Ski

Yeah, I drove past Montage this afternoon and it was AWESOME to see the bright white slopes.

Part of it is also because my home hill, Montage, is the most empty ski area in the northeast that's not yet bankrupt. I admit that I'm not used to long lift lines and having to wait for a line to clear. It's unusual when there's more than two other people on my favorite slope (which is MUCH steeper than anything at Hunter). And, DMC, does it really seem like a try and win arguements? Actually, I'm just really consistent with my opinion and allow arguementitive people to put their own foot in their own mouth. Here's an example: "We actually gotta put up with all the people inflooding from PA and NJ in Hunter for the first few weeks until PA and NJ ski areas open... We always joke that once Camelback and Mountain Creek open things get better... We can't wait for those places to open1! Don't see me complaining about it.... I mean it svcks thats it's crowded - but it's cool.. I don't mind..."---DMC Finally, DMC, you do realize this is a Pennsylvania ski and ride message board? Some of us just don't like Hunter. I take my early and late turns at Belleayre, when I'm in NY, so I have nothing against the Catskills. I've also probably spent 100 nights at the Cave Mountain Motel, skiing Windham. Doesn't that just mean more room for you at Hunter? What's the gripe? Message boards are a place to express opinions, including places you don't like to ski. Preaching that nobody should ever say anything negative about a ski area is a little too Fidel Castro for me.

DMC, take a pic of Hellgate at 1:30pm on opening day and get back to us... Hunter's longtime rep as having the rudest and angriest skiers/boarders on the planet may not be totally deserved (a previous thread not withstanding), but it's gonna be hard to dismiss the idea that it's not one the most crowded ski areas anywhere. Look at weekend skier visit numbers vs. acreage and then call it 'ridiculous exageration'. Okay, feel free to bash away at me...

Hey Lib, r u experimenting with trying to grow tropical plants in snow?

I just stopped by to clean out Atomic's lake house liquor cabinet (winterizing ) and it's snowing but not sticking to anything... Today's pic from Belleayre:

Our vehicles had a coating early this am (I was still sleepin'), but then it switched back to rain. They are calling for the accumulating snow to begin late this afternoon.

Jeez, I just happen to have an extra pneumatic press...I think we're good to go!

I called the front gate...anyone with skis is on the list

Yeah, cool links. 'Dude, get to work on some skis for me!

It all seems to depend on what station you watch...one says 1-2", while another says 6-12". And timing is different, too. After three straight weeks of working in the rain, I'm more than happy to shoot football in the snow. The first five minutes of this afternoon's game was sunny, then a huge black cloud drop 1/2" of rain in about 15 minutes. Again.

They'll "move around" our groomer which saves that sideways pack-it-down walk uphill, but the lift hasn't had it's inspection yet. Ty and I are hiking for turns with rock skis as soon as 4 inches fall.

I'll type in what's running across the bottom of the Weather Channel on tv: "Rain changing to snow tonight over the Poconos. Snow could become heavy at times, with accumulations of 7 to 10 inches possible."

Just do a Mapquest from Honesdale to Highmount, NY, for the shortcut directions to Belleayre. It saves 30 minutes off the trip, but you really need to pay attention the first time you do it or you end up lost in Ohio.

Pretty much the same thing as having an Arnold Palmer designed golf course around here...I don't think Killy had a desk and file cabinet, or anything.

"If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." Greek Peak opens early, but not with a lot of terrain. Belleayre opens early, but you have to make sure the lift goes beyond midstation...or you're stuck doing short laps. Hunter, well IMHO, if you want wall-to-wall humanity, then head there. They open the black diamond Hellgate first, which bumps up right away. The result is 4000 bunny skiers crashing down on you as you navigate broken ski poles and cigarette butts. Windham is great early, but usually a week or so behind. Whietface and Gore will have much more terrain, but you'll have the extra drive...

'Dude's gotta beat 19-year-old's for the PA state title...15yrs through 19yrs...

Belleayre, Windham, Hunter, Gore, Whiteface, and possibly Greek Peak should be open. It'll be more a matter of picking a place that has enough terrain open...

And Jean-Claude Killy was the head of ski operations at Shawnee...boggles the mind, eh?

Yeah, I wanna see 'Dude in bumps on his race skis!

Whatever it takes to not have to hike. And, no, sorry, none of mine have gone to parts, yet, Rob.

Okay, I have a question: what does that mean? You're allowing grass skiing, but without equipment? If so, I'M IN just for the challenge. But really, just FYI, grass skis can be worn on the lift. Poles are the only real 'extra' equipment the foliage watchers won't have. A triple chair holds three grass skiers...a quad four... If we can fit three grass skiers on a triple chair, is there then any reason to not allow us up? It's an important point for those of us making 4 hour round trips...

Not to harsh anyone's buzz, but aren't you about 2 hours south of me?

Ha, yeah, sure. When are you going to tell him you mean the $200 speeding ticket?

You can catch a ride with me to Belleayre...unless you'd rather go to Hunta

I avoid the parks and pipes like the plague, but what you've accomplished is awesome. You can go from grass roots to the show if you believe in what you do. Just laugh off people that bash it and listen to the people that have constructive things to say. I have 100 vert and a double chair practically in my back yard. And I hike it long after the lifts are done for the season. And nobody can tell me I'm wasting my time.