Killington Skiing

We love living at Killington on winter weekends at Ken Lee's house.  There is always something fun going on and it often involves friends and food!!  One night Helen and Rick joined us for dinner.  Good fun, good friends and good conversation!!

Lance Ida

Ken Lee

Helen

Helen, Ken, Lance, John, Rick, Arlene

Arlene and Rick

John Warren, Jr.

Lance and Cher

Arlene, Cher and Helen

It's so much fun to rip down the trails together.  A weekend in March was a 10 (yes Ken - a 10!!!!).  The sun was shining, the sky was deep blue, the surface was sublime and ranged from butter to packed powder to powder bumps!  Everything we love to ski!

Arlene Ida

Lance Ida

John Warren, Jr.

Ken Lee

Outer Limits getting a covering of velvet.

Looking across Snowdon and Ramshead

Enjoy!!!
Cheri & John

Killington - March 9 & 10, 2013

WOW!!  What a weekend!  It was a 10.  Blue ski and sun!!!

Check out our bump skiing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KlvEClfkug&feature=share&list=UUKTJ3LZJ5tpMsfaCVVhfwOA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVkwAWS7_ns&feature=share&list=UUKTJ3LZJ5tpMsfaCVVhfwOA

Fun in the sun!!

Enjoy!
Cheri & John

Utah - Day 5 - March 1, 2013

Well we awoke and the fog was down to the base.  So we had a choice.  We could hang out and hope the fog lifted or we could say - great trip - let's head to Antelope Island,..... so knowing us....what do you think?

Yep - Antelope Island!!  $31 car and let's go!!

On the way, we stopped at our favorite diner - The Village Inn and had lunch and a slice of pie!!

Then on to the adventure!

Enjoy!
Cheri & John

Utah - Day 4 - Feb 28, 2013

Another great day!!!   Great skiing, great snow!!!

After skiing, we went to the Mexican place and enjoyed the live music, drank a few beers and ate tamales!!  It made me really remember what fun is all about!!

Enjoy!
Cheri & John

Utah - Day 3 - Feb 27, 2013

After all these years of waiting to helicopter skiing, we finally were going to track up fresh pow pow only we were going to do it with a snow cat!!

This specially designed groomer's only mission is to provide fresh, soft turns for these happy looking skiiers.  We were lucky to be out with 7 other like minded people for this adventure along with two wonderful ski patrolers; Seth Orkin and Jono Greene.

The day begins with a fantastic breakfast at the Forklift.  Then you take the 8:30 tram up, which is 30 minutes before the public.  Two runs are had - one on groomed track and one in powder.  Then, it is back to the ski patrol shack for avalanche training.  Each person is given a transponder and taught how to search for others with it.  Sign the release and away you go!

We are all outfitted...we've been tested to be sure we are working by Seth and then it's onto the Path to Paradise and ultimately the Bookends Traverse...about a mile of traversing and hiking up.

Once we traverse to the edge of the ski area boundary at Bookends, we pop through a closed gate and we are into the back country!

The first chute is called High Alter and boy was I praying!!  The first few turns are tough and then it opens into a gorgeous untracked area surrounded by trees. 

Exhilarating!!!!!  At the bottom we are on a cat track made just for us and then we are down at the cat for the first ride up!!!

The next run was in  Lookout Chute.  Then the next run was one they had not done previously so they asked us to name it,  Our Group was led by Jono and Seth and our the skiiers were JP, JF, Seth, Scott, J&C Warren and Charlie. so I suggested, the The J'S have it, to commenerate all the J and S names in our group!
 
After that we did two in the Lion's Den.  The group was so great and everyone took turns going first and enjoying each other!

The final run was in Lower Pagon and what a run it was!!  Long and exciting.  John and Cheri got to go first.  John stopped by a cliff to watch Cheri make the final series of turns.  At the bottom, Cheri was hanging with Jono and all the sudden we looked up at John and all we saw were his skis straight up in the air!  Ut oh!  Was his head buried in snow?  Jono yelled to Charlie who skiied down to him......no - he was OK!!!!  The snow doesn't compact near cliffs and so his left ski began to collapse, he put his pole down to steady himself and next thing he knew, he was upside down!!  Charlie gave him a hand an pulled him right out of the rabbit hole!!!!

Enjoy!!

Utah - Day 2 - Feb 26, 2013

Woke up the next morning and OMG did we have legs!  It was snowing and we were anxious to get at it!  We were in line 15 minutes early at 8:45 and raring to go.  That's when we learned that conferences could book the lift!  Some group had it from 8-9 AM and were tracking up our powder! 

Finally it was 9 AM and up we went.  Did you ever hear of blind sking?  Boy - do they have our sympathy!  We couldn't see a thing, but the turns were soft and fun!  After skiing for a few hours we decided to let our legs rest. 

That afternoon, we found an advertisement for Snow Cat Skiing!  So, we called.  They offer snow cat skiing for a morning.  We decided to go for it!!!!

Utah - Day 1 - Feb 25, 2013

Well we finally made it to Utah to ski.  Last year we got closed out by rotten weather.  This year, just the opposite!

As usual, our logistics would make the average person nauseous!  Cheri had an IEEE PES Board meeting in DC.  John was supposed to fly from Boston, but the weather had other plans and so he flew from Albany.  They intersected in Charlottte and continued the journey to Salt Lake together.  By the time they were tucked in bed, it was 1 AM.  Yikes!

Our friends were on a bus trip that week and the one day they would definitely be at Alta or Snowbird was Monday!  Of course!

So - up early, ticket upgrades to Alta and off we went.  A perfect high pressure system brought blue skies and lots of sunshine.  We hopped on the Peruvian lift and at the top jumped into the tunnel to get to Mineral Basin.  That tunnel is way cool!  A ride up Baldy and we were at the gate to enter Alta.

We hooked up with our friends and took them on an adventure!  ski, ski, ski....legs, legs, legs!! Owweeeeee.

Enjoy!!
Cheri & John