My Retirement Year: An Ongoing Skiing TR

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Originally Posted by MyNameIsAugustWest

Day 50: Killington, VT (Ikon Pass)

What a day. Had originally planned to ski at Magic but Goniff convinced me that the Beast of the East was the play for today. With only a few days left before I head west, I wanted to use as many of my Killington/Ikon days as possible. We parked at Bear Mountain and headed up after linking up with Rusty from K-Zone (not to be confused with RustyGroomer from TGR).

After a quick warmup on a mostly soft groomer, we headed for Devil's Fiddle. Goniff compares DF to Blackline at Magic and although DF is much wider, the terrain is similar. Didn't hit too much on the way down and when we looked back up, it was shocking how many rocks were exposed:
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Skied a couple of low angle tree runs. Goniff snapped this pic of Rusty in Arthur's (?):
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We then proceeded to Stitchline, a narrow, natural snow trail under the Needle's Eye quad. It's amazing how much better natural snow skis...
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After several laps on Double Dipper, another natural snow trail, I was getting hungry so we agreed to head back to the K-1 base for something from the Taco Truck. To get there, we skied Anarchy, a pretty steep and tight tree run.

Lunch was muy bueno
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We ended our day back at the Bear base. Subaru was doing some big promotion so we grabbed some swag. The Ghost of Paul Revere, a band out of Portland, ME was playing but I had to get back to take care of my dog so we had to split earlier than we wanted to
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The weather is not looking promising. It's currently 45* at 10pm and the wind is howling. Rain is forecast tonight and then a big temperature crash tomorrow night should lock things up solid. That makes the skiing today even more great....

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Soft snow and bumps at Killington, that is a good day. Now, head west young men

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Early morning double post cleanup , more coffee needed..

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Originally Posted by Aldo

Days 49 / 50 sound like good ones!
Quality skiing right there. Really glad to see you making the most of a well earned season! My sister is a regular on Thursdays, heard this past was a keeper!
Loving this tour!



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Just found this thread this afternoon. An august retirement trip report. Very entertaining. Keep going and hoping you get to 100.

Thnx.

Day 51: Magic Mtn, VT (Magic Pass)
Goniff and I went out early yesterday in hopes of sliding on some spring-like snow before it got grabby. We were rewarded.

Even thought the first couple of laps involved drizzle and fog, the snow was soft and moveable without being too sloppy or grabby.
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A little later the sun came out and the temps soared to almost 50*. The natural snow trails were getting thin but still skied great until 11-ish when they started to get pretty manky. Snowmaking trails also skied great but in a different way.

It's been a shit snow year so far in SoVT and Goniff and I are starting our western odyssey in about a week so we tried to milk as many good runs as we could, Weather forecast calling for a lockup today and then 50* temps and rain before next weekend. The good news is that it looks like the weather pattern for Wydaho is starting to change in the right direction.

Mrs. MNIAW is dealing with her mom's declining health and I will likely spend a couple of days this week with her south of Boston so not a lot of skiing for the upcoming week.

You are going to be in great shape for your Western swing. Stay strong with the mrs, not easy times

Best wishes with the MIL August. Was just looking at open snow and thought your timing was going to line up with some activity in the Tetons.


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Sorry I didn't make it over ta Maine yet this year. Hoping to hit the Loaf when we get back.

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Originally Posted by MyNameIsAugustWest

Sorry I didn't make it over ta Maine yet this year. Hoping to hit the Loaf when we get back.

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I’m also dealing with an aging parent in the Upstates so understand that the struggle is real. Vibes. I will also be cleared to ski myself in the next couple weeks and will have some cases of Utica Club and pent up Jones to get out when you return from the Tetons. Get in touch when you head to Maine and I’m in. Plan a day at Saddleback with me.

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Originally Posted by singlecross

I’m also dealing with an aging parent in the Upstates so understand that the struggle is real. Vibes. I will also be cleared to ski myself in the next couple weeks and will have some cases of Utica Club and pent up Jones to get out when you return from the Tetons. Get in touch when you head to Maine and I’m in. Plan a day at Saddleback with me.

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Will definitely plan on a day at Saddleback!

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Originally Posted by MyNameIsAugustWest

Sorry I didn't make it over ta Maine yet this year. Hoping to hit the Loaf when we get back.

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yessah bub, I'll join the saddleback mission too

Cool, may have to cross-post in the hook up forum...

Positive thoughts for Mrs. MNIAW and her mom

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^^Thank you my friend. As you can see below, I'll be seeing you soon.

My westward trek has begun. Logged a little over 800 miles today starting in VT and ending up right next to the University of Notre Dame.

First state (and widest thus far):
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Grabbed a quick bite at Charlie the Butcher near the Buffalo airport. I used to plan my trips there (when I worked with TSA and oversaw that airport) to be there on Thursdays because CtB had prime rib sandwiches. Had to settle for a Beef on a Wieck; if any of you know what that is, you know it wasn't much of a compromise.
Southwest of Buffalo, I came upon....
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Pennsylvania was a short transit but I had views of Lake Erie out my passenger window almost the entire trip through there.
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Then came OH - IO and a trip through the mistake on the lake. Couldn't get a good pic of the welcome sign as I was penned in by trucks on 3 sides...
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Last state today was the Hoosier State
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I used to think PA and NJ had the worst roads in the country but we have a new frontrunner. No idea how much the tolls were today but they need to spend that money on fixing up these wagon paths they call interstates.

Ended up in a $40 motel just outside Notre Dame. I've slept in worst places but remember, I was in the Army for 20 years and lived in a helicopter for 5 months....

Doing this on the cheap so dinner was nuthin' fancy but brought my own beers.
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Listened to some good traveling music (ABB, Little Feat, Boz Scaggs, Cars, Zep, Beatles) and then started a pretty good book on Audible (Space Man by Mark Massemino).

Taking 10 days off has made a world of difference in my knee pain. I also followed Kokomas' advice and got an Incrediwear sleeve and that has really helped. I'll be ready to ski on Thursday at JHMR!

I love this thread. I'll keep lurking!

Road trips are the best! Safe travels

A little traveling song to get stuck in your head… you’re welcome!

So no pictures today. I passed from Indiana into Illinois in a rainstorm and being just south of Chicago, the traffic was nuts.

While it was 50° in South Bend when I left, somewhere west of Chicago, it dropped almost instantaneously to 34°.

Upon crossing the mighty Mississipp, temps dropped below freezing and I drove through a freaking thunderstorm at 29°.

Ice was starting to build on my rear view mirrors so I slowed to a reasonable 50mph. Not everyone did. It was bad. I lost count of the number of cars and semis off the road but it was easily close to 50 of them in a 40-mile stretch.

By the time I got to Omaha, the rain had stopped and the sun sorta came out but it was down to 10°. Stayed that way to North Platte, NE which is my overnight.

Almost 14 hours to get here. I’m ready for a beer.


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You have the worst of the drive behind you. Enjoy that beer

That was a shitty front to drive through, of course it's poring here again. Godspeed my friend.

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Originally Posted by cat in january

You have the worst of the drive behind you. Enjoy that beer

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yup
The pretty parts lie ahead. Looking forward to the next week or so of this thread.

Fark! I did that same drive a few weeks ago. N.E. to Jackson.
2nd day is the longest, but the by the 3rd day your like ‘get me out of this car’. I-80 in Wyoming can be downright scary in the winter.
Don’t know your car but gas up in Ogallala, then Cheyenne then Rock Springs. Watch what gas you put in your car. They like to sell “regular” as 85 octane not 87 and some places (loves) will put 15% ethanol instead of 10%.
Safe drive.
Props on getting this done. When I retired 5 years ago I took 10 weeks and put on 10,000 miles.

I think it's funny that an EC person thinks that 85 is a scam.

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Originally Posted by Ski220

Fark! I did that same drive a few weeks ago. N.E. to Jackson.
2nd day is the longest, but the by the 3rd day your like ‘get me out of this car’. I-80 in Wyoming can be downright scary in the winter.
Don’t know your car but gas up in Ogallala, then Cheyenne then Rock Springs. Watch what gas you put in your car. They like to sell “regular” as 85 octane not 87 and some places (loves) will put 15% ethanol instead of 10%.
Safe drive.
Props on getting this done. When I retired 5 years ago I took 10 weeks and put on 10,000 miles.

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Our overnight stop is always North Platte from Iowa. We gas there with the no ethanol at the gas station by the dog friendly La Quinta at mm 179 on the north side of the interstate. Get close to Cheyenne, check road and wind conditions, fuel levels. If anything is sketch about the road or weather or big headwinds over Happy Jack we fuel. Otherwise gas in Laramie, then Rock Springs.

Glad you made it through Iowa okay. Our little ice storm could have been way worse than it was. I-80 sucks.

$40 hotel rooms! Damn that’s an hourly rate round these parts!

Hammer down mang!!


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I definitely got bad gas inIndiana and Iowa. My car averages 38mpg. For 2 tankfuls, it was down to 27mpg. . I put no-ethanol premium in the tank in N Platte and my mpg went right back to 38.

It was -8 and snowing all the way from N Platte to Laramie. The winds were howling. It was the hardest driving I’ve ever done and it was that way for 4 hours.

It was fine after Laramie and I made it to Kokomas’ casa in time for happy hour.

Skiing tomorrow. Finally.


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