The cold gives way to a foot of snow in the Maine mountains!s

Sometimes the best ski days are the ones that are totally unexpected. While most of us in the northeast had suffered the affects of terribly cold weather this week and into the weekend, the forecast held out hope for some snow to end MLK weekend. Sure, the models only showed a few inches in the mountains, but a few inches is better than none and all skiers know that if it’s going to snow, the temps can hover around zero, it’s just not possible for snow to fall with temps so low.

As the weekend got closer and people got more and more giddy, the snowfall estimates began to grow until we woke up Sunday morning to a fresh blanket of the white stuff and light fluffy snow continuing to fall. The initial estimates of 4-6 inches at Sunday River had given way to a good foot and with the previous days of cold temps, the crowds had stayed away. It was one of those days that we like to call epic and while they don’t come along all that often, we appreciate these days more when they are unexpected.

Crazy weather hampers holiday week!

Yesterday brought a close to what was a crazy month of weather throughout the northeast. With vacation week in full swing at Sunday River, the resort has battled the wind all month long and has had most lifts closed on many days, including each day this past week. And while this has made some people unhappy with the mountain, it’s pretty unfair to blame them for closing lifts with dangerous wind conditions. Along with the safety of the guests and preventing damage to the lifts themselves, the wind out of the northwest can wreak havoc and like everybody else, Sunday River carries a heavy amount of insurance during the season. So just think about the premiums you pay each year for auto insurance for one car and then think about 500,000 visitors, 17 lifts, hundreds of employees, and all the buildings and structures. That’s a lot of money and not worth pushing it on dangerous days!

Families hit the slopes!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of one of the big weeks for ski areas around the country. Traditionally, Christmas vacation and February vacation weeks are the money makers for resorts and this year is no exception. Even with the fledgling economy, people are still spending on weeks in the mountains. And yet there was and is much concern over the total number of skier and rider visits for the year, one large component of the financial figures – filling the bed frames - is factored largely by these two weeks.

The snow is falling just about everywhere!

I suppose if you live anywhere where the temperatures typically get below freezing during the winter months, chances are you have had at least one snowstorm already this year. While the west coast, Rockies, and eastern seaboard have been hammered by storm after storm, even places like Las Vegas and New Orleans have received snowfall this winter and we’re still in the early stages.

This past week alone, some of my favorite mountains in the Sierra’s like Squaw Valley and Heavenly Mountain Resort have received totals of around 4 feet of snow. And while the amounts haven’t been as high, and normally aren’t, here in the east, Sunday River and Sugarloaf have each reached the 3 foot mark for December. What this means to skiers and riders is an abundance of early season terrain that normally doesn’t open until January or February.

Fire breaks out at Sunday River condo complex.

A fire broke out in one of the South Ridge Townhouses early Thursday that sent members of the Sunday River ski community into a frenzy. With many condo owners living a ways away, new of what had actually happened and the extent of the damage was fairly sparse. Thankfully, no one was injured and the extent of the damage was limited, but it surely one of those times when you really hope the owners had a good home owner insurance policy. Places like that are hard to replace and the cost can often times not be recovered.

There's a beautiful site above the slopes of Sunday River!

Sunday River has announced that Saturday, December 20th will be the grand opening of the new Chondola and there is quite a bit of buzz surrounding the event. It will also signal the beginning of night skiing at Sunday River – a first. And while the 20th is slated as the grand opening, there is much speculation that the lift could actually begin operations as early as this weekend. With all the chairs and gondola cars strung on the haul rope and the load testing completed today, it’s very possible that the regions newest super-lift will mark the beginning of a new era in New England skiing and riding.

All those ski lifts parts come together to make one big happy lift!

Seeing a ski lift in all its’ millions of pieces before the final touches are done is simply amazing. A few weeks ago I looked in parking lot 5 at Sunday River and there were piles and piles of gondola and chairlift components all neatly wrapped in shrink wrap and ready to be assembled. To most it’s probably nothing more than an eyesore, but to see how all the equipment comes together from chairlift grips to gondola door hardware, is simply amazing.

Why do ski boots have to hurt?

While I already have 11 days skiing under my belt, it seems that some of the same challenges I faced last year are once again rearing their ugly head. Yep, boot pain is once again a prominent part of my ski life. It doesn’t keep me from having fun or enjoying full days on the slopes, but why is it my ski boots are all nice and cozy like a pair of Beautifeel shoes. I suppose it’s partly the price you pay for buying stiff boots, but much of it has to actually do with my feet and aside from having them reshaped, it will just have to be something I deal with cause we all know that you can’t just have your feet reshaped. That’s just silly.

What type of ski lift will you ride this year?

With all the new types of ski lifts debuting in the world this year, it should come as no surprise that many are truly over-the-top. Perhaps the biggest installation is Whistler/Blackcomb’s Peak-to-Peak Gondola. While it isn’t a vertical lift that people will take to get up the mountain, it will transport skiers and riders from mid-mountain on Whistler to mid-mountain on Blackcomb. The cabins hold 28 passengers each and a couple even have clear floors so the people inside can have a first hand view of the valley, 1300 feet below. Me? I liked the old Sugarloaf gondola with its’ foggy windows and wood flooring.

Heavenly Opens with one trail and four high-speed lifts...

On Friday, November 28th, Heavenly Mountain Resort opened for the 2008/09 season with skiing on Orion’s. Yep, a 3000’ vertical gondola, a high-speed six-pack, and two high-speed quads for skiing on one, one-mile long trail. I know that it may sound a little hypocritical for me to be passing judgment on this move by Heavenly when I was skiing on one trail just a month ago, but one trail at Sunday River, which was serviced by one triple chair is a lot different than the massive amount of resources needed to have Heavenly open right now. Personally, I see Heavenly as a destination resort and not a locals hill and thus the early season skiing doesn’t attract new skiers. And still I applaud their efforts. Perhaps they got some good press in the Bay area and ticket sales will be all the better for it…

Honeymoons are pretty much the best...

Alas, Julie and I arrived here at Disney World on Sunday and I waited until today to get online. Not bad for me. We’ve had a blast thus far and still have a couple of days to play! Then it’s back to work and of course back to playing in the snow at Sunday River!

For all of you that have been to Disney, you know that one of the many things that Disney does really, really well, is prepare fabulous food options. Perhaps not so much in the parks as you are trying to move quickly from place too place, but the dinners at the resort restaurant have some of the best food you’ll find, especially ay Epcot. And yet here we are on our honeymoon and what is again my favorite thing to eat? Yep, ice cream. I joked that I would stop at every place that has it, but I haven’t done so because there are so many. Nevertheless, I’ll surely need some kind of fat burner when we get back or at least a visit to the gym everyday for the next year. Yikes!

The Chondola Construction moves ahead!

With a month left in the construction process of Sunday River’s Chondola, things are really starting to come together nicely. I’d say that last week’s rain probably posed a big problem for the whole schedule, but even through the weather, work went on. Looking up the line of the lift, there is a huge spool in the middle of the ski trail that is actually thousands of feet of steel rope that will be spliced together and will make up the haul rope (cable) that the chairs and gondola cabins hang from. The process of stringing the haul rope and splicing it can take weeks and is pretty complicated, but it’s also a really cool part of the process. Another cool part of the recent construction is in the picture above. Notice that they are pouring concrete around the whole structure and the walkways. If you look closely at some of the areas that haven’t had the final layer poured, you can see orange tubing, which is actually heat coiling. This keeps the surface from allowing ice to build up.

Bretton Woods readies the mountain for the new season!

As of Wednesday afternoon, Bretton Woods, part of Mountain Washington Resort, has fired up its snowmaking guns and is busy laying down a good base for the approaching ski season. There is already over a foot of snow at the Top o'Quad Restaurant, according to Chris Ellms, Director of Ski Operations for the Resort.

"We plan to get folks out on the snow just as soon as we can. From here on in, we'll be making snow at every opportunity and plan to open as soon as possible," says Ellms. "If the cold weather cooperates, and especially if Mother Nature blesses us with a couple of inches of new snow, we will be able to open as early as November 8th -- possibly even sooner!"

The first weekend of skiing is in the books!

What a difference a couple of days make. I was fortunate to ski Friday through Sunday this past weekend and in typical New England early season fashion, we had three distinct types of conditions. Early season skiing and riding is challenging and conditions are variable by the hour. This is one of the reasons that regardless of the open terrain, skiing and riding is always listing as “for advanced only.” This of course doesn’t stop every Tom, Dick, and Harry form thinking that they fall into that category and clogging up the trails that we refer to as the “White Ribbon of Death.”

Nonetheless, the weekend was fabulous. We skied spring like conditions on Friday, boilerplate hardpack on Saturday, and sticky and wet manmade on Sunday – top-to-bottom. Sunday was by far the best day and by mid-morning there were some nice zipper lines formed down the center of T2.

Day3 is now in the books and we’ll take a few days off to actually work…

Mount Snow readies the terrain park with a fresh coat... And then it rained!

With temperatures dipping into the lower 20s, snowmakers reported for duty at Mount Snow Saturday night, firing up the fan gun snowmaking machines on Launch Pad, a learning hill near the base area. By daybreak on Sunday, about three inches of snow had piled up and the terrain park crew moved in, setting up a small park with half a dozen features. The park opened to the public at 10 a.m. EST.


With temperatures in the 20s again last night the fan guns continued to run. The Launch Pad terrain park will be open to the public today as long as the snow holds. Visitors can secure a free lift ticket from employees stationed at the park. Visit the snow report at mountsnow.com for details and updated information.

Skiing and food - They go together!

Many would think that with a season full of skiing, skiers and riders would actually get in great shape and perhaps lose some weight, but interestingly enough, the opposite usually happens. I was discussing this with my nutritionist the other day and explaining the lifestyle of après ski, food, and booze. Yes, the exercise alone is great, but we but a ton of crap into our bodies while were off the slopes. Kind of makes you wonder if people try weight loss supplements in the off season.

The inside of a Chondola terminal!

Unless you a ski lift stops just before you get on or off, it’s rare that you get a look inside some of the inner workings of today’s high-speed lifts with all their gears, pulleys, wheels, sheaves, and conveyors. Granted, most of you don’t really care what’s inside as long as it works and it’s fast, but the terminals for high speed lifts are very fascinating. And yet as much as that may be the case, I can see why their aren’t really all that esthetically pleasing, which is why the bottom and top terminals are all covered, but this is a rare chance to see what the inside of one of Sunday River’s high-speed lists looks like. This picture is of the base return station for the new Chondola. While you can see a lot of wheels that are connected to conveyers and ultimately to the bull wheel, you won’t see any big engine. Not to worry, though. On this particular lift, the drive is in the top terminal. I hope we can get a good look in there soon as well, but things re coming along nicely as the season fast approaches.

Fall means ski sales galore!

One of the tell-tail signs that winter is coming are the massive amounts of ski shop tent sales. This weekend alone there were three in southern Maine and one at Sunday River. The sales are a great way to get good deals on new equipment and find some awesome bargains on last year’s models and clothes. Whether you’re looking for new ski pants, a new pair of skis, or even MBT shoes, fall is the time to look out in your local paper or watch for television commercials as this is the time of year for the best deals to get you ready to make the most of the winter sports season!

Can't it be winter already???

Here in the east were still waiting for the first snow. Sure, it’s only mid-October, but with the days growing shorter and overnight temps dropping, many of us are getting antsy for a little white stuff. Folks at Sunday River celebrated the end of summer and the nearing of winter with the annual Fall Festival. Thousands showed up and packed the lower lots for craft fairs, chairlift rides, and the annual wife carrying championships. Me, I wasn’t there. Jules and I had just closed on our house and the order of the weekend was to paint and paint we did. It was sad to miss the first gathering of our friends at the mountain, but it is a time to prioritize and with the wedding nearing, we want to get things ready for a seamless transition. I can’t help to think how cool it will be to see snow collect on the ground around our new home.

We'll miss Fall Festival 2008, but have other cool things to do!

Fall Festival at Sunday River is this weekend and sadly, Julie and I will miss it. Of course we do have a really good reason and that is that we are closing on our new house tomorrow in the morning and we'll be hard at work Saturday and Sunday, painting. Thankfully, the place need almost no work, but it does need some paint, according to Julie and since I don't have a choice, but to agree, well... Anyway, have fun at the North American Wife Carrying Championships!