Stowe stoke thread...2018!!!

[saltyant]

Today was an epic day in northern Vermont. Started off in Plattsburgh NY where I stayed the night before to cross riding the Lake Champlain ferry off my bucket list. Then in VT the gas station gave me a free coffee for spending $20, which got me super stoked. Afterwards found free parking in Burlington at the garage next to Macy's, and then spent the next 1.5 hours walking around Steeze's old stomping grounds. Highlights were Church Street shops, the waterfront, and Battery Park. Burlington is a nice small town, though I have no clue how Steeze made it out of there without being indoctrinated as a die-hard liberal.

Around 1:30 headed toward Stowe, driving through the heart of University of Vermont, and accidentally took I-89 north because it's counter intuitive to take I-89 south to go north to Stowe. After 5 minutes realized I was going north which wasn't consistent with my giant sized atlas, so got on the correct route. During this time freshies started coming down progressively heavier as elevation increased. Interstate was wet but Routes 100/108 were pretty snow covered, so took my time and enjoyed the amazing northern VT scenery, ecstatic that it looks exactly like it's supposed to this time of year.

Finally reached Stowe to scope the place out and looked left out my car window to see the magnificent slope. I like that it was foggy because that builds the anticipation to see what the whole mountain looks like on a clear day. Went to the Mansfield Lodge to pick up some trail maps and to drop off my RTMs for another overpriced tune and wax. Using the free wifi saw that toast thinks I'm a gaper. Then took the easy over Gondola to Spruce Lodge and signed up for a clinic Tuesday, which is discounted with combined lift ticket and lesson. Yet another sa-weet deal today. The lift attendant complimented me for wearing my famous A Christmas Story fur hat.

Last, checked into Northern Lights Lodge, a really nice place for the low price. At check-in, told the dude I read on their website that if I stay 4 nights I get 1 free, so by remembering this I saved another $97.90. Cha-Ching. This will pay for my lesson entirely and I'll still have an extra $5.90 to put towards my overcharged wax and edge. Told him I'm also an AAA member, but he said if they combine too many deals they'll go out of business. Also the check-in dude went to college in Lehigh Valley so he's familiar with all of the resorts we regularly visit, even Mountain Creek. He's a former Blue season pass holder.

Super stoked that it's dumping outside and I'll be at Stowe bright an early for 7:30 tomorrow. Updates to come. It also just made my day that this post is the first on a new page.

  

   

 

Edited February 4, 2018 by saltyant

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Wow this is the best report I've seen all day.  

[SallyCat]

48 minutes ago, saltyant said:

enjoyed the amazing northern VT scenery, ecstatic that it looks exactly like it's supposed to this time of year.

 

Vermont is like that all the time in any season: ridiculously beautiful in an over-the-top, stereotypical New England way. After a few days of it, you're like "knock it off Vermont, you're trying too hard" and that's when I go to West Lebanon for a reality check. West Leb is only good-looking when it's in your rear-view mirror. 

Edited February 4, 2018 by SallyCat
Forgot apostrophe in "it's." I can only apologize for not meeting PASR standards of grammatical and syntactical clarity. :-)

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

19 minutes ago, SallyCat said:

Vermont is like that all the time in any season: ridiculously beautiful in an over-the-top, stereotypical New England way. After a few days of it, you're like "knock it off Vermont, you're trying too hard" and that's when I go to West Lebanon for a reality check. West Leb is only good-looking when it's in your rear-view mirror. 

I've never been to west Leb is it kind of down and out. I'm a Rocky Mountain fanboy..seems like half the people in Jackson hole are university of Vermont and middlebury graduates..

[SallyCat]

31 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

I've never been to west Leb is it kind of down and out. I'm a Rocky Mountain fanboy..seems like half the people in Jackson hole are university of Vermont and middlebury graduates..

West Leb is ok, it's just where all the non-quaint stuff is, like grocery stores, etc. I wore my Suicide Six t-shirt one day at Mammoth and met a ton of people from Vermont. 

I know what you mean, though; I'm looking seriously at relocating to the Rocky Mountain region. Pretty interested in northern New Mexico at the moment. 

[saltyant]

39 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

I've never been to west Leb is it kind of down and out. I'm a Rocky Mountain fanboy..seems like half the people in Jackson hole are university of Vermont and middlebury graduates..

Looking to start with some ungroomed blue runs tomorrow. Any good trails to start on which will be the least tracked? Looking for Stowe insider tips no one else knows about.

Edited February 5, 2018 by saltyant

[saltyant]

1 hour ago, SallyCat said:

Vermont is like that all the time in any season: ridiculously beautiful in an over-the-top, stereotypical New England way. After a few days of it, you're like "knock it off Vermont, you're trying too hard" and that's when I go to West Lebanon for a reality check. West Leb is only good-looking when it's in your rear-view mirror. 

Lol that you forgot the apostrophe. I do the same thing all the time and constantly edit posts. Funny thing is I didn't even notice that you missed it, I only scrutinize my own writing and don't even notice when other people make minor mistakes.

[SallyCat]

1 minute ago, saltyant said:

Lol that you forgot the apostrophe. I do the same thing all the time and constantly edit posts. Funny thing is I didn't even notice that you missed it, I only scrutinize my own writing and don't even notice when other people make minor mistakes.

Lol, since I'm writing cover letters to potential employers lately, I'm particularly horrified by typos. I never look at anything I've already sent: I would end up weeping in the fetal position for three days if I found a typo on an already-sent job application. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

11 minutes ago, SallyCat said:

West Leb is ok, it's just where all the non-quaint stuff is, like grocery stores, etc. I wore my Suicide Six t-shirt one day at Mammoth and met a ton of people from Vermont. 

I know what you mean, though; I'm looking seriously at relocating to the Rocky Mountain region. Pretty interested in northern New Mexico at the moment. 

You might want to talk to NMSki as he's from New Mexico. They don't get much snow out there anymore. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

13 minutes ago, saltyant said:

Looking to start with some ungroomed blue runs tomorrow. Any good trails to start on which will be the least tracked? Looking for Stowe insider tips no one else knows about.

I think they groom most of the blue runs at Stowe. Try ridgeview to sunrise to lord to start that's easy. Doodle around on toll road..north slope is a good Blue as are gondolier and perry Merrill also be sure to ski spruce mountain as well. Main Street, sterling and whirlaway are all good. 

[saltyant]

4 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

I think they groom most of the blue runs at Stowe. Try ridgeview to sunrise to lord to start that's easy. Doodle around on toll road..north slope is a good Blue as are gondolier and perry Merrill also be sure to ski spruce mountain as well. Main Street, sterling and whirlaway are all good. 

Thanks. That's what I was thinking, get on the 4 Runner Quad at 8 am and do some runs on Ridgeview/Lord/North Slope until 8:30 when the gondola opens, then I'll do some of those blue runs while there's fresh cord down. I really like how the trail map looks, everything seems very organized. I'll be hanging a map in my room right below the Killington trail map, but I think Stowe's is nicer.

Edited February 5, 2018 by saltyant

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

1 minute ago, saltyant said:

Thanks. That's what I was thinking, get on the 4 Runner Quad at 8 am and do some runs on Ridgeview/Lord/North Slope until 8:30 when the gondola opens, then I'll do some of those blue runs while there's fresh cord down. I really like how the trail map looks, everything seems very organized. I'll be hanging a map in my room right below the Killington trail map, but I think Stowe's is nicer.

Stowe is a hell of a lot nicer than Killington and not a clusterfuck of trail merges. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

 

Theres a cafeteria at the top of the quad in a building known as the octogon. That's a good place to stop and eat especially if you don't want to have to lock up your skis.  

[saltyant]

Just now, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Stowe is a hell of a lot nicer than Killington and not a clusterfuck of trail merges. 

 

Speaking of clusters, when I first saw this I was like what? Looking at it closer and not at the full map, I think I understand it now.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

3 minutes ago, saltyant said:

 

Speaking of clusters, when I first saw this I was like what? Looking at it closer and not at the full map, I think I understand it now.

 

[SallyCat]

14 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

You might want to talk to NMSki as he's from New Mexico. They don't get much snow out there anymore. 

Well that's disappointing. 

On the up site, the mountain biking is great and Colorado is accessible in under four hours (Purgutory and Telluride, e.g.)

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Just now, SallyCat said:

Well that's disappointing. 

On the up site, the mountain biking is great and Colorado is accessible in under four hours (Purgutory and Telluride, e.g.)

Im sure New Mexico will still have some good winters but almost everywhere in the Rockies has been getting progressively warmer and dryer.  I actually almost moved to Durango years ago. 

[saltyant]

1 minute ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Im sure New Mexico will still have some good winters but almost everywhere in the Rockies has been getting progressively warmer and dryer.  I actually almost moved to Durango years ago. 

Did you ever ride the train? I know you love trains so you must have. I took my road bike on the train to Silverton and raced the train back to Durango, beating it by 45 minutes even though the train had a 2 minute head start and I had to stop at a lot of extended traffic lights for construction on route 550.

[saltyant]

This evening and the hotel remind me of Rocky IV when Rocky, Paulie, and Tony stayed in the cabin in the middle of the Siberian wilderness to train. It's cold, snowy, and communist territory.

[SallyCat]

3 minutes ago, saltyant said:

and communist territory.

You do know the difference between social democracy and communism, no?

[saltyant]

1 minute ago, SallyCat said:

You do know the difference between social democracy and communism, no?

Joking!!! Definitely don't want to make this a political thread.

[SallyCat]

9 minutes ago, saltyant said:

Joking!!! Definitely don't want to make this a political thread.

Gotcha. I don't care what anyone's politics are, but I get a little spikey when people get historical facts wrong. 

EDIT: Not that you got your facts wrong! I just couldn't read the tone. 

Edited February 5, 2018 by SallyCat

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

42 minutes ago, saltyant said:

Did you ever ride the train? I know you love trains so you must have. I took my road bike on the train to Silverton and raced the train back to Durango, beating it by 45 minutes even though the train had a 2 minute head start and I had to stop at a lot of extended traffic lights for construction on route 550.

No I didn't ride the train. I visited Durango and played golf there..went to a cowboy bar as well. It's one of those places that's expensive to live and pay is bad. 

 

My flight to Durango was actually diverted to Farmington New Mexico. 

Edited February 5, 2018 by GrilledSteezeSandwich

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

26 minutes ago, saltyant said:

This evening and the hotel remind me of Rocky IV when Rocky, Paulie, and Tony stayed in the cabin in the middle of the Siberian wilderness to train. It's cold, snowy, and communist territory.

I saw the website where you are staying. Looks like a convenient location. Is there free breakfast.  Also cool you were in Plattsburgh. The two times I went to whiteface with my high school ski club we stayed at the comfort inn in Plattsburgh 

[saltyant]

5 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

I saw the website where you are staying. Looks like a convenient location. Is there free breakfast.  Also cool you were in Plattsburgh. The two times I went to whiteface with my high school ski club we stayed at the comfort inn in Plattsburgh 

It's nice for a place that's only $97 per night with tax and only 3 miles from Stowe. Yes, breakfast is included.  I used to be unsure about staying at budget motels not under a brand name, but they can be nice places. I always read the TripAdvisor reviews ahead of time and this one has really good reviews.

Didn't do anything in Plattsburgh, though the ferry was a lot of fun. Thought I was going to get seasick a few times as it was a rough ride. Crossing Lake Champlain has been on my bucket list since first reading about Samuel de Champlain's 1609 discovery in history class.