Ski Dates for 2014

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.

We normally kick off the season with a skiers' hookey day or weekend in December, depending on the conditions. Serious skiing begins with the arrival of the new year, and continues through March.

The last couple years, I've set a goal of trying two new ski areas per year. We're thinking Stratton and Mt. Snow in one weekend this year, staying with Simon and Alison at the Kitzhof Inn where we stay every summer for mountain biking.

Think Snow!

Here is some historical info on the lifts at Killington. They just updated this to reflect the new SPQ and the loss of Devil's Fiddle Chair, but they haven't noted the recent and unfortunate loss of the South Ridge Triple.
Here are some pictures from the 2011 season.

Full weekends are in black. The usual plan is to drive up Friday night. We can leave Cambridge at 6:00AM Saturday (groan) and return Sunday night.
Partial weekends are in yellow with notes. 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.
Unavailable weekends are in red. I'll be there in spirit those weekends.

DATE
NOTE
PLANS, [and RESULTS]

Dec
??
Skiers' Hookey Day
Date TBD

Jan
1-5 (Wed-Sun)
Classes begin the 6th CK Reserved All 4 nights.
J Thu Steve and Colin Sat night and Sun. [Freshies to start the season. Nicest overnight powder dump in a long time and it kept coming all day. Low single digit temps but no wind so it didn't feel bad. Sub-zero with wind and sore legs made a slow-and-easy Friday. Warmer and windy Saturday and in the 30s with nice soft snow surface Sunday. Days 1-4]

10-12
Stratton/Mt.Snow. Kitzhof Rm 15 Reserved.
Eric! [We chose to do Mt. Snow. Saturday because the forecast is better for Sunday. Variable firm to sticky snow with light rain in the morning. We had an early start and made it to 2:00, when the heavy rain started. Sunday at Stratton, a little powder on top of the hardpack. Most lifts closed for wind: Skied mostly off Ursa lift. Days 5,6.]

17-20 MLK 3 Days
CK Reserved 3 Nights Fri-Sun
Colin [It's machine snow, but it's good and there's a lot of it. Big crowds. Lots of Canyon runs. Some fresh snow for Sunday, windy, and a bit colder. Monday more snow all day and getting cold late. Days 7-9.]

24-26
CK Reserved 2 Nights
Andy, Chris. J & Stacia. [Snow all day Saturday. Single-digit temps Sunday, with wind. Days 10-11.]

Feb
1-2
Photonics West

6-9 (Th-Su)
Squaw Valley: Drive up Thu 5pm, Ski Fr, Sa, Su. Drive to SFO Sun 5pm. SV Lodge Condo Reserved for up to 4 people.
[Friday Freshies! New snow in the AM and coming down all day. Most lifts closed but some nice powder on what was open. Squaw Creek and Red Dog in the AM, over to Alpine in the PM. Saturday on Squaw Creek and Red Dog in heavy rain. Sunday off Hot Wheels and Yellow at Alpine in similarly heavy rain. It was snow over about 7000 feet, and the skiing must have been great the day I flew home. Day 12-14]

14-18 (F-M)
Loon Presidents' Week
Chris and Heidi. [Fresh snow all day Saturday at Bretton Woods with Chris and Heidi. A little wind-blown and cold but otherwise good with the gang on Sunday and Monday. Crowded lifts but some nice trails there and a lot of fun. Good food and good company at the house at Loon. Days 15-17.]

21-23
CK Reserved 2 Nights
Matt and Tristan, Ali, Chris on Saturday. [Saturday was a difficult day with a big Friday-night ice storm closing lots of lifts in the morning, and pretty variable conditions. Things opened up a bit more in the afternoon, and it was fun to end the day with a birthday beer. Sunday was much better, with great grooming; we did Outer Limits, Ovation, Double Dipper, and Cascade before lunch. The snow gods rewarded us for our tenacity on Saturday. Days 18-19]

Mar
Feb28-Mar2
CK Reserved Fri 28 Feb to Sun AM, 9 Mar
Joseph Fri night through Mon night. [Nice groomed runs Sat. Colder and faster Sun. Days 20-21]

2-7 (S-F)
Spring Break CK Reserved Fri 28 Feb to Sun AM, 9 Mar
Jason Wed AM through Thu PM. Steve K. Thu night through Fri.
[Single Digit high Mon. with Joseph, Teens Tue solo taking it easy in the cold. Grooming is keeping the snow nice. Snow through the day Wed (Click for track) : Not a lot but enough to make a difference. Best day of the trip and lots of diamonds with J. Thursday (Click for track) with J a tree day and warmer. Friday with Steve getting warmer. Days 22-26]

7-9
CK Reserved Fri 28 Feb to Sun AM, 9 Mar
Andy [Saturday was good spring skiing in the morning and colder late in the day. Soft snow on OL, Cascade, DD. Sunday back to winter until very late in the day. Time for our annual run on Juggernaut. Days 27, 28]

15-16
No Friday Travel CK Reserved Sat only
Alec. [Sat. Heavy new snow for Valley Plunge, Vertigo, Bittersweet, Ovation, Conclusion, BB, EF, DD, Cascade, OL, Skyelark DF, DD. Temps high 30s. Sunday, despite temps in the teens, the snow didn't freeze, but became nice soft powder. Revisited OL and Ovation, DD, and some less traveled ones. Days 29,30.]

21-23
CK Reserved 2 Nights
Matt and Tristan. J and Stacia will join Sat night. [A little bit of snow this week was just enough to keep conditions great. K is still 100% open. Best run, Double Dipper on Saturday. Days 31,32.]

28-30
CK Reserved 2 Nights
Andy [Nice spring snow on Saturday with sun and 40ish temps. Rain and ice, with few trails open Sunday. Good day to be lodge-bunnies. Days 33,34.]

Apr
4-6 CK Reserved 2 Nights (BM Mogul Weekend) Chris. [Another ice day Saturday. Sun and 30s for great spring skiing Sunday. If this is the end of the season, it's a good end. Days 35,36.]

and beyond???
April Skiing is unpredictable. We'll go after this only if it really looks good. In 2010, we hit Jay Peak on 1-2 May to close the season. Other years, we've barely made it through March.

(29 Apr 2014) We've held out some hope of a spring trip, but nature and schedules have not aligned themselves. t's been a strange year, with a strong start followed by a lot of warming; I had 5 days of rain this season, and several with icy conditions on lifts and trails. March turned out to be pretty good as a result of one big storm, and we ended the season with good skiing into April. All in all I did 36 days, and four "new" mountains, Mt. Snow, Stratton, Bretton Woods, and Loon. I did Snow and Loon many years ago, but so long that I consider them new.

Highlights of the season: Freshies for the first day, nice powder at Bretton Woods, doing Ovation twice in one day. On the other hand; Rain and ice with Eric at Snow and Stratton, lots of rain at Squaw and Alpine, the great Ice Day for my birthday at K.

So, it's time to hang them up for another year, send the ski gear off for a much-needed cleaning, waterproofing and summer storage, and turn toward the bike, and perhaps dream of a new South Ridge Chair for K.

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

	DATE	NOTE	PLANS, [and RESULTS]
Dec	??	Skiers' Hookey Day	Date TBD
Jan	1-5 (Wed-Sun)	Classes begin the 6th CK Reserved All 4 nights.	J Thu Steve and Colin Sat night and Sun. [Freshies to start the season. Nicest overnight powder dump in a long time and it kept coming all day. Low single digit temps but no wind so it didn't feel bad. Sub-zero with wind and sore legs made a slow-and-easy Friday. Warmer and windy Saturday and in the 30s with nice soft snow surface Sunday. Days 1-4]
	10-12	Stratton/Mt.Snow. Kitzhof Rm 15 Reserved.	Eric! [We chose to do Mt. Snow. Saturday because the forecast is better for Sunday. Variable firm to sticky snow with light rain in the morning. We had an early start and made it to 2:00, when the heavy rain started. Sunday at Stratton, a little powder on top of the hardpack. Most lifts closed for wind: Skied mostly off Ursa lift. Days 5,6.]
	17-20 MLK 3 Days	CK Reserved 3 Nights Fri-Sun	Colin [It's machine snow, but it's good and there's a lot of it. Big crowds. Lots of Canyon runs. Some fresh snow for Sunday, windy, and a bit colder. Monday more snow all day and getting cold late. Days 7-9.]
	24-26	CK Reserved 2 Nights	Andy, Chris. J & Stacia. [Snow all day Saturday. Single-digit temps Sunday, with wind. Days 10-11.]
Feb	1-2	Photonics West
	6-9 (Th-Su)	Squaw Valley: Drive up Thu 5pm, Ski Fr, Sa, Su. Drive to SFO Sun 5pm. SV Lodge Condo Reserved for up to 4 people.	[Friday Freshies! New snow in the AM and coming down all day. Most lifts closed but some nice powder on what was open. Squaw Creek and Red Dog in the AM, over to Alpine in the PM. Saturday on Squaw Creek and Red Dog in heavy rain. Sunday off Hot Wheels and Yellow at Alpine in similarly heavy rain. It was snow over about 7000 feet, and the skiing must have been great the day I flew home. Day 12-14]
	14-18 (F-M)	Loon Presidents' Week	Chris and Heidi. [Fresh snow all day Saturday at Bretton Woods with Chris and Heidi. A little wind-blown and cold but otherwise good with the gang on Sunday and Monday. Crowded lifts but some nice trails there and a lot of fun. Good food and good company at the house at Loon. Days 15-17.]
	21-23	CK Reserved 2 Nights	Matt and Tristan, Ali, Chris on Saturday. [Saturday was a difficult day with a big Friday-night ice storm closing lots of lifts in the morning, and pretty variable conditions. Things opened up a bit more in the afternoon, and it was fun to end the day with a birthday beer. Sunday was much better, with great grooming; we did Outer Limits, Ovation, Double Dipper, and Cascade before lunch. The snow gods rewarded us for our tenacity on Saturday. Days 18-19]
Mar	Feb28-Mar2	CK Reserved Fri 28 Feb to Sun AM, 9 Mar	Joseph Fri night through Mon night. [Nice groomed runs Sat. Colder and faster Sun. Days 20-21]
	2-7 (S-F)	Spring Break CK Reserved Fri 28 Feb to Sun AM, 9 Mar	Jason Wed AM through Thu PM. Steve K. Thu night through Fri. [Single Digit high Mon. with Joseph, Teens Tue solo taking it easy in the cold. Grooming is keeping the snow nice. Snow through the day Wed (Click for track) : Not a lot but enough to make a difference. Best day of the trip and lots of diamonds with J. Thursday (Click for track) with J a tree day and warmer. Friday with Steve getting warmer. Days 22-26]
	7-9	CK Reserved Fri 28 Feb to Sun AM, 9 Mar	Andy [Saturday was good spring skiing in the morning and colder late in the day. Soft snow on OL, Cascade, DD. Sunday back to winter until very late in the day. Time for our annual run on Juggernaut. Days 27, 28]
	15-16	No Friday Travel CK Reserved Sat only	Alec. [Sat. Heavy new snow for Valley Plunge, Vertigo, Bittersweet, Ovation, Conclusion, BB, EF, DD, Cascade, OL, Skyelark DF, DD. Temps high 30s. Sunday, despite temps in the teens, the snow didn't freeze, but became nice soft powder. Revisited OL and Ovation, DD, and some less traveled ones. Days 29,30.]
	21-23	CK Reserved 2 Nights	Matt and Tristan. J and Stacia will join Sat night. [A little bit of snow this week was just enough to keep conditions great. K is still 100% open. Best run, Double Dipper on Saturday. Days 31,32.]
	28-30	CK Reserved 2 Nights	Andy [Nice spring snow on Saturday with sun and 40ish temps. Rain and ice, with few trails open Sunday. Good day to be lodge-bunnies. Days 33,34.]
Apr	4-6	CK Reserved 2 Nights (BM Mogul Weekend)	Chris. [Another ice day Saturday. Sun and 30s for great spring skiing Sunday. If this is the end of the season, it's a good end. Days 35,36.]
	and beyond???	April Skiing is unpredictable. We'll go after this only if it really looks good. In 2010, we hit Jay Peak on 1-2 May to close the season. Other years, we've barely made it through March.