SallyCat

Fair enough, yeah I didn’t consider the unpatrolled part. I guess I’m wondering how much of a pita carrying a pack with skis would be. Just have to do it and see I guess!

Anybody here skin or hike to ski on any sort of regular basis? How much will I hate my life if I hike-to-ski mount Ascutney? It's literally my backyard, so I'm going to want to give it a try. And they do keep the old trails mown in the green season, so it would be ungroomed but not "backcountry." I know it's fashionable to have a full alpine-touring set-up, but Jaysus who has that kind of money? I'm thinking of getting a $30 pair of snowshoes and putting my skis and boots on a backpack and just walking up that way. I'm just wondering long-term what the advantages are of getting the whole set-up and skinning up. Doesn't seem that much less effort to me.

Killington has the second best bike park for beginner riders that I've been to, and I've been to a bunch of east coast parks. First place is Sunapee, for rank beginners, because they have NO advanced trails, so you don't have to worry about speedy cool-guys/gals coming up behind you all the time. And yet, their trails are interesting enough that you don't get bored (for one day, anyway). Learn at Sunapee then shred at Killington. Killington wins for atmosphere, variety and an incredibly even progression of trails and trail types. And sheer number of trails. The umbrella bar is open when the park is, and there's a lot of other stuff going on (zip lines, etc.,) so there's a lively vibe. .....I'm not sure why I decided to do a comparative bike park analysis just becuase someone mentioned Killington. Knee-jerk reaction and pro-Vermont excitement I guess! Gott go start my shift. I work 6-10 folding towels and rescuing dumb frogs from their daily suicide attempts in the outdoor pool. Not on my watch, dammit.

I love spring skiing and really wanted to go; had a Nor'beaster spring pass, friends were there at least three times a week, etc. I just had a savage amount of family obligation and could barely make time for a quick bike ride. It really, really bummed me out. This winter I've got flexible online work lined up and plan to try to get a Fri-Sun service job in a shop or at a mountain. I WILL make up for missing most of April and May!

Surprised at how gung-ho people are to hike up to get two whole turns.

Spent the day biking at K, but went over to check out Superstar snd the new jump ramp thing. Two guys were on their way up to ski the patches and a bunch of other people said they had skied them earlier today or would later. I’ve never been here in early June before; was surprised.

Ascutney is run by an organization called "Ascutney Outdoors" and only has a rope-tow at the moment. Good video here provides a little overview: http://ascutneyoutdoors.org/ I threw my back out unloading the U-Haul so couldn't ski. I had to meet my bike buyer at Killington anyway, so I went and had a couple beers with friends, sold the bike, and drove back to Brownsville. Everyone said the skiing was good, though. Limited terrain--Superstar and I think four other trails. There was a crazy long line for the lift. Putting my skis and ski gear in storage today. Bike trails open this week.

You are correct, sorry about that. The guy I was talking to said "chair" but those are T bar parts. I just signed up as a volunteer to help get them scraped and painted.

Funny coincidence, I just now had a great convo with someone who fled Vermont in the 1970s for Glenwood springs. He was absolutely dewy-eyed with fond memories of the place and all of the great skiing that was accessible (and affordable, I gather) from GS. He commented on the friendliness of the people there, too. I gather that back then, Vermont was still very "taciturn" in the old New England sort of way, and he found Glenwood Springs and its lovely environs to be a welcome oasis of neighborliness.

Sally visits are mandatory for all Vermont-bound PASRS; there is beer and good-story quota that must be met for each trip. Requirement parameters TBD. 😄

Sorry to quote my own post, but I just had a great conversation with a local bartender who used to be a lifty on the T-bar at Mt. Ascutney in 1968 (!). He was full of great stories, but the upshot is that these chairs are actually being installed, not taken down! Apparently they were donated to the nonprofit that runs the volunteer skiing operation in the winter. It won't go all the way to the top, but will access a nice variety of trails, I'm told. Currently Ascutney is the second smallest ski area in New England, so it'll be fun to see wha the chairlift does to the rankings.

Beautiful photos!!

Went for a bike ride this evening and discovered an entire disassembled chairlift at Mt. Ascutney.

I would LOVE a Tacoma, but I live at least twenty miles from everything, so low MPG would be a serious financial hit. I'm going to do some research on Rav4 vs. Subaru and see what the latest specs and reviews say. I almost forgot about the new VW Golf Alltrack. Will investigate that, too.

Oh good, I was hoping Eaf would join the thread. 90% of the cars up here are Outbacks, Foresters, or Rav4s. I can’t imagine CVT being all that terrible if everyone and their dogs keep buying them.

Those seats. In the winter. Savage.

Yeah on their side; I’d like to rig a fork-mounted rack to the floor and have the bike standing up

I'd like to buy new, but my credit score might say otherwise.

Forester is cheaper and has more storage capacity.

That's a big issue, too. Since Honda stopped making the Element and so many cars are aerodynamic/bullet-shaped now, it seems tricky to find one that will hold a bike upright w/ front wheel off, which is what I'd love to be able to do.

Before winter arrives I'm going to need a new car. My current '09 VW Jetta Wagon has been a trooper, but even with bomber snow tires I often spin out on hills of even moderate grade. It also has terrible ground clearance, which is a significant issue around here. Here's what I'm currently thinking of: 1. Tacoma 4x4. Great ground clearance, can throw bikes in the back, etc Lousy mileage, though? 2. Toyota Rav4: Very popular up here. Reliable, safe, decent-looking. The sensible choice? 3. Subaru Forester. A classic choice, but I know some people who have had bad experiences with reliability and maintenance costs. 4. Something else I'm missing?

I don't know what I'm going to do with my skis in my new tiny-home place. There's a local shop that has asked me to consider working for them, though, so that could be a dream come true: practice Zen Waxing for a living!!

Exactly. MacGuyver-y genius!

I have waxing-table envy.