Last Day of 2012

Where do you ski on the last day of the year? Quite a few years we rang in the New Year with skiing till The ball dropped .Since then the Ski area has eliminated this fun night because of under age drinking . We knew ,early day skiing ,would be chaotic and lodge would be overcrowded, so instead we headed out to Prompton dam, where earlier in the year we picked out some good ski lines along their hiking trail system. We skinned in and made 3 full runs down a gentle pitched run that ended with some quick planning at the end to avoid tight trees and some natural obstacles. Great fun and lots of exercise we had on this last day of 2012.

Remembering those old Ktells

Ski Big Bear opened yesterday for the season and we were there. With today's snow and Holiday crowds at BigB we decided to try something else besides the normal ski. Way back in 1979 My mom bought me a pair of cheap skis , they were bright red and they slapped on the bottom of your shoes. I skied them across the road from my house that Winter and had a blast. In following years I went to buy other skis and eventually ended at ski hills , but you never forget your first. Today's ski was dedicated to those first plastic skis. We skied the same short pasture I skied so long ago.

Ski Belleayre

Belleayre Mt is on a ridge in the Catskills. State owned and run it is clearly our least favorite mt still operating in the Catskills region. We frequent all four of the areas ski centers every ski season , we decided on Belleayre this weekend since Big Bear wasn't open yet. There were three ways down from the top , alttle more than Local hills of Elk and Camelback were offering. We arrived early and lapped the short funs off the Lift 7 triple. Conditions were't bad considering the major rain event earlier in the week. Sno was rock hard but well placed snowgun droppings kept it maneurable. A long cold spell will help this mountain out this week. We have begun to out grow this mountain as my family evolves a skiers but will still like its aspects of it catering to the newbies with its lower mountain set aside for newest snowsport participants. New management will hopefully bring facilities in to the new millenium while still keeping skiing affortable for families.

Finally a ski day in PA Elk Mt

Thought Nov-Dec 2011 was tough on skiing , Well 2012 is way worse, Ski BigB ca't open till after Christmas, Camelback is closed on the Sat before the Holidays. Weather channel is getting worn out the house. Been driving by Elk mt all week and its been calling

Hit it up for just a few runs on my way home for the Holiday. What I found was a ski area working as hard as it could ( given the recent rain) to provide some skiing for its loyal base. Snowed the whole time I was there Maybe there is hope.

First Day of the New Season

First time out for the season Been a few seasons since we got out in November. Fun day up at Windham in the Catskills, took 12 runs top to bottom. Conditions were well early season so not a lot to expand on but still fun out there with Caleb.

Early season trail conditions can be rough , The Wall trail had a 3foot plus ditch at the bottom. We watched a unknowing skier yardsale it early. Caleb and I bet he couldn't cross it. He cleared it but his bindings released.