It's almost time for Gathering 8.5!!!

[g o]

hey sk,
the brokedown palace is equipt with ... dish network!
its old, its drafty, but there ain't no place i'd rather be.
i have a small tv there but maybe we'll have to carry a bigger unit up there. and maybe get a splitter and a some cable so we can have two viewing stations.

your just lucky that it is the pats and not the soxs or there would be "no tv for you" (said like the soup nazi).
go

 

[Sugarloafer]

King Tut...you're absolutely right about the Sugarloaf website and Roehemr's (sp) reporting !! Here's a link to my personal favorite for that area :

http://www.uswx.com/us/wx/ME/kgnr/

Also, here's a link to the "Unofficial Sugarloaf Chat Room". Once ina while there can be some decent info on there when you get by some of the 14 year olds posting in there.

http://www.mydigitalrealm.com/chat/

As KT mentioned Trav's website is pretty good too...he has a nice blog this year. Great pics of the area too !!

 

[teejay]

Caribou Valley

Sherpa,

Sign me up for your trip into Caribou Valley on Saturday. Like Audrey, Redington isn't necessary for me.

teejay

 

[MichaelJ]

All signs point to me being on the CVR ski as well. Based on what I plan to do Friday at Sugarloaf I'll probably be too wiped on Saturday for the Bigelows loop. Sorry for any inconvenience with my earlier posts about doing that hike differently than Seema's original plans. I don't need Redington, but I wouldn't mind knocking it off my winter list if we get up there. I seem to remember that upper section of road beyond the pond being a sweet ride back down.

 

[Mad Townie]

If they're running logging trucks up the CVR road, it might be a little "less interesting" on Sunday than on Saturday!

 

[audrey]

MichaelJ,

We're planning on Sugarloaf on Friday too. How about the Widowmaker Lounge, 8:30 am?

 

[MichaelJ]

We're planning on Sugarloaf on Friday too. How about the Widowmaker Lounge, 8:30 am?

That works for me; I hope to be there around 8:15 (leaving Farmington at 7am) Is the Widowmaker an appropriate place to leave a boot bag, or would that be elsewhere in the lodge?

And then straight onto the SuperQuad for as-close-to-first-tracks-as-possible on Tote Road? Then Glancer and King's Landing and Scoot and Windrow, oh my!

We'll have DougPaul and King Tut with us, plus MEB once she caves in to peer pressure.

This could be the day I finally hit Hayburner, ice notwithstanding.

 

[hikerfast]

the loaf

does sugarloaf have green trail from top to bottom? i havent skiied in a couple years, and not since i lost weight on atkins. should be a lot easier without the extra padding. ive skiied blues before, and black diamond tiger trail at gunstock, which i heard is a candy as&% black trail compared to usual

 

[SherpaKroto]

Sherpa,

By 7:59??? Are you taking us on a 12-hour tour on Saturday? I don't much care if I get to Redington - a loop around the valley will be just fine, especially if we have to park on Rte 27!

The only goal I have for Saturday is to strap the skis on and point them up the road to play in the snow. That, and a few hot rum ciders I just want to be back for happy hour, er, kickoff.

GO and Vo,
You will be forever enshrined as Hosts with the most if you keep this up. I am excited and it is only Tuesday!

'Loafers: My plans are for Sunday River on Friday, but they could change if the Gristers prefer the 'Loaf. I know what some of you look like, so I'll keep my eyes peeled for you.

 

[MichaelJ]

Yes, there are some great green options at the 'Loaf. Look on the map at the trails I mentioned doing in my earlier post. In particular, Tote Road and the trails to either side of it.

There's even easier green stuff on the other side in the Whiffletree area, too.

 

[king tut]

That works for me; I hope to be there around 8:15 (leaving Farmington at 7am) Is the Widowmaker an appropriate place to leave a boot bag, or would that be elsewhere in the lodge?

And then straight onto the SuperQuad for as-close-to-first-tracks-as-possible on Tote Road? Then Glancer and King's Landing and Scoot and Windrow, oh my!

We'll have DougPaul and King Tut with us, plus MEB once she caves in to peer pressure.

This could be the day I finally hit Hayburner, ice notwithstanding.

There are tons of cubby holes in the upper and lower king pine rooms to leave your bag. You can also store them under the tables. Only leave it in the widowmaker if you are planning on drinking there all day like Bode Miller apparently does. Also, upper timberline from the top of the timberline chair(top of the mt) is a really easy run. If i get anyone killed by this information, i apologize in advance, but it is pretty flat.

 

[audrey]

MJ: The Widowmaker Lounge is huge and has loads of space for your stuff. Hayburner, huh? Oh, OK...

I wouldn't get my hopes up that the west side will be open or very good. If it is, then Glancer is the best!

 

[MichaelJ]

Well, you've seen me on the west side before, Audrey!

Those trails have been open and groomed so far, even to the summit. Hopefully the warm week won't kill them, or I'll be a sad panda.

I like the idea of leaving my stuff in a King Pine cubby better than just in Widowmaker, especially since after skiing I don't plan to stick around for drinks, but go straight over to Go's to set up camp while it's still light out.

Now if we can decide on Bullwinkles (my vote) vs. The Bag for lunch, and set a time, so that anyone who misses us in the morning can catch us later...

 

[DougPaul]

Now if we can decide on Bullwinkles (my vote) vs. The Bag for lunch, and set a time, so that anyone who misses us in the morning can catch us later...

Perhaps we should wear alligator costumes so we can spot each other on the slopes as well as in the lodge...

Eggs anyone?

Doug

 

[MichaelJ]

Perhaps we should wear alligator costumes

I have a VFTT sticker across the top of my helmet. Of course, if I don't fall you might not spot it...

 

[audrey]

Oops, King Pine, that's what I meant. Thanks, we'd never have met! I vote for Bullwinkles at 11:30. They have Geary's HSA (ESP? FSB? Whatever it is!).

 

[Sugarloafer]

does sugarloaf have green trail from top to bottom? i havent skiied in a couple years, and not since i lost weight on atkins. should be a lot easier without the extra padding. ive skiied blues before, and black diamond tiger trail at gunstock, which i heard is a candy as&% black trail compared to usual

Yes.....the Timberline Trail is rated Green and is a nice wide, long cruiser and is definately the easiest way down from the summit. This trail was in excellent shape last weekend. One top to bottom run that's fairly easy is Timberline to Scoot to the bottom of Tote Road back to the Super Quad....check out the trail map because there's a couple of intersections and a turn the could be a little confusing and easy to miss. Other Blue Square options that are fairly moderate include Tote Road and Binder.....Tote is a wide, three mile long cruiser and Binder, although not steep, is pretty narrow...good for practicing short turns !!

In general the snowmaking and grooming crews have done an excellent job with what they've had to work with...not much natural snow. I'd characterize the skiing as "good", not stellar. My routine is to get out by 8:30 am and finish by 2:00 pm....after that, in my opinion, most of the trails are pretty skied off and the flat light bothers my aging eyes. It seems a lot of you folks are skiing on Friday so the crowd levels may be lower and the snow might last longer. At any rate, have fun !!!

 

[Sugarloafer]

MJ: The Widowmaker Lounge is huge and has loads of space for your stuff. Hayburner, huh? Oh, OK...

I wouldn't get my hopes up that the west side will be open or very good. If it is, then Glancer is the best!

The west side is open...Windrow and Scoot were awesome last weekend and Glancer was open, but ungroomed. The West Mountain trail is open, but I understand its really only suitable for the folks "commuting" on it. The Bucksaw Chair is running, so if its a sunny day you can work on your tan riding the slowest chairlift in the East !!

BTW, conditions on Hayburner have been great !

 

[coldfeet]

Non skier here...I'm thinking of hiking sugarloaf and hiking back down....are all of you hiking up and skiing down?

 

[MichaelJ]

Non skier here...I'm thinking of hiking sugarloaf and hiking back down....are all of you hiking up and skiing down?

While there are some people here who would do that, and I totally respect them for it, but I personally am all about using the lifts, and the group that's going Friday will also be taking that same approach. I like the idea of getting in a dozen runs (plus I don't own tele gear, so I'd have to hike up in my alpine boots or carry a change of boots in a pack).

So ... 8:30a in the King Pine room upstairs to meet; be ready to go so we can get right on the SuperQuad to carve some corduroy. If *I* am the latecomer (oh, the far-too-likely irony) you needn't wait - go enjoy first tracks and I'll find you at the base of the SuperQuad, on those west side trails (NOT the West Mountain Trail ... yuck!), or at lunch.

Speaking of lunch, I propose noon at Bullwinkle's? Sorry, KT, but the majority opinion (plus my "organizer" veto power) is to go there. We know it's pricy, but the location is just too fun.