TR - 2/9, 2/10, 2/11

[Matt]

Hey'oh-

 

I decided to do all my TR's in one, instead of doing them all in separate threads.

 

2/9

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Was gonna try to get first chair, but I woke up at 3am for some odd reason and decided that there was no way in "anything" that I was gonna get up in 2hrs, so I left in 'til 10am. At 11am, I left my house and took Route 100 to the 'Boot. Got there around 12:30, suited up. This was my first time back to Blue since January 3rd. I spend the last few weeks skiing Mad River, Bolton, Elk and Wisp. When I got there, the parking lot was PACKED. I got worried that there was gonna be long lift lines. However, the lines weren't really there, maybe 5 minutes; but that was it. I decided to try out Razors Edge for the first one, tried to get to full speed; however it was waaaaay to bumpy to try that about 1/2 way down it calmed down and I could start getting into my long arcs. Main Street was also semi-like Razors, but a little better. Switchback was from what I could remember in descent conditions. Lazy mile had the best, but not great conditions. I skiied 'til about 3:30 then drove home.

 

2/10

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Pulled into 'ole Booter around 8am after a lovely snow squall. It was a clear drive all the way 'til 143 and Blue Mountain Drive, where the snow fell fast. I was a little worried about trying to get up the hill with my little Focus, but to my shock PennDOT was actually salting that early in the morning.

 

I pulled in, suited up and got going. The conditions were a little better than Saturday. However it did get warm quickly, I was constantly zippering and unzippering my "pit zips". On my second run, I went down main street ... went down it my usual speed (pretty fast) got thru the top part and started for some longer arcs on the second half where my right ski got caught up in some snow and I immediately popped both skis off and fell hard on my back, wacking my head on the snow. Definitely took me a few minutes to regain composure, I just laid there trying to get up. If I was gonna lay there for a minute longer ... I was probably going to ask for a tobaggon to take me down. I eventually got up and got back on and went on for the rest of the day.

 

As the day progressed the conditions definitely got more choppier and I had to put my racing style away for the rest of the day. All in all, descent day. The wind down Tut's lane was insane ... I had to go into full tuck to get down without skating. I saw Doug and Justin going down Sidewinder once as I was going up in the morning and never saw them again. Switchback was back into it's conditions that I've always known it for, the pocono "powder" all over, and it was a pleasure to ski.

 

2/11

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Decided to take the evening off and headed up to Booter for some arctic skiing. I don't have a thermometer on my car or anything, but it was pretty cold. The wind was blowing a little but not by much. I strolled in around 4:15 and scanned in around 4:30. Did my first run down Razors, Razors was in one of the best conditions I ever skiied on it. Not too much snow on top and yet just enough snow on top. I laid all my energy into those turns and actually begun to sweat a little ( I regretted that later ). I then proceeded down Main Street and it was the same way. Perfect Conditions. Challenge was the same also. The night was pretty damn good except for the cold. I actually for the first time in probably 2 years actually wore a face mask. I tried skiing my first run without it and immediately put it back on.

 

In the meantime, back to work. Got to love IT Security jobs and their standard 9-5 shifts. I'll return back to Booter probably for Sunday afternoon and Monday morning for P-day. I think I'm gonna switch it up and ski Sno maybe on Saturday, but we'll see.