Ski Sixty for Sixty

Well, life has gotten in the way of my blog!  I started skiing this season in November but I want to keep my posts in chronological order so  it is time to recap my adventures from LAST season before I start in on THIS season!   Happy Winter!!

Here’s a bit about my adventure at Homewood –

Homewood Mountain Resort – Tahoe’s Most Beautiful Resort.  What a gem!  It has the most beautiful views of Lake Tahoe from so many different angles as you are skiing – you have to be careful not to catch an edge!

If you follow this blog on a regular basis, you know that skiing every area in Lake Tahoe has been my goal and my dream.  Skiing at Homewood completed that for me and I loved every bit of it!  One of the great things about this skisixtyforsixty goal of mine is that I have made many new friends and ski buddies over the years.  On this trip, my friend Marni introduced me to Krista – who is the Food and Beverage Manager at Homewood and the two of them are good friends.  Thank you Krista for the ticket to your beautiful resort!

Homewood is known mainly as a “local’s mountain” and is one of the best kept secrets in the area.  While the views of Lake Tahoe from Heavenly are great, the views from Homewood are SPECTACULAR!  Imagine a day with a bluebird-sky and you will fall in love with Lake Tahoe and Homewood!  Rumor has it that Homewood will be experiencing some sort of resort-type expansion, but for someone like me who grew up where a ski lodge meant a fireplace and cup of hot cocoa, you will love the warmth in the lodge at Homewood. The bar has a rustic, backwoods feel…especially when you have a “Homewood Apple Pie” to drink (definitely an upgrade from hot cocoa!!) The ingredients are various amounts of cider whiskey and red hot – warms the soul!

Oh, right  – I’m writing about SKIING!  There is terrain for all levels and I loved skiing in the trees!  We started from the North Lodge, made our way up the Ellis chair to the summit which is 7,880 feet above sea level.  At the summit you have access to all levels of trails – take your first (or last) break of the day with breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe at the mid-mountain bar – Big Blue View Bar.  Aptly named!  Watch those Homewood Apple Pies – you still have half of the mountain to ski at the end of the day – consume with caution!

A wonderful part of all of my Tahoe skiing experiences is the sun is perpetually shining and the conditions are grand!  The groomers here are excellent and the steepness and width of the trails provide new challenges for the intermediate skier without being daunting.  At the end of the day, avoid “Lombard Street” which has a lot of skier traffic in favor of “The Face”.  While labeled a black diamond, the Face, while steep provides enough width for traversing on a trail with less traffic.

Visit Homewood, say hi to Krista for me – and enjoy those views!

PICO Mountain, Vermont – What a great experience!

Skiing in Vermont – particularly all of my new experiences lately – is always a surprise!  We become creatures of habit at our home mountains so it is great when you ski an area like PICO and are pleasantly surprised by the variety of terrain just 40 minutes from home!  PICO has been affiliated with Killington for several years now.  It is managed by Killington, but remains its own unique ski area and the beauty for some is you can purchase a combined ticket or just a ticket for PICO.

The steeps were great and there was some open tree skiing available to intermediates and experts alike.  I was pleased with the available terrain for all skiing levels.  PICO celebrated 75 years in business last year (2012) and started with a tow rope!  They have become a full service mountain with all amenities – lodging, rental, retail ski shop and they are proud of their summit at 3,967 feet above sea level.  With a vertical drop of 1,967 feet, they are taller than 80% of Vermont’s Mountain Resorts.

The base lodge is cozy and an après-ski stop at the Last Run Lounge is a must.  The stone fireplaces add to its coziness and quaintness. In the Last Run Lounge you will get to enjoy live music on weekends and plenty of social activities.

The mountain is very well known but caters to locals and their families.  The steeps and tree runs are truly awesome….oops!  I hope I don’t let TOO many people know about this gem!  The lack of lift lines on a weekend is a very welcome feature for those of us who live here!

I hope you enjoy the pictures and make a PICO day trip this coming season – I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Next – another Western US Adventure!

It’s hard to believe I found another mountain about an hour away from Ludlow that I have never skied – Sugarbush!  Cross it off the list – I’ve been there in 2013!!

We took a nice ride directly up Route 100 and decided to spend the night and enjoy the evening before heading out to ski the next day.  We booked a room at the Waitsfield Inn in Waitsfield VT about 5 miles from Sugarbush.  http://www.waitsfieldinn.com  The Inn is a cute New England Inn between Mad River Glen and Sugarbush.  It’s small – 12 rooms with private baths and as often is the case with a New England Inn – no TV or Internet – part of the charm!  Breakfast was very earthy-crunchy-healthy and very tasty and good for us!  The managing innkeepers are from California and love their new home in Vermont.

Our plan for dinner was a restaurant on the access road to Sugarbush called Terra Rosa.  http://www.terrarossaristorante.com.   We had reservations, which I recommend but this Saturday night proved exceptionally busy so we positioned ourselves at the bar for dinner.  Our Bartender “T” was a happy soul who didn’t let the pressure of the busy night keep her from enjoying the clientele.  The restaurant has a warm ambiance with a pizza oven in the center of the room.  Our food was awesome, there were fabulous, eclectic choices and we enjoyed our experience.  My friend and the owner of Terra Rosa, Mike Kelly had worked together in the past.  He provided us with some entertaining stories that I certainly hadn’t heard before!

The next morning we arose eager to ski Sugarbush.  With a bluebird sky and New England chill in the air we valet parked and went into nice open locker facilities to gear up.  If you follow my blog, you know that this princess is very fond of a ski in/ski out arrangement when travelling overnight.  On my miss-list:  parking in a lot and being bussed to the base, being loaded onto a cattle bus (non-enclosed), carrying my equipment more than 50 feet – I don’t think I need to go on!  I’m happy to report that $20 got me valet parking in a garage – with a warm car at the end of the ski day.  Definitely a nice touch!

First stop was to hit the Lincoln Peak via the gondola.  I rushed to disembark and grab my skis and get out of the way for others to do the same – trying not to panic that I wouldn’t get them in time for the downhill ride!  Have you ever felt that panic??  Ha!  Really appreciated the Gondola Service Staff at Loon!  What a prima-donna I could be if every ski area let me!

My favorite thought on any peak is that I am on top of the world.  That initial experience on every mountain makes me feel that way when the views are spectacular.  We began taking intermediate and expert runs enjoying the pitch of the mountain.  It was early so crowds were not a problem.  Lincoln’s Peak is at 3,975 above sea level with a 2,400 foot vertical.  Castlerock Peak has a few more expert trails but on this day not all were open due to snow conditions.  A reason to return!

We missed Mt. Ellen because the lift wasn’t running but I found a run on the North Lynx Peek that I absolutely fell in love with – under the Gate House Express Quad!  It starts out as a nice cruiser and it is a surprise when quickly there are signs for experts only.  Its pitch is great and the terrain is fabulous allowing you to gain speed and enjoy cruising, perfect equal turns and the love of the ski!

It was an awesome day of skiing!  The crowds began to arrive at 11 so we capped off our trip with lunch at the Timbers Restaurant.  Definitely worth a trip back!

Until next time – Cammy

The drive to Loon Mountain from South Central Vermont winds through the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire.  On my trip there, with darkness upon us and snow falling – it was a peaceful journey.  I welcomed our return journey to see the sights we were likely missing!

Ah, the Twin States of Vermont and New Hampshire!  How different from one another and yet somewhat similar.  I have skied in New Hampshire before – at Mount Sunapee and Attitash, but on this trip I was looking for an area about 2 hours away.  I wanted to experience the ambiance of the mountain and the surrounding area so we made this trip a little more than a day outing.

Driving into town it was evident that Loon was built as a resort town catering to the snow sports consumer.  The restaurant options, ski/ride shops, clothing and food stores all cater to the seasonal guest and were abundant.  There are many condo communities off and on the mountain catering to the second home owner.  The mountain also offers conference facilities – well needed as a supplement to the seasonal economic environment.

Our accommodation was a ski-in/ski-out location called the Mountain Club.  This resort included covered parking and secure locker access for our equipment.  Have you read my blogs in the past?  HA!  Check out Chamonix for my true feelings about secure access!  But we settled our equipment into our secure home with no issues at all!

The next morning we geared up and explored Loon Mountain!  With its peak at 3,050 feet above sea level and a vertical drop of 2,100 feet – the mountain caters to the intermediate skier/rider.  The base sits at 950 feet above sea level and we were extremely impressed with the Gondola!  The service at the peak when unloading is unprecedented.  The staff is warm, welcome, helpful and friendly – and removes your equipment from the Gondola to help guests move quickly from the unloading area.  They are eager to guide you around their mountain!  Most importantly, the Lodge is warm and inviting and designed well for skiers to relax after their day on the mountain.

When booking your accommodation here, there are mountain and river options.  While initially I wanted a mountain view – and we received a river view – ultimately it worked out for us.  Have you ever heard an army of groomers during the night?  That noise can DEFINITELY interfere with a good night’s sleep.  We were VERY happy with the River View!

As for other amenities – well, the views were lovely and would have been more glorious had it not been for the inversion layer that day.  Hard to blame Mother Nature’s challenges on Loon!  At the Mountain Club, we visited the bar area which seemed to cater to family dining – and not as warm and inviting as a resort hotel bar could be.  There was a fireplace – but somewhat small for the grand room where the bar resided.  The dining room also seemed to have a cool ambiance, more suited to a conference center than ski resort, but the food we ordered was quite enjoyable.

No matter the weather, the views of the White Mountains all the way to Mount Washington were spectacular.  Our trip back home was amazing – with photo opportunities at every turn!  Loon Mountain is a great day or weekend mountain resort!  Enjoy your visit!

Until next time – Cammy

It’s hard to believe, but there are STILL Ski Area’s in my home state of Vermont that I have yet to ski!

With my BFF and her husband at my side, we set out on New Year’s Day for a spectacular first ski of 2013!  Bromley is only 20 minutes from Ludlow and I was feeling energized with my knee repair – finally a non-event.  I’m not going to lie – a little weather related arthritis is the bane of my existence!   Regardless – it’s time to catch up on my SkiSixtyForSixty program!!

I learned on this trip that Bromley has a great history to its beginnings.  The Bromley Mountain resort was founded by Fred Pabst Jr., the son of the famous Captain Frederick Pabst (Frederick was the founder of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer).  It is home to 46 trails, including 4 glades, beginner to expert, served by nine lifts. Bromley was once rated number one in family programs in all of North America by SKI Magazine.  Further fame – the Bromley Sun Lodge was featured on Hotel Makeover!

The mountain peak is over 3,200 feet above sea level.  It has some good vertical to keep you challenged.  The conditions were great and it was a beautiful, cold, windy day!  I learned it is a great family mountain with an active ski school.  Thanks to Curt Cowles we enjoyed discounted tickets!  Curt is a great asset at Bromley and is well known and respected in the local ski industry.  We had such a great experience that I hope I can help get more people interested in visiting Bromley Mountain!

The lodge has a great fireplace and upstairs the bar provides awesome southern views of the Green Mountains including views of Stratton and Magic.  Of course we had to have a PBR and while at the bar we learned that you can buy a reusable numbered mug!  Many hung above the bar indicating a good local following for the Mountain!

It is a southern facing mountain and has gotten tagged as Vermont’s Sun Mountain.  Both the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail go over the mountain and it has many activities for summer fun as well. Visit Bromley’s Mountain Slide and Zip Line and other summer activities. Bromley was one of the first Mountains to embrace a summer activity program and it is every bit as successful as their winter season!

I really enjoyed the mountain and highly recommend it especially to families looking to get their children into a good ski school on a mountain with some challenge as their expertise on skis improves.

I bet you can get the best tan ever when spring skiing at Bromley……….

Enjoy – and until next time!

Okay, the trip to Chamonix was…..a challenge!

If you have read my blog on Chamonix – well I was determined to get beyond the negative!  Our trip provided an opportunity to ski Italy and Switzerland – and from France, this was all good.  Access to Italy was easy, access that to Switzerland was much farther away and logistics to get there were somewhat complicated.  I like to think I’m a smart cookie, so I took the opportunity to ski Courmayeur, Italy.

Courmayeur is located at the foot of Mont Blanc.  As I said, getting there from Chamonix was an easy connection through the Mont Blanc Tunnel.  An 11.6 km ride was an absolutely short ride between the two countries.

I had taken an Italian language course in anticipation of using it in Courmayeur.  That morning armed with practice the night before of asking for ski tickets, food and wine I looked forward to using my new language skill. I might have been a little cocky – I speak French and English, after all.   We drove up to the base, booted up in the bus, took the avalanche packs from our guides (I will get into that later) and walked to the ticket window.  As I approached the cashier I said in my best Italian – “Un billet de ski”….and the cashier responded “ a full day pass” in perfect  English!  My mouth dropped open and my hopes of being mistaken for a true Italian speaker were immediately dashed….there go my dreams of learning the language and retiring to Italy!

So, now it was time to learn about our “avalanche packs”.  For any “off piste” skiing,  these were required. It was a little disconcerting considering we had learned the snowfall this year had been below normal on the Italian side.  Armed with guides and avalanche packs – off we went to hit the peaks of Courmayeur.

The weather was cool and the lack of sun was failing to soften the crunchy snow.  Even the groomed runs showed our guides that we had skills skiing hard pack!  When taken off-piste and into the woods it was our Vermont skiing skills that got us through the crustiness.

Looking on the bright side, lunch as always in Italy in the hills is flavorful and the wine flows.  Lunch at Courmayeur was no exception.  The guides had reserved seats for us at La Maison Vielle on the mountain.  This slope-side eatery has a very small space but they have an abundance of great food and wonderful Italian hospitality.  We ate family style pizzas and salads that were so tasty they shamed any designer pizzeria in the US!  The table wine did not disappoint…or leave us drunk and unable to ski – thank goodness!  The wind blew,  the sun began to shine and the afternoon skiing took on a very spring like feel.

It was a great day again skiing in Italy!  This country always provides a wonderful experience…the skiing is enjoyable, the eating is always a wonderful experience, and, the viewage never disappoints!

Until next time!  Cammy

You know that Okemo is my home mountain.  This season (2012 – 2013) may have started out slowly but when March rolled around….well, winter went out like a lion!  Winter is not giving up to spring easily!

Temperatures were in the mid-forties last week and spring skiing was at it’s best.  If you didn’t get out early to feel granular give way to mashed potatoes by noon, you were working really hard in the afternoon!  Ever unpredictable, Mother Nature decided to drop the temperature in April.  Even the Groomer’s had a February Flash-Back!

Some great skiing could be found on Heaven’s Gate and Screaming Demon and of course my favorite fun of all time – War-dance!

My friends and I skied for 3 hours in temperatures that didn’t get past the teens; wind howling at 20-30 miles per hour….definitely NOT April weather!  But don’t despair – our fickle friend Mother Nature has a rise in temperature in store for us this coming weekend – just in time for Okemo’s Slush Cup!  If you can get there on the 6th – the fun begins at 11 am.  Skiing will be great as the cool mountain temperatures are keeping the snow for us to enjoy well into April!

Top off your day of fun and excitement with a ride on the Timber Ripper!  Come visit Okemo this weekend!  See you there!

Chamonix was my 12th ski area to visit on my quest to ski 60 new ski areas by the time I’m sixty.  It’s been a year since that trip……and it has taken me some time to write about this experience.  It was quite an achievement after knee surgery and I needed a little self-praise.  I had to find forgiveness in my heart for the thieves who stole my beautiful Kastle skis.  Then I needed to get to that mental place where you can remember that life’s experiences matter more than “things”.

Six weeks after knee surgery I boarded a plane to Chamonix France.  The journey to get there involved plenty of Physical Therapy and the actual journey included plenty of pain meds and ice packs!  But I was ready for an adventure….with dreams of skiing Vallee Blanche!

Have you ever been on a group ski trip?  Well, the plane ride to another country and coach trip to the mountain can be exhausting!  Once there, the group gets room assignments, ski locker assignments and locks – by the time you are finished, one can only hope to get in a nap before the welcome cocktail reception where you learn all about the mountain , skiing options, guides and more.

I promised my physical therapist that I would have a “day of rest” from our travel. So…I chose a little cross country skiing.  Oh, that promise was a day of rest from DOWNHILL skiing…but I was so excited to ski I wanted to be ready for the next day – and a little muscle toning couldn’t hurt!

The next morning, with visions of testing the slopes with my new surgically repaired knee, I headed to the locker room.  My lock was undisturbed; poles nicely placed in their locked home – WITHOUT SKIS!  I couldn’t believe it!  Did I have the right locker?  A double take and a lock number check and re-check confirmed my greatest fear…my beautiful Kastles were stolen!  Angry and annoyed – yes; frustrated at the lack of security – yes; really pissed off at the Hotel’s lack of concern – ABSOLUTELY!

So as you read about my first day on the slopes – think about my mental attitude.  Was this an all-encompassing less than perfect day?  Or was the day really not that bad but tainted by having my skis stolen?  You be the judge.

I finally got rental skis that the hotel paid for.  Chamonix is a resort town that connects you to various mountain areas primarily by bus – not my favorite – so we walked to the one area we could access that way – Brevent – Flegere.  That choice proved to be a significant vertical challenge that my brand new knee didn’t enjoy.  The views were fine really, but I found myself taking the Alp views for granted – like I expected them.  Did I mention it was windy?  Because of wind gusts some of the lifts were closed – so we decided to find an on-mountain dining experience – after all, we were in France surely we would find some great food.  HA!  Slow, bad service and mediocre food – the hits just kept on coming!

All I could think about was someone else was enjoying MY skis.  So I did the only thing I could think of to be sure the next day was a much better one by heading back to the rental shop and exchanging the rental skis for another pair.

Armed with a new set of rentals, I headed back to the hills the next day.  The walk from the hotel to the bus in ski boots was a little torturous but I vowed not to complain.  That didn’t stop me from wishing I was in a ski-in-ski-out arrangement, not a walking-about Resort town!  Of course once I sampled some of the most scrumptious French gastronomical delights I wished THAT thought away!

The regions that I managed to ski on this trip that we accessed by bus were Domaine des Houches and a trip to Italy to ski Courmayeur.  I missed the opportunity to ski Les Grands Montets – perhaps someday I will get back there, and I chose not to ski Vallee Blanche.  My knee and I decided that hiking with crampons along a narrow ledge on unfamiliar and less than perfect rental skis would be a bit of a challenge.  I did get the opportunity to travel up to L’Aiguille du Midi and see some adventuresome skiers…who know – maybe someday…..

I have decided that someday I will give Chamonix another chance.  I am willing to see if my temporary physical limitations so soon after surgery and having my skis stolen cast a shadow over the good food, evening entertainment and the beautiful view of the Alps.  L’Aiguille du Midi is an awesome experience and one not to miss.  You feel you are an arm’s length to heaven and the closest you will be to God while alive!

That, my friends, is why I keep on travelling!

As you know, Vermont is my home and Okemo Mountain Resort is my home mountain.  This winter has been a particularly odd season with very little snow.  So I took the opportunity to have my knee repaired over the Christmas Holidays and threw myself into physical therapy following surgery.  Thanks to Dr. Michael Cushner and his team at WestMed for putting my knee back together again!  Thanks also, to Scott and his team at Eastside Sports Physical Therapy in New York City for motivating me to keep my goal alive and work through the pain!

I’m happy to report that after four weeks of Physical Therapy, I was cleared to ski this past weekend!  In an effort to evaluate how I will do on my trip to Chamonix in February – and not with out a little apprehension – I geared up and headed to the base for a few turns on the beginner slope.  Walking in my ski boots gave me the greatest pain pre-surgery so imagine my joy when I began to walk pain free!  My fears were quickly dissipating as I made my way to the chair.

It is amazing how one slow chairlift ride to the top of the beginner slope is all it takes to get my passion for skiing fully flowing!  To feel the light wind in my face, to hear the swishing of those beginner skiers on the slopes below me – well, I was rejuvenated!  I was ready just as if I was taking my first trip down the mountain at 16!  As I got off that lift – a little hesitancy as I applied some weight bearing pressure – but no pain!  After a few turns on the beginner slope I quickly realized I needed to challenge myself and my knee to the skiing I most enjoy – steeps and speed.

Up another lift to ski Ledges!  It was awesome!  And I realized that my knee was ready to go anywhere – and so was I!

The next leg of my adventure on my list of “Ski sixty for sixty” begins February 4th when I’ll board a Swissair jet at JFK bound for Geneva!  I may not get to ski all the locations I had hoped to before surgery, but no regrets and no sadness because only four weeks after knee surgery I will ski Chamonix France, into Italy and Switzerland all in one trip! Now that is an amazing feat and vacation!

Watch for pictures next month from my fabulous trip.  Thanks to Jim Garvey and Alphorn Tours for what I know will be another great ski trip to add to my list!

Talk about waiting until the last minute to write this month’s blog!

As you know from Thanksgiving to the end of the year it is quite a rat race between all the visiting, eating, exercising to keep the pounds off, gift buying, holiday card mailing and whatever else we all do in the holiday season.  Well, I added a little more to all that.  I had knee surgery.

Two years ago I was hit by a snowboarder and suffered some knee damage.  I was able to keep that injury from worsening through cortisone shots – most importantly, I was able to ski.  For some reason this year the cortisone shot at the beginning of the season lasted one week and the pain and knee locking got significantly worse.  Knowing Chamonix is around the corner in February and I have 6 ski areas to get in this season I committed to arthroscopic knee repair on December 27^th.

So luckily for me but not my fellow skiers, this season did not start well.  Okemo, the mountain having the most snow this season, had to blow snow just to open for the Holiday week crowd.  I hear the conditions are icy and the crowds thick after ten in the morning….so I am in a good place for recovery.  My Orthopedic Surgeon promised that I will be on the slopes by the end of January and ready for the trip in February.  Ah, the beauty of modern medicine and rehab!

Well, it is a short note today as I won’t bore you with the cycling and leg work requirements to get the leg and knee in shape.  Here is hoping that you help make this New Year a safe skiing and riding season!

Happy New Year!

Cammy