Still looking for a spare chair...

A thread popped up recently on the Sunday River Forum about the replacement of Lift 7 with the “Chondola” and what that meant for the 25 + year-old lift. As you can imagine, lots of folks would love to get their hands on one of the Borvig triple chairs, but most haven’t a clue as to how much each of these weighs. Let’s put it this way – a lot. So anyway, we found out that the lift is scheduled for a re-install at another Boyne resort, which I think is fabulous. We have enough lost ropeways as it is and for those of us that want used chairs, they are out there.

Heavenly adds some Warren Miller to its' site!

Heavenly Mountain Resort has unveiled some new perks to its' website. Always a well-maintained and attractive site with tons of interactive features, Heavenly has finally devoted an entire sub-domain to videos. While you can see the latest Another Heavenly Morning broadcast and promotional videos, the coolest part is that they have been able to get the clips of all the Warren Miller movies where Heavenly has been featured, whether it be as Heavenly Valley or the modern day Heavenly Mountain Resort. It's a real treat to be able to catch all of these without having to rent or even find some of the movies as there are quite a few featuring Heavenly. Have fun with these clips...

Be prepared for any conditions

Changing conditions and weather force us to dress differently for every occasion and there is no exception to this rule when outfitting your police force, security force, or tactical training team. When the weather calls for hot conditions, it’s clear that no any old type of shorts will do. The men and woman serving in these roles needs comfort and functionality. 511 Tactical Shorts provide these features and many more from the brands you count on and trust.

A day of remembering

For some, today means a day off from work or school, a barbeque with friends, or a parade down Main Street, USA, but as a nation, Memorial Day is so much more. To me, it is a day to reflect on our mothers and fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, and uncles and aunts who served our nation and made it possible for us to become a great nation. It isn't just about those who served in wars oversees, but also those who served at home. There are those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation without selfishness. To be a proud American is to be proud of those who have come before us and understand the work they did to help provide a life for me and my family today. I am grateful and humble to those we honor today. I thank you for everything you did. My God bless and keep you.

Did you know you can ski in Vegas?

Aside form some of the grizzly crimes that are depicted on CSI, Las Vegas is primarily known as a city of lights, all night casino action, and more shows than any city in the world, but what if you go there and have no interest in any of that? The first answer is that perhaps you shouldn’t go, but some of us are stuck going for a reunion or bachelor party and while it can be fun to see the strip and the amazing architecture, there is more to do, which is what I found a few years back. On the practical side, thousands of tourists a year drive to the Hoover Dam to see this massive structure that is a modern American wonder. Me, I took the road less traveled and headed 45 miles out of town. While it was sunny a relatively hot in Vegas, a friend and I went to the Las Vegas Ski and Snowboard Resort. A modest mountain by most accounts, the resort is the only ski area in southern Nevada and is so close to downtown Las Vegas that people think I’m nuts when I tell them I went skiing while I was in Vegas. Others know that skiing is my first love and that I would do anything to make such a trip possible, but most people can’t believe there is a ski area so close to the desert. Of course there are plenty of other more conventional things to do in Las Vegas and Trusted Tours & Attractions has a great selection of packages and sightseeing tours. And whether you’re looking for the best tips on live action in Las Vegas, finding the right boat trip on the canals of Chicago, or are looking for things to do in Boston, sign up for the Trusted Tours & Attractions Newsletter today and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $150 iTunes gift card. Remember though, you must sign up by May 31st to be eligible to win.

Still some snowy surprises this Memorial Day weekend

This year may not have been the snowiest on record in the northeast, but we did receive greater snowfall than average years. This means a couple things this particular weekend. First, the snowpack is still deep in many places that are usually bare this time of year and second, some hiking trails either remain closed or are dangerous for people used to traveling on dry ground. While it isn’t uncommon for Tuckerman Ravine to still have good snowpack, it is rare for the snowfields to have as much snow as they do on Mount Washington and this means that some routes to the summit are still covered. This can be good news for those prepared for an exciting snow-filled hike and for those who have crampons and ice axes, but for the average hiker, the snow can be dangerous. If you’re in the middle of a long hike and you sink into the snow in regular hiking shoes you can either lose one or get your foot very cold and wet. The latter can lead to hypothermia. The best practice is to check local hiking conditions before heading out into the wilderness.

Mount Snow to host spring contest!

One of the best part of the late spring is that while most people have hung up their ski gear and haven't thought about the sport for well over a month, there are still lots of folks out there doing their best to make turns on the remnants of what was stockpiled over the past season. While Mount Washington is always the late spring favorite for its' lasting pockets of snow and high elevation, some resort get in on the action from time to time and host small events to keep people stoked. One such event will take place at Mount Snow this coming weekend where they'll host a small rail jam with park elements. Granted, there won't be much vert and the turns all all earned, it's a great way to get out there, get on the snow, ans see some other enthusiastic skiers and riders.

From days gone by...

With a brisk wind sweeping over the western ridge, I walked under the old Chair 7 Saturday morning, catching a last glimpse of the Borvig triple chair that some 25 years ago was considered high-tech. And while two others will still be in use next year at Sunday River, the new Doppelmayr hybrid will replace the triple and serve up a unique lift experience. I was admittedly a little sad looking up at the old painted brown chairs, but also look ahead to the excitement that will come next year. My hope is that the old triple will be sold and rebuilt on another mountain. Such practice is commonplace in the ski industry, especially with the price of new lifts and the few companies that still make them. And it was that same Saturday night that I cam across this old painting of Sunday River from 1972 – a special piece even before Borvig made its’ mark..

Somewhere in Western Maine - A True Story!

With the distant sun blocked by a thick band of haze, Jules and I scaled Jordan Mountain at Sunday River this past Saturday to get last turns of the season without having to head to Tuckerman. Yes, I plan to make the pilgrimage to Tuck's this weekend, but Jules wanted another day and with her condo at Sunday River, this made sense. While there were few routes down and out skis needed to come off, it was a great day for her to claim day 48 and me to grab day 90!

Have a choice with a walk-in tub

While most people find showers to be much more efficient for cleaning purposes, a lot of older citizens don’t have the stamina to stand in a shower and lack the ability to lift themselves in and out of a regular bathtub. And yet there is a freedom that comes from being able to perform your basic activities of daily living that older people don’t want to lose; walk in tubs allow that freedom to continue.

Time to earn 'em

Being stuck on 89 days for skier days this year is not where I want to be and I think I would be a little upset if I were to not reach 90 days for the season. Of course the lifts have all shut down and there is only one way to reach such a goal. Some say the folks that hike for turns are a little nuts, but I think it has more to do with a peruit of the aforementioned "search." Hiking in the spring and skiing down a slope that still has cover is a fusion of two sports and a rare chance to get onto the slopes in a situation where everything is peaceful. Don't get me wrong, this is not an activity for folks who are not advanced skiers or riders or for anyone not willing to exert themselves a bit - you've got to carry your equipment up there in order to ski it down. That being said, Jules and I will attempt some turns at Sunday River tomorrow. While we will have to survey the resort from afar before decided on where we'll make out ascent and subsequent descent. Given that we're not there yet, I don't have pictures, but I'll certainly post some when I do.

Season Finale at Heavenly Valley

Okay, so it's not called Heavenly Valley anymore, but the title rhymes, so there. Highlighted by 15 feet of snow in January alone, Heavenly had an epic ski season that came to a close on May 4th, two weeks later then usual. While plenty of snow covers the trails and glades above Lake Tahoe, the season changes quickly and people turn their sights to the Blue World for the next several months. For those still looking to make turns in the Tahoe Basin, head to Squaw Valley for lift-served terrain or strap your skis to you back and head up anywhere into the Sierras. Make sure to check out the season-ending thank you video from the staff at Heavenly Mountain Resort!

Tuckerman Awaits!

It was only a few weeks ago when a friend told me that I better get up to Tuckerman Ravine soon if I wanted to do it at all this year. While this person might not exactly be an expert on the best time to go to Tuck's, he gave a summery of what was open and the snow pack. Little did he know, the parts that he thought would soon close, aren't places I care much about and furthermore, the places with the best cover are the steepest parts of the ravine. Of course I think part of the motivation was that he'd just been after a week of 70 degree temps and we have seen those since. In fact the Ravine has had quite a bit of snowfall since. Now all I need to do it lock in a date!

Lifts come to a creaking halt...

I had been holding out hope that at least one ski area would step up and offer lift-serviced skiing this weekend, but it seems that despite plenty of cover at several areas, everyone has thrown in the towel. And yes, I've been asked why I haven't done the same... Really? Me, throw in the towel on my favorite season? Not likely, especially when I have the best fiancee in the world that doesn't want to stop either. So yeah, we'll be hoofing it this weekend!

Let the experts tell you which acne treatment is best

If you’ve struggles or are struggling with acne, you know that finding a medicine that not only works, but is affordable is pretty hard. It would be great if you could just take what each company says for being true, but the fact is that they are trying to sell a product and theirs just might not be for you. It’s good to know that there is a place you can go to find the best acne treatment from experts who know.

The snows of Sugarloaf

Julie and I set out early Saturday morning for the last lift-serviced skiing of the year. With three resorts offering said service this weekend, we headed to Sunday River's sister resort, Sugarloaf. While the sky was gray and the threat of rain was constant, we met up with about 10 other Sunday River folks and enjoyed a fabulous day of soft turns with some sweet sounds being played live on the deck of the Base lodge. After checking into our room in Stratton, Julie and headed back to the mountain to The Bag, one of my favorite restaurants on the mountain. Normally it's so packed you can't see across the room, but there were only a few brave souls left.
Sunday started with lots of promise in the sky to the west. It looked as though it was lightening up after a night of fairly steady rain, but then on the second or so ride up the lift, the rain began to fall at a steady clip. The wind was ripping at the top of the quad, but the snow was awesome. Our numbers for day two were cut in half, but not the smiles. Nonetheless, after about a half-dozen runs, we threw in the towel as are clothes were soaked through. It would have been nice to have had some sun this weekend, but good friends and soft snow made it great! Next weekend with either be back at Sugarloaf if they turn a lift or at Sunday River hiking for turns.
TODAY WAS DAY 89, MY HIGHEST TOTAL EVER!!!!

Is this the last weekend??? :(

Early tomorrow morning, Julie and I will head north on our way to Sugarloaf for one last fling with lift-served skiing. With a surprise 8 inches of snow falling earlier this week and some nice mid-week temps, the Loaf is gonna go off this weekend. While both Sugarbush and Jay Peak in Vermont will both also open for the weekend, Sugarloaf hasn’t turned off their lifts thus far, making them the unofficial “King of Spring,” even after all that rain we got earlier this week. So while Sunday may mark the end of the lift-served season, there is still hope that someone will come out of left field and attempt another weekend opening. If not, we’ll just have to earn our turns.