Snowboarding

March 19, 2014May 26, 2014

Mount Snow – 3rd Day

Up early and packed. Breakfast and conversation were good. Loaded up the gear and headed to the mountain.

JMan took a boarding lesson and GMan and I took in a few runs. It was anything but spring boarding today. High thirties and sleeting at the top.

Conditions were not as good today with lots of ice and/thin coverage. On run three I took a good spill….according to GMan I planted the front of my board a did a complete summersault. Good job I’m dressed for battle but I feel this one in the am!

In for lunch and GMan is off at his lesson. I’m sitting out the afternoon or possible hanging with JMan on bunny hill.

JMan in the tubes.

GMan lesson went really well and he now knows how to do a trip pod. On one of his last runs he came through the 1/2 pipe. Go here for a video.

Lunch at the Salon on the way out if town. It’s the best food and value on town.

All in all we had a great time……we’ll be back. MA here we come.

March 18, 2014May 26, 2014

Mount Snow – 2nd Day

Room stayed warn and breakfast was once again great.

Pineapple…..

Followed by Snow Goose style Eggs Benedict….yum

Off to the mountain we go. The boys are off at lessons, Jess is reading and I got in a few solo runs. This is a big place and it’s very quite today.

Me at the top.

Jess and me….at the bottom.

First we had skiing…

Go here for a short video.

GMan had a park lesson where he pick up lots of tips from his instructor Kevin. Kevin is twenty two years teaching boarding and he knows a thing or two. After his lesson we took a bunch of runs through Prospector.

Another view from the top.

GMan glides on by. Click here for video.

JMan walks on by! See video here.

Jess and the boys at the bottom after a great day of boarding, skiing…..and reading!

Me and the boys.

No day is complete without a silly photo in front of a silly mirror.

Here’s the squished version.

And the looooong version.

The boys in their element……again.

Boots…..just because.

Done….it’s off to bed.

March 17, 2014May 26, 2014

Mount Snow – Drive up and 1st day

Spring boarding with winter temps. I was really hoping for mid 40’s but tonight will be below freezing!

We took the back road to VT….119 all the way. It was nice to take a trip on a two lane road with frost heaves. Our home away from home is the Snow Goose Inn….my better 1/2 picked it out. Reviews were good and it’s not party condo style hearing the neighbor four doors over. However, so far it’s a bit if a bust. The driveway, steps and walks were all caked in ice, the heat was not working…inn keeper is looking into it, and its the only inn I ever visited with wall to wall carpet…..well….gray with dirt.

After we checked ourselves in and unloaded we visited Mount Snow. I was here once before….many year ago with my brother Mick. We had big plans on renting him a mountain bike but he decided to sleep off the night before in the parking lot, so I decided to cheap skate it. I pushed my bike up what is now Nitro Express….after two heart attacks and twenty five minutes of huffing and buffing I made the top of the chair lift…..I rested for a few minutes and the trip down took a little under two minutes. At the bottom my breaks were gone but I was still in-tacked. One run was enough for me.

Anyhow, back to this trip. We strolled around for a few minutes…..visited the main lodge and drove by the 1/2 pipe….nice, but not for me.

Back at the inn we helped ourselves to wine and cheese with the inn keeper and some newly weds from CT. The wine was in a carafe……which is always suspect….but I needed something to take the edge off. Cheese and crackers were…..well cheese and crackers.

It’s the North Pole! Way too late for XMass lights.

Dinner next door at The Last Chair was good.

News flash. The inn keepers husband fiddled with a valve on the heater and I think we may survive the night.

The bonus at The Last Chair is the arcade. GMan and JMan were right at home.

I was drinking and driving! Not really….but I was mobile with my beer.

The heat came on. For a while there I felt like I was on vacation in Ireland. Sur it will be grand….here’s another blanket….who needs heat!

Hmmm. Apparently the heat came on with a vengeance. At 1:30am Jess was wondering around with her iPhone flash light trying to find that same valve.

Breakfast was great. Mount Snow here we come.

View from the top.

The Saint Patricks Day $17 special brought out the crowds, but the lines move fast. Conditions are great and we managed several runs before lunch. JMan Riglets lesson went great. We’re off to the mini park in a bit.

GMan in line.

The Blue Bird lift was broken. Apparently something went on its gear box and everyone needed to be belayed off. However, there are many other ways of making it to the top.

Here’s Jess and the boys on the way to top. We’ll not really. Jess is sporting a rather cool bag. New lodge side style.

And here the whole gang.

The boys in our Saint Patrick Day attire.

January 21, 2014May 26, 2014

Bretton Woods

GMan an I headed north to Bretton Woods today. He got a season pass free with his lease from Zimmermanns NH. I bought a few passes at the Ski show back in November……

I think I was here before but I can’t remember. Since it’s mid week we have the whole place to ourselves.

GMan at the top.

We even found some powder.

It was a great day of boarding and it was great to hang out him GMan.

Subu in the lot.

January 17, 2014May 26, 2014

Week 2 – Ski Program

Last week was a zoo…..today is not as bad….so far.

Conditions are typical New England….which is to say ice on top of ice! But it’s here and more to the point I’m here.

The moon was red tonight.

On top of the world…..well, part way down Smith!

December 21, 2013May 26, 2014

Flow NX2-SE Bindings

I’m not getting any younger and having to sit down to strap in is getting old. Last season I was just bending over and strapping in but GMan had Flows and was always waiting around for me. This season I picked up a pair of Flow NX2-SE from Vince at Zimmermanns in Nashua NH. Vince is a no frills, no pressure sales guy who’s really into boarding and is very helpful and friendly……look him up if you need anything related to snow!

Anyhow, now that the shameless plug is done here’s my first impressions of the bindings……..I like them. I tried then on in the house a few time prior to yesterday first time on the mountain trip. You still have to reach down, but it’s a lot easier than fumbling with two straps and all that cranking. Clearly it’s a lot better than sitting down, because you need to get up and yes it’s hard.

You do need to commit to putting your free boot in, meaning find a flat spot or keep your board perpendicular to the mountain and go for it. It’s at this point gravity could take over, but for the most part I found it very manageable. With regular bindings you place your boot on the board and strap the board to you boot….so to speak. On these you need to get your boot into the binding then pull up on the back latch to lock in. It’s the getting the boot in that’s different. However, it worked very well and believe it or not I beat GMan a few times!

Guess you can teach an old dog new tricks and something to keep in mind, you can still strap in and unstrap like regular bindings which is nice. Mind you, getting the board off while sitting on the ground by unlocking the back strap is work but it’s possible.

For more information the bindings go here.

For more information on Zimmermanns go here.

March 15, 2013May 26, 2014

First run at 9:30 am and last at 4:30 pm. Epic day of boarding. GMan and I got in many many runs and we were joined by DB and his three sons for part of the day.

Conditions were great and the place was quite. No lines, no waiting, just run after run.

I’ll admit the I’m pretty tired and a little sore, but it was a wonderful day and I very thankful to be able to board with GMan.

Reflections of me in DB lens.

March 9, 2013May 26, 2014

Snowboarding

Spring boarding is here along with the crowds, lines and mash potato conditions. The silver lining is we managed to get into the parking lot at the base of the mountain……row 14 but who’s counting.

February 24, 2013May 26, 2014

Snowboarding

This week Friday’s ski/board program turned into a Saturday evening/night shredding blast.

Conditions were so so when we got here at 4:30 but continued to improve as the evening passed. We hopped from one side of the mountain to the other and did countless runs.

It snowed for a while then cleared then the fog formed. The above was at the summit. It was so foggy you could not see the end of the chair lift till you were on top of if! However, the trails are well lit so boarding down was not an issue.

GMan chills in the Cider Shack.

Cider Shack pano

February 8, 2013May 26, 2014

Snowboarding

GMan and I made a mad dash to Wachusetts for some New England powder boarding. Conditions were great but the wind was so strong GMan had a real issue getting up a head of steam. I on the other hand had gravity on my side so I was carving up a storm.

Unfortunately the governor of this fine state is clearly not into shredding and pulled the plug on our fun! The mountain closed at 4pm, as the gov closed the roads, just four runs after we arrived. No worries it was still worth it.