C1erArt

Do you shut everything down and destroy the economy? Or leave things running and accept a 4 million person death tally, but it’s all over in three months. Plus the first option doesn’t guarantee any lessening of the deaths. Our family cemetery plot in South River New Jersey, is in a fairly crowded cemetery. But next to our family plot is an open field about 100’ x 200’. When I asked my grandparents what it was, and they said it was a mass grave from the 1918 flu virus. Is that depressing enough?

Fortunately when I skied JF the week after that it was deserted.

I’m sheltering in place. Regretting going to Blue the Saturday before closing, but think I am past the incubation period for that. Have a 3 week old granddaughter I’m avoiding visiting. Local sporting goods store sold out of handguns, rifles and ammo over the weekend. Pensyltucky stocking up.

Just finished up maple syruping. Season ended a little early. 44 gallons of sap gave about 80 ounces of syrup, about a 70 to 1 ratio. 65 pounds of propane later: (Used some leftover labels from 5 years ago)

Vail resorts is closing all resorts starting tomorrow thru 3/22.

Nice morning skiing again today. Started off with frozen cord at 9 o’clock at about 30°, left around noon time at 43° and the top was just getting soft but the slopes were still in great shape. Really quiet, just a few dozen people out.

Nice Monday day morning at Frost. About 40 when I got there at 9:30 and almost 60 when I left a little after noon. Slopes were flat, well groomed and a little soft, but never got slushy. The top crossover got real soft and it was a chore getting from East mountain over to Demattes or Exhibition. Rivershot and Floyd’s were nice and did some nice wide gs turns on Challenge and Thunderbolt. A lot of fun. Started listening to podcasts on the lift.

NMDW was nice this morning. A little too soft and fluffy yesterday. Razors and also the far slopes were nice and fast, particularly Sidewinder. Some bumps are back on main street. Some people were slide slipping the bumps on Challenge trying to get them in a more uniform shape. Nice and sunny yesterday, so a lot of people played hooky. Flat light today. The bottom run out got pretty soft, but not slushy.

Was up to the land of slow lifts and fast snow this morning, after yesterday morning at Blue in between the rain. Temperature was 36° when I got there and 43 when I left around noon. After the rain last night, the slopes were in surprisingly good shape with just some frozen ice puddles on a couple of the flat spots. Exhibition and thunderbolt were a little crunchy to start off with, but challenge and East mountain were nice. The surprise of the day was Demattes, it was in excellent shape. Nice carving turns without any annoying flaws in the grooming.

Caution, ICE. There was no loose snow at all to groom. Still have the blue marks from last weekends race. Flat as a board.

The middle section, which unfortunately was in shadow early in the morning, was excellent.

33 degrees in the morning, 45 when I got home around noon. Quad only running and only a short line getting on all morning. Challenge was good although the first drop developed ball bearings pretty fast and the last drop had tennis balls from the beginning. Nightmare was good and saw a lot of traffic. Razors was open but was literally a sheet of ice (with warning signs up top). Saw a couple of people try it, wipe out and finally stop sliding dozens of yards down the slope. Good thing the fences were still up. Think it was softening up as I was leaving. You can see the icy sheen on the slope. Finished off running the blues a few times. Fluffy and nice and carveable. Main Street bumps were getting a workout. Tut’s connector was getting a little soft, but no headwind going across.

West system epoxy? That stuff is great.

23 degrees at home, windy and sunny. Met a couple of fellow PAS&Rers at the starting gate. Challenge was great first couple of runs, but they groomed in a bump line on the downhill left. Between that and racers taking practice runs (especially after the horrific racer crash 2 weeks ago) I decided discretion was the better part of valor and stuck to Nightmare. I think the narrow entrance that is congested with people watching the race is keeping it relatively empty. Demo day seemed to be a bust with just one small tent. Lines started building up around 9:30 but never got too bad.

Either the experience 88s or I rent. Liked the 104 Head Kores last time.

Sounds like a plan.

On the contrary, my 65mm waist slalom skis sharp enough to peel a fingernail rocked today. Best conditions of the year.

Still feel like an outsider here. Too shy to start a blue mountain thread. [emoji4] It is really just a reply about demos. [emoji23]

The retired auxiliary of PA ski and ride hit the slopes this morning. A lot of rain last night and temp was 33 when I left the house. 34 when I left the slopes aound noon. Mostly cloudy but the sun peaked through occasionally. Very strong wind out of the west. Blew over the 6pack trash funnel. Sharpened the skis last night. Good thing, because the entire mountain was bulletproof. Has a great time. No loose snow anywhere except coming off the macadam at the valley lodge. Razors roped off, some regional races coming up. Nightmare was the run of the morning again. Some brown skid marks on the inside of the first turn of Paradise and the middle of Main Street and Switchback. Otherwise coverage was pretty good. Going to try some demos tomorrow.

Any vacuum bagging in the plans?

You could see the smoke this morning from the top of blue Mountain.

It is a great day today. Hanging around after my usual bugging out time for a few more runs. Razors open and in great shape, but nightmare is the winner today.

Bacon soaked in maple syrup, the best. Have to be careful it doesn’t burn when cooking it.

Not much. It is at best 40 to 1 ratio, but I have mostly silver or swamp maples, not sugar maples, so it is more like 70 or 80 to one. So maybe 4 ounces. Maybe 10 hours boiling time. But I keep adding to it and bottle 2 or 3 times a season. I usually get just a gallon or so per season with 10 taps. I go through a half dozen 20 pound bottles of propane. It it keeps me busy.

Got about 8 gallons of sap to boil up this week.