December 9th, Birthday pow day (TR)

**Lbtchnlgs** · 12-09-2009, 03:59 PM

TR to come..

(and a few pics, harv)

**Danzilla** · 12-09-2009, 04:54 PM

Happy B-day. Bring the pics. Sounds like it was a good gamble.

**TomCat** · 12-09-2009, 05:14 PM

Based on the new cover, do you think they will be able to open up a lot of additional terrain by the weekend. Don't want to make the trip to ski topridge and quicksilver all weekend. Thanks.

tom

**Lbtchnlgs** · 12-09-2009, 05:53 PM

After feasting last night, we got home around 11:30. No snow.. Passed out quick due to half a growler of Arrogant Bastard Ale..

Awoke at 4:20ish

(just about the time I was born) Peaked out the window and saw about an inch of the good stuff. Took about a half hour to fall back asleep until 6 when I planned on leaving...

Quick bacon/egg sammy.. All gear besides boots on, took the Rome Flag 168 for the day, thing barley fits in the back of the 93 civic. And was off to the mountain.. around 7.

Got a mile down the road, little brother calls and tells me his 2hr delay boosted to a canclation, told him I'd be to the house in 20 to pick him up. 3 Minutes later the gf calls and says she ditching to to ski. Went back to the house to grab her stuff and meet her at Mom's. Snapped a quick picture of the deck before hitting the road again..

About 5" of fluff..

The Civy in all her glory

Roads were absolute garbage. No plows had been out yet, major crowns and nobody knew how to drive. Met everyone at Mom's grabbed some coffee, switched all the gear into the AWD Audi of the GF... Glad we did the switch-up.. The civic been through some good storms, good sand dunes, but I don't think it would have made it today...

Got on the Northway (I-87?)

via exit 12 and sped past everyone, Hit some plows around exit 20... Did some nice moves and left them in the dust. Temp was 30*F

It was just dumping out, exchanged many wide smiles with my little bro in the rearview mirror on the way up.

Finally.

Roads from Warrensburg up to the Mtn weren't that bad, maybe 3-4 Inches. Temp was 25 up there around 8:30. I was glad to see a 7* spread before the wet stuff, gave me hope that we'd have a full day of good snow

Pulled into the lot cranking a sweet version of Good Lovin from '70, Jerry and Pigpen were havin' a ball. Had to switch up the lyrics a bit .

I said Doctor, Doctor, mister M.D
Can you tell me, what's ailing me?

He said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
All you need, all you really need: good snow

almost positive it was the Port Chester show... http://www.archive.org/details/gd70-...315.sbeok.shnf

What a mess that parking lot is! Didn't take any pictures but it really just looks awful.

Did a few doughnuts and pulled up for an exclusive front row parking spot!
Looked like the Audi belonged there. So we walked into the lodge, noses high in the air.

Major dumping at the base, while getting dressed and waiting for the GF run a goose chase to get her pass that's 2 weeks late and was suppose to be here on Monday at the latest.. (was still in an envelope at the snowsports desk this morning)

We got on the Gondi around 10. OH.. what did it look like from the base?

Making snow on lower part of Sunway.

Walked right into the Gondi. Got up to the top, nice brisk wind to start the day, about 20mph. Topridge chair was running, ropes still up...

Was not excited to take Ruby down, but hoped we could catch enough speed to make the flats.. HAH!!!!

After making the hairpin around the fence you got a sample of 15-20 mph winds, after skating for 50 yards it was time to strap in and enjoy some fresh turns.

It was windy. easily 30mph coming around snoopy, his ears were flapping everywhere. Major drifting, like wakeboarding throw a continues set of waves until you crossed under the Gondi.

Making snow on showcase. 3B or whatever the name is could be open if it were all grass, though not sure how good the graded it after the work to widen it this summer.

Desperately needed Foxlair today, which also looked skiable. Was scared to duck any ropes so early in the season. With the wind the woods should have gotten loaded up pretty darn good.

Really had a blast besides all the skating in Ruby. It obviously skiied great, no more than 30 people skiing today, more cars in the lot than people on the hill.

Must admit, the lodge is looking nice, didn't go in the store but it looked okay, downstairs is a big change, and the old gondi building is pretty sweet inside. I think they are heading in the right direction if they want to turn it into a resort... Small steps I guess, theres still lots of work to be done!

Anyway, yeah so it was only the 1 run, they were blowing snow all day.

Harv has a nice pic of the Summit and the groomer getting first tracks on Pineknot and Topridge.

Topridge didn't end up opening, overheard someone saying Friday, would be crazy if they didn't open it tomorrow.. but oh well! Good things take time!

Rode until 1:00, the skating just tired us out, even the GF on skis was beat.

Highlights: Snowmaking "drift" to tree bonk just past the Gondi on skiiers right. Then a couple little natural booters in various spots down sunway.

I would say they had a foot when we left. By the time we got down to Mill Creek it was r*ining. Just lightly though, temp was 32. I wouldn't be surprised if it DID NOT change at the mountain.

This was my 2nd Birthday powder day. The last one was at Jiminy when I was a senior in highschool.

The mountain is going to be in awesome shape this weekend, and looks like from here on out. Like I said the woods are getting loaded with snow and as we all know it's goiing to be COLD for a while.

We're going to head back up tomorrow so you'll get another report, I hope they open some stuff up!

Some more random pics:

Didn't take any quality pics due to wind and snow.

This is my first TR, I know its mostly build up, to about 2 lines of actual ski report but the adventure to the mountain is just as fun.

**highpeaksdrifter** · 12-09-2009, 06:30 PM

Great report.

**fujative.** · 12-09-2009, 08:03 PM

Good stuff! Was definitely a fun day, other than the harsh winds. I did a whole lot of sitting on my tails and looking down. I'd say the best skiing was on skiers left of Quicksilver, some bumps were starting to form over there.

**Denison** · 12-09-2009, 09:48 PM

What a difference since Sunday. Thanks for the report

**Harvey44** · 12-09-2009, 10:01 PM

This TR is a tour de force. Reminds me of the version of Truckin' from Europe 72.

Some random comments first.

Love this pic: