Ski Dates for 2010

I'm looking for people interested in joining me on ski trips. I go to Killington, where I have a season pass. I am an all-day skier... I like to start by 9:00AM and I'm usually not off the mountain until well after the lifts close. On some occasions, we get on the road at 6AM to arrive at the slopes by 9 for the first day. Others we leave the night before. Lodging is at Chalet Killington which has a good and fast hot breakfast, leaving us with a one-mile drive to Snowshed, two to Killington Base, or about 4 to Bear Mountain. We leave for home after the lifts have closed on the last day. Nothing is sweeter than getting on the last chair at 4pm and having that nice long last run after normal folk have gone home.

I don't own a car, so normally I rent one to drive up. If you provide a car, you share the room for free. If you don't have a car, and still want to come, I'm always eager to have company for the ride, so we'll figure out something that works. Sometimes Killington gives me a few discounts on tickets with my season pass, and if they do, I'm happy to provide them. Let me know if you are interested in joining me on any of these weekends.

The Chalet has free wireless, so you can sit in front of the fireplace and work, surf the web, or drink beer. There's a sauna and jacuzzi, and a heated outdoor pool. Dinner is available at the Baja Burrito right in the hotel, so you can walk down to dinner from the room without even putting your shoes on.

Once again, we have the ski house for a week in February. It's a great opportunity to get in some mid-week skiing, and relax and enjoy dinners at night with your OSL friends. The house holds at six people, and we look forward to filling it. Unfortunately, it's not child-safe.

Think Snow!

Here is some slightly-out-of-date (just missing the new Skye Peak Quad and the demise of the Devil's Fiddle Quad), but still interesting historical info on the lifts at Killington.
Here are some pictures from Ski-House Week 2009.

Full weekends are in yellow. The usual plan is to drive up either Friday night or leave Cambridge at 6:00AM Saturday (groan) and return Sunday night.
Unavailable weekends are in red. I'll be there in spirit those weekends.
Weeks marked "No Friday Travel" are open for (1) 6:00AM Saturday drive for 2 days of skiing, (2) Saturday afternoon drive and ski Sunday, or (3) one-day trip on Sunday, leaving at 6:00AM.

DATE
NOTE
PLANS, [and RESULTS]

Dec

Possible Spur-of-the-moment early season trip if the snow is unusually good.

Jan
1-3 (Fri-Sun)
Chalet K double Fri 1, Sat 2 Jan, Out Sun. Car reserved for the week; 31 Dec through 8 Jan
Solo Fri, Chris Sat, several Sunday. [Good Fri., better Sat., and better Sun. Over a foot of snow Friday night through Sunday. Great skiing in the snow. Some nice powder, but some wind-blown spots too. The base is still a little thin. Days 1,2,3.]

4-8 (Mon-Fri)
No Classes.
Chalet K double Tu-Th, 5,6,7 Jan: out Fri
Steve G. W-Th-F (Travel up Tu night, 5 Jan, return Fr night, 8 Jan) [Cold. Lots of snowmaking. Outer Limits under the guns. Great powder Wed, a little windblown Thu, more powder Fri. Days 4,5,6]

8-10
Busy Sat, Day and Night. Possible One-Day Trip Sunday.

15-18 MLK 3 Days
Chalet K Double Fri-Sun, 15,16,17 Jan, out Mon
[Sat pretty good snow. Some firm. Some fog. Sun. Softer snow, Clear AM, then more fog. Mon. Great new snow, but the base is still thin. Days 7,8,9]

22-24
Travel to San Francisco

28-31
Squaw Valley: Drive 4-8pm 28th, ski 29,30,31 Jan drive to SFO 31 Jan. Fly to BOS 1 Feb. Squaw Valley Lodge Reserved Th,Fr,Sa nights.
Kyle, Tom. [Where is the snow we don't have in VT? It's all in the Sierras. Seven feet in the last week alone. A little fresh powder Saturday made what was already good Friday even better. Still finding little staches of untouched powder on Sunday. Temps in the 30s every day. Days 10,11,12.]

Feb
5-7
Chalet K triple Fri,Sat 5,6 Feb, out Sun.
Andy. Jason K. and Friends. [Not bad conditions. Big snowmaking effort for a good recovery from some earlier rain. Cold Sat. Even colder and wind on Sunday. Days 13,14. ]

12-19
Ski House Fri-Fri
Chris (Fr-Mo) Steve G (Fr-Mo), Donna and Carey (Sa-Mo) Christine and Steve (Tu-Fr or We-Fr)[Sat-Mon, cold with great man-made snow. Tue snow during the day. Double Dipper was the best. Wed freshies everywhere. Thu and Fri great family skiing but cold and windy. Grandson's first trip up K1. Still good snow for Sat. and Sun. especially on Wildfire Sunday PM. Days 15-23]

20-21

[Continued at ski house.]

26-28
Utah Travel Sat.

Mar
1-5 (M-F)
NU Spring Break
Utah, Sun-Wed. Travel Thu. [Sun. Canyons with Brian, Rob and friends. Warm. Not a lot of snow. Mon. Alta with Brian and Jen. Still the best snow in Utah even if there isn't much of it..Tue. Brighton with Jeremy in similar conditions. Wed. Snow most of the day at Powder Mt. with Jeremy. Storm ended and for two unforgettable last runs on sunlight powder. Days 24-27.]

6-7
Meeting Fri. Fly home Sat.

12-14
Chalet K Triple, Fri,Sat 12-13 Mar, out Sun
Yogesh (will drive) and roommate [Still skiing on snow from the big storm three weeks ago. Major trails open, and pretty good. Sunday rain, sleet, and snow. Limited opening. Ice at the top and soft at the bottom. Some new windblown snow near the edges late in the day. Days 28,29]

19-21
No Friday Travel. One night single Chalet K reserved.
[Forecast cold rain. Actual sun and soft spring snow for a great day. Day 30]

26-28
Mogul Challenge Weekend.
Chalet K Triple, Fri,Sat 26-27 Mar, out Sun
Yogesh (will drive). Chris and Heidy. [A little spring-like Sat. Cold with some good loose snow on Sun. Days 31 and 32.]

Apr
2-4

Jason and Stacia. [Best-ever spring skiing Saturday. At least 74F. Probably a once-in-a-lifetime day. Nice on Sunday too, but showing signs of wear. Days 33 and 34. This looks like the end.]

9-11
Probable Travel to Miami

and beyond???
April Skiing is unpredictable. We'll go after this only if it really looks good. Pond Skimming is 17 April 2010.
[In a surprise of nature, Jay Peak got some two feet of snow mid-week. Chris, Jason, Adam, and I went up for Saturday, ended up staying overnight Sat. night and Chris and I got in a few runs on Sunday in 70ish degrees, on the very last day any eastern US area was open. Two black-diamonds were open from the Jet Triple. Days 35 and 36.]

Watch this space in early April for summer bike trips, and look in November for the next ski season.

1 Jan. They've done a lot of work on snowmaking, and it seems to be working. Other than that, not much change this year. I still don't like the new trail layout with the old Great Eastern closed from the triangle at the top of Bear to Cruise Control. If the South Ridge Triple isn't running, the only way out of Bear is the Skye Peak Quad, and it gets crowded at times.

4 Apr. Easter Sunday. Unless something extraordinary happens, the season has ended. I thought it might be over last week, but Saturday turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime spring skiing day.

Skied 36 days with at least 25 different people. Despite dismal snowfall it's been a record number of days (or close to record), and some surprisingly good conditions. The weather stayed cold, and we didn't get much rain, so what little snow there was stayed around. Some favorite memories: Skiing with so many different people this year. Skiing Squaw Valley after the week they got 7 feet of snow. One of the best-ever ski house weeks. Skiing lower Ovation. Last two runs at Powder Mountain when the sun came out at our backs. Shirtless spring skiing at 74 degrees the day before Easter with outstanding snow. A surprise snowstorm led to another shirtless day at Jay Peak during the weekend of 1-2 May.

	DATE	NOTE	PLANS, [and RESULTS]
Dec		Possible Spur-of-the-moment early season trip if the snow is unusually good.
Jan	1-3 (Fri-Sun)	Chalet K double Fri 1, Sat 2 Jan, Out Sun. Car reserved for the week; 31 Dec through 8 Jan	Solo Fri, Chris Sat, several Sunday. [Good Fri., better Sat., and better Sun. Over a foot of snow Friday night through Sunday. Great skiing in the snow. Some nice powder, but some wind-blown spots too. The base is still a little thin. Days 1,2,3.]
	4-8 (Mon-Fri)	No Classes. Chalet K double Tu-Th, 5,6,7 Jan: out Fri	Steve G. W-Th-F (Travel up Tu night, 5 Jan, return Fr night, 8 Jan) [Cold. Lots of snowmaking. Outer Limits under the guns. Great powder Wed, a little windblown Thu, more powder Fri. Days 4,5,6]
	8-10	Busy Sat, Day and Night. Possible One-Day Trip Sunday.
	15-18 MLK 3 Days	Chalet K Double Fri-Sun, 15,16,17 Jan, out Mon	[Sat pretty good snow. Some firm. Some fog. Sun. Softer snow, Clear AM, then more fog. Mon. Great new snow, but the base is still thin. Days 7,8,9]
	22-24	Travel to San Francisco
	28-31	Squaw Valley: Drive 4-8pm 28th, ski 29,30,31 Jan drive to SFO 31 Jan. Fly to BOS 1 Feb. Squaw Valley Lodge Reserved Th,Fr,Sa nights.	Kyle, Tom. [Where is the snow we don't have in VT? It's all in the Sierras. Seven feet in the last week alone. A little fresh powder Saturday made what was already good Friday even better. Still finding little staches of untouched powder on Sunday. Temps in the 30s every day. Days 10,11,12.]
Feb	5-7	Chalet K triple Fri,Sat 5,6 Feb, out Sun.	Andy. Jason K. and Friends. [Not bad conditions. Big snowmaking effort for a good recovery from some earlier rain. Cold Sat. Even colder and wind on Sunday. Days 13,14. ]
	12-19	Ski House Fri-Fri	Chris (Fr-Mo) Steve G (Fr-Mo), Donna and Carey (Sa-Mo) Christine and Steve (Tu-Fr or We-Fr)[Sat-Mon, cold with great man-made snow. Tue snow during the day. Double Dipper was the best. Wed freshies everywhere. Thu and Fri great family skiing but cold and windy. Grandson's first trip up K1. Still good snow for Sat. and Sun. especially on Wildfire Sunday PM. Days 15-23]
	20-21		[Continued at ski house.]
	26-28	Utah Travel Sat.
Mar	1-5 (M-F)	NU Spring Break	Utah, Sun-Wed. Travel Thu. [Sun. Canyons with Brian, Rob and friends. Warm. Not a lot of snow. Mon. Alta with Brian and Jen. Still the best snow in Utah even if there isn't much of it..Tue. Brighton with Jeremy in similar conditions. Wed. Snow most of the day at Powder Mt. with Jeremy. Storm ended and for two unforgettable last runs on sunlight powder. Days 24-27.]
	6-7	Meeting Fri. Fly home Sat.
	12-14	Chalet K Triple, Fri,Sat 12-13 Mar, out Sun	Yogesh (will drive) and roommate [Still skiing on snow from the big storm three weeks ago. Major trails open, and pretty good. Sunday rain, sleet, and snow. Limited opening. Ice at the top and soft at the bottom. Some new windblown snow near the edges late in the day. Days 28,29]
	19-21	No Friday Travel. One night single Chalet K reserved.	[Forecast cold rain. Actual sun and soft spring snow for a great day. Day 30]
	26-28	Mogul Challenge Weekend. Chalet K Triple, Fri,Sat 26-27 Mar, out Sun	Yogesh (will drive). Chris and Heidy. [A little spring-like Sat. Cold with some good loose snow on Sun. Days 31 and 32.]
Apr	2-4		Jason and Stacia. [Best-ever spring skiing Saturday. At least 74F. Probably a once-in-a-lifetime day. Nice on Sunday too, but showing signs of wear. Days 33 and 34. This looks like the end.]
	9-11	Probable Travel to Miami
	and beyond???	April Skiing is unpredictable. We'll go after this only if it really looks good. Pond Skimming is 17 April 2010.	[In a surprise of nature, Jay Peak got some two feet of snow mid-week. Chris, Jason, Adam, and I went up for Saturday, ended up staying overnight Sat. night and Chris and I got in a few runs on Sunday in 70ish degrees, on the very last day any eastern US area was open. Two black-diamonds were open from the Jet Triple. Days 35 and 36.]