ski patroller building, Lazy side. Took an extra lap to get eyes on it but missed the picture.

Those are private ski areas. Pocono Ranchlands, The Hideout and Saw Creek both operate 1970s era double chairs on like 100ft of vertical. They're in the middle of vacation home communities. You have to own property there to use the ski area. Not even sure if these still operate currently. I haven't checked their social media in a couple years. I know Hideout and Saw Creek did some upgrades on their chairlifts a few years ago though, so those are probably still active. Sky Top runs a Poma on a couple of beginner runs with like 100ft of vert for hotel guests. They used to have a second poma or t-bar that served more terrain but it no longer operates. Eagle Rock is somehow still operating. They lost their beginner lifts and since their mountain is upside down in arrangement, they have to shuttle skiers back uphill via some weird oversized snowmobile thing as the top to bottom runs all require you to go through their advanced terrain. Given that scenario I'm surprised they're still operating at all but they apparently were open this year. Big Bear at Masthope was also formerly a private ski area, but larger than the aforementioned. It was designed by the same person who designed Pocono Ranchlands and Shawnee. It's public now and a good option if you want some place quiet and not crowded. It's a long drive from anything though. I believe people who own property in the adjacent vacation community still get some kind of perks there like discounted passes, or maybe you get a pass if you own there for a fee or something. Last time I was there lots of the folks had houses there and were from NYC. There were more private ski areas like that. Ski Cove in Hazelton next to Eagle Rock and Winona Lakes outside Stroudsburg were some examples. Tanglewood was never private and actually predates the vacation community around it. It opened as Paper Birch back in the 60s.

Got at least ten runs on learning hill a and b. Also checked off the learning hill connector. Was surprised to see @theprogram4 and learn he was just arriving. Didn't make it to paradise but a solid session for her. Thanks @Schif for going out of your way to say hi. Good day today overall, surprised they didn't lose more snow.

If he's got connections, I dunno what I've got. They texted me three times.

Oh yeah, was chatting with Taser Dave yesterday. He was telling us that Jim is hell bent on the 24th, so I guess we'll see...

Guns are off…that skiff of paste they Blew will help them last six more days.

Appreciate this! I had no idea. 100% getting an Ikon pass next year.

i wonder if they are running any of the snow guns that arent in front of the cameras.

Just got back from some evening runs. Everything in the shadow was crusting up, nice bumps on razors, main and falls. Challenge looked surprisingly smooth from the lift, but I never made it over there. Main Street has some deep holes opening up. The pictures don’t quite do it justice but the def went down a bit. A third on was unmarked and opening up my last run up the 6. It was still snowing as I left for the night. Super light crowds, an enjoying snowy spring skiing evening.

Crazy day with the snow squalls rolling through. Bump line on Chute got super deep and long bump line on lower Challenge was another leg burner. Bug squall #1 Big graupel squall in the afternoon Challenge bump line…

Way to get after it. I’ve written 3/11 on about two dozen things so far today and I’m still all mixed up and I don’t know what to do.

Alpine was flat as all get out. Maybe 300 feet of vert and nothing was steeper than an easy blue even by PA standards. It was in the middle of (although not originally) a housing development too so you'd get to the top and there were just suburban houses to look at across a street.

you mean Tactical Timmy?

Off peak passes are good for the rest of the season and Blue does not have a closing date.

I'll wear a mask everywhere, like in my car by myself, just like it's 2020.

I'll refuse to cooperate! This is America, we don't do biometrics like China.

And the hundreds of people behind you yelling to pull down your mask since you're holding them up because the reader won't open.

Not since Vail took over. For what its worth, they have the guns on at JF tonight...

Today was awesome, no crowds and good time in the parking lot/lodge

I received the email

God, no. I'm spoiled rotten. Not a chance I'd take a run again. I'd have to hire the whole resort for myself. Day 47

I like to do my reports in word or g docs, its only an issue if you cut and paste boomer, lol

Darn I’ll have to take some sort of poll maybe I should be writing my reports in gray instead of white if that’s what the majority does. Your post is the first gray one I’ve seen in months… I’ll never do dark mode…Changes is a song by David Bowie, not something I do much of…

wtf I thought errbody viewed on black screen mode?!

Theory doesn't hold water. I know some that received it that have skied more than 10 days. I didn't receive one either and had to go to the chat line to get them to send RSVP URL.

Directly from RT website. And from DC Ski

Razors and NMDW were nice. Had to turn on top of the bumps on CS cause the troughs were ice. Sky top and Curzi’s cabin closed (had to go through terrain park to get to Chute. Not much of a crowd. Maybe JF tomorrow.

No because RT has twice the vertical of Alpine and RT's Upper Gunbarrel (and arguably Upper Ramrod) are more challenging than anything at Blue. Like Frost if it only had the runs from Lehigh through River Run, had no trees, and had a bit less vertical

so pretty much Roundtop East?

A rose by any other name...

yeah ill admit i was surprised to hear that. it doesn't seem like there's much on that hill but i feel as though those learning hill guns can put out a lot, maybe they were running last night? regardless i'm skeptical. and that spot was bad. created quite the bottleneck. it was like a warzone with people coming straight down and not being able to turn away from it, then bailing to the ground right before the fence.

Dunno, we took a run over to Vista yesterday and snow's still pretty deep on it yet. Of course, this upcoming week's temps are going to do a number on it, but that's also going to happen everywhere on the mountain. IIRC, training hill was looking pretty bad yesterday with a big roped off mud area on looker's right of the right side run.

i think that would require them running a compressor. Nobody would see the compressor running, so it doesnt add to the show. Kudos for turning some stuff on, im sure it will go a long way on the FB, but they are just fighting the weather, and the weather is going to always win. i work in a very weather dependent business, and i learned this a long time ago.

the one at the bottom where the triple is. heard an instructor saying something about it to someone. there is also a huge rectangle dug out. not sure if they were just moving that snow elsewhere, but it looks like the dimensions needed.

Skied Okemo last week. They were hand scanning people. Apparently they have had a lot of people sharing their Epic passes.

@toast21602For what it's worth and I have no idea what if anything is required but literally everytime I've been to Camel this year, there has been people skinning up Nile Mile.

They havent even had April day in a long time.

Coverage way better than expected after the rain...First run down CS was slick with ice and some rocks starting to show..But it softened up to make a fun ride down the left side..Ungroomed Challenge was good...Everything off the quad rode nice...Never made it over to Main St side...Thanks to the beer fairy for the Brandy Stout...Super delish...and gave me a nice feeling on the ride home....

Some of those aren’t actual ski areas. More like little community hills that either run a lift or a towrope. I’m sad that I never skied Alpine mountain before it closed for good.

Solid morning of riding spring snow and excellent apres company. All in all JADIP at Blue The True.

Today ended up being a nice surprise conditions wise and weather wise. They held up a lot better than expected after yesterdays downpour and they did a nice job moving snow around. It'll be interesting to see how things hold up after this week. Good day today.

I’ll bring crockpot Mac and cheese

Correct. I haven't seen @toastman or @toast21602 all season. Maybe we will make a bicycle ride at Trexlertown with Mute or Ryan some day.

I'd consider getting a season pass for Shawnee just for the uphill. Yesterday was a spring treat. Really enjoy it there.

Nice inversion this morning

Just got my Epic pass, NE midweek value pass, senior, $314. Snow, Okemo, Stowe, JF/BB, stuff in NH, the liberty, roundtop, 7 springs etc. Pretty good deal. Non senior version is only $100 more. Who wants to ski the weekends in VT anyway?! Will be booking trips to VT soon for next year.

Im gonna need some pretty serious spreadsheets to figure this out. Runs per hour/miles driven X cost of cocoa(x2). There needs to be a lot of columns to break this down properly.