Ski

I have this thing about watching girls get drunk while I'm sober...it's like the universe reverses from what was happening over the last two decades.

I don't take issue with any of that, but right off the bat is the problem: a private investigator (CB Ranger) is asking for statements from people skiing the same trail, but not the same exact part of the trail in which the accident occurred. Further, the court has no idea of the actual expertise of the snow condition witness. Also in the mix is the high probability that the resort has listed conditions for that trail as machine-groomed packed powder when there's a high probability that it's wrong. Okay, so a CB Ranger takes the stand and is allowed under direct to read a snow condition witness (not accident witness) statement that says "it was machine-groomed packed powder just like it said on the conditions page." Well, there you go. The slope was safe and should not have had any special warnings or have been closed. Any culpability is quickly dismissed. How is that scenario not completely prejudicial? I'd need to know if there was bias because he/she had read the conditions page. What route down the slope the witness had taken. How many times they'd taken that route and if they could have been mistaken on exactly which route was the one taken just prior to being questioned. And then I'd have to get into questions regarding snow and ice quality and their experience with varying conditions. Further, I'd need to know if they felt intimidated by the resort employee and exactly how each question was posed. My feeling is that it's nothing more than a self-serving, "feel good" practice. I just can't see any probative value. And if the Ranger discards even one statement, there begins another set of problems. I'm not bashing Rangers about this...I'm honestly curious. I think it's pretty cool and unique to have a patroller and lawyer to shed a little light on something that effects a lot of us. Just what's the real use of being whistled over to give those statements.

It rained? You didn't ski, Doug? What the Hell is going on down there?

Low overhead is a big part of it, Doug. Do you remember a CB thread a long time ago...something about one of the former CB board of director members being arrested for tax fraud and a local paper had disclosed that each of the eight or nine directors each took something like a $100,000 annual salary? CB had nearly a million dollars being taken right off the top...one of the many expenses Sno doesn't incur. Plus, it's just such a smaller operation. I look forward to seeing you pound shots. I will be seriously egging you on, in case you didn't know.

I'm trying to draw a parallel with a car accident scene on private property. A mall owner commissions a security guard to take statements from various non-witnesses as to the weather conditions during a fender bender in the parking lot. There's a judge out there who would consider an unsworn letter from some random passerby gathered by a private investigator? I just don't see the value in it. How would you go about cross examining the letter? I know it's a big part of an accident investigators job to gather eye witness statements and they are used by insurance companies all the time. But unsworn expert testimony by novice skiers regarding surface conditions? And these people didn't witness the actual accident...

To your knowledge, has a non-biased witness to snow conditions ever been subpoenaed? I just can't imagine it and I know you guys have been taking the info for years.

Sorry, I forgot about Micromanagement Day. And I forgot my tie, too.

Props to Sno for making snow on Xmas night! We skied from about 2 to 4:30pm and while it was a little busier, there were no lines and most runs were pretty empty. I ran into Mike Piccoletti and his friend Lurker Keith and we took a run down Cannonball and Boomer. I don't know if Mike can air like Nick and Sean, but I was surprised at just how well Mike rips---def should stop wasting his time in the park and start racing. Anyway, the few hours of new snowmaking really helped to cover most of the small stones kicked up by groomers. The snow conditions were a little different on every run, pretty much a product of the crazy weather we recently had, with fog and rain heaviest up top. The NF runs are holding up well, while Whistler was the best slope up top. It's pretty amazing that during the holiday week you can stand at the top of a black diamond and have the entire slope to yourself.

Great advice. I still use a sharpie when I'm setting up new skis. I'd add that you should see metal filings being removed about the width of hair. Many skis come from the manufacturer with a base and edge bevel already set----just like they come factory waxed. To sharpen the edges of some skis, you have to remove sidewall material or your file doesn't reach the metal. For this, you need a sidewall planer. My Nordica rock skis need sidewall planing and I was going to ask Dr. D if he happened to carry them...

Hope the weather's nice in Atlantic City.

NASTAR is run on Switch. I suppose it's possible that they'll set a course, but I'd only say it's very slight. Even before the rain, a lot of dirt came up when they drilled for the gates---it takes a decent base to set turning gates. My guess is that the next course will be Friday's Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge, then Sat/Sun NASTAR. Whistler should have the best upper mountain snow for laps.

All of the North Face is open, but I'm sure the park took a hit, along with most of the upper mountain. It's supposed to be 21 degrees tonight, but some ski areas don't have a snowmaking crew on Xmas night. I just don't know if they are hitting it tonight. If they were, I'd say definitely come up. Otherwise, I'd give it another day.

"Let's get things in perspective here, it's Camelback, not a real ski area."---Alpine Zone That was kind of funny. And it's good that DMC Doug is going to check with his CB Ranger friend to look into it.

Pfftttt...you must have gone to some of his parties that he invited all the "babes" to come and party all night with. It's nice that he has friends to hang with now that your MB is gone...

I actually didn't think they were going to be open today and only accidentally checked the website... Anyway, the rain and warm temps did take a bit of a toll. Groomers turned up a lot of small stones and everything looks a lot less winter-like because the snow in the parking lot and between slopes is thin. Where you could ski to your car (or at least to the blue ticket trailer) is now dirt. But the biggest surprise was how well Boomer held up. The in-run has a few small stones, but once you get to the headwall, it's edge to edge and the snow is as white as can be. I only had time for a half-dozen runs and ended up just lapping the same slope, so I can't really say much else. There's still a ton of snow at the NF base area and after being careful around some of those little rocks on the upper part of Smoke, the rest of it looked fine. There were maybe 100 non-employee cars in the lot, but only five or six people on the NF. It looked like everyone else was in the park. The lifty down on the Phoebe was a chick with really cool dreds. Switch took a hit to the right of the lift towers, but it looked like there was snow still up to the start house----good news for NASTAR. All in all, a few hours of snowmaking will get the slopes right back to where they were.

Ha, thanks, Mike...my dad never saw me ski and, even worse, never came to one of my soccer games from 3rd grade right through college. He never forgave me for not playing football. It's funny now, but it wasn't then. But I sure learned from the way he did things. Hopefully, we all learn from the goofy or mean thing our folks do. Just remember what they did and do the opposite. At least they didn't kill us and we all have to admit we've done some incredibly sh*tty things that we hope they never find out about...

Wow, thanks, T...thanks very much...

Don't act like a bitch just for the sake of acting like a bitch. What the f*ck did Sno---or anyone at Sno---ever do to you?

Thanks, Sib...kind of funny how similar the uniforms are. I sometimes get a little deja vu...

The suits are the team uniforms. Race teams don't require families to purchase uniforms (it's a pretty big expense to put out another $250, or so, beyond the program and season pass, especially since kids outgrow them every year or two). At Camelback, we were always told they'd like the travel team racers to buy and wear the jacket because it's easier for their own coaches to recognize them around the hills they go to. The kids in the picture with the uniforms were on the team last year. Ty did get a team jacket, but her Spyder has some better features than the Beyond X jacket, so she'll probably just wear it to school. Beyond X gives good discounts to teams and they are rugged as hell, but I'm not a big fan of the style. Thanks, Doug!

I am exhausted from worry. And from being happy and proud and a dozen other emotions. It is like dropping your kid off at college in a far-away state, or sending them off to summer camp for the first time...just adding the possibility of a 30 foot fall from a ski lift. The first day of race team practice is bittersweet for a parent who has never let their little skier out of their sight. I have to admit that while videotaping the birth of my youngest child seven years ago, my running commentary described the arrival the world's newest ski racer. What makes my separation anxiety bearable is who I've turned her over to: a couple of young coaches who love doing what they do...who cheer and teach and use amazing care in all of their methods. The two coaches are already Tylea's heroes. And for that, they are mine as well. If Ty becomes a great racer, I'll be happy; if she does not, then I'll be happy, too. It isn't about the results, but it's about a journey. So I'd thought I'd share a photo of the first day of what I'm pretty sure will be a long and fun journey through her career as a ski racer. It's certainly a boring photo to just about everyone...a group of kids standing around listening to coaches lecturing. But to a race parent it's a snapshot of the greatest day ever.

Wow, that even choked me up a little... I can't believe it, Jeffy...our thoughts are with you, bro. It won't be the same without you skiing, either in person or on here.

Sno Mountain's Thursday night race league has some openings on both amateur and pro division rosters. Some people who have raced independent are looking to form teams. You just have to be over 21 and either a skier or snowboarder willing to make the nine races. It's a super cheap ticket and race entry ($15), so you have an inexpensive way to check out what the new ownership has done. Contact Mark, the Sno Ski School Director, at MRS@snomtn.com, or call 1-800-got-snow and ask for the ski school desk.

We stock up on the fruit flavor one's. If we wanted Tic-Tacs, we'd buy Tic-Tacs.

Thanks, Doug...I'll tell her you said so. Been a long time since I've seen 8am...