TR: Sunday River, 10/31

[BackCountryGirl]

Well, I joined the masses for some runs this morning at Sunday River. One trail was open. We loaded an old Triple and rode it to the top. (It's a lift that rarely runs, and even after all these years there, free skiing and working, this was the first time I've ridden it.) We skied down a trail called T2. It was full of man-made snow that was quite soft, and fairly bumpy. A small terrain park was set up on a parallel trail about 2/3 down T2, which directed the riders away and opened up the congestion. We loaded at the Triple's mid-station to go up again and/or down to the lodge. The sky was blue, people were happy to be outside to welcome in the season, and the tickets were free if you were in costume (or are an instructor who's returned his or her letter of intent and schedule). All in all, not a bad way to spend Halloween. The mountain is open tomorrow and Sunday, then it will close until 11/7.

 

[ZealouslyB]

Yup, I was also at SR today with the boy. It was beautiful! I didn't go on Halloween last year, but was told the conditions today were far better than last opening day. Of course, it being Halloween, costumes were encouraged (free tix to anyone who dressed up).... so I had to wear my Cinderella dress...... see profile picture :D

As BGGirl said, they'll be open Sat & Sunday (tix are $25). They hope to have upper Sunday Punch, Jim's Whim and Monday Mourning open for the weekend. The snow quality and cover is pretty good if you're itching for snow time.

If you go up this weekend, 1- Don't go to the main lodge at South Ridge. Lots of people made that mistake today, it's a long walk to the lift. No snow at the base yet. Go to the Barker Lodge. 2- Do swing by the South Ridge Lodge and check out the new Chondola lift.... it's weird, but will offer faster access to the western peaks. Will also offer 12-hr skiing on North Ridge, when the lift opens in December. Very cool.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Glad you both were able to enjoy it! Yeah, isn't it wild when everything around is still brown?

We loaded an old Triple and rode it to the top. (It's a lift that rarely runs, and even after all these years there, free skiing and working, this was the first time I've ridden it.)

Really?? The Locke Mt triple generally runs every high season weekend (tapering off in late March), fires up around mid-morning when the glut hits the Barker quad. Ah, it's great respite ...I love the slow oldies...they tend to get passed by.

 

[ZealouslyB]

Well......... a lot of time the triple is running but closed off because it services the race trails..... despite it being very slow, I like the triple because it services some great terrain. Esp. towards the end of the winter, when all the downhill racing finals and stuff come around, you can't get to the lift OR those trails. Kind of annoying really!!!

 

[ZealouslyB]

One more thing..... diva dude & I made the news last night!!! WMTW, the local news ( channel 8) was at Sunday River. I watched the clip they had on the news at 6p last night and there are 2 shots of us- just after Steve Minich stops talking you see him then me in my dress entering the trail, then a minute later after an interview with a guy from Sunday River you see me ski by the camera followed by the DD. Pretty funny!

Here's the link to the video clip if you're interested..... the DD is in a gray jacket with a black helmet & ski pants (on his new Lines!), I've got on a dress over my blue jacket and a champagne colored helmet:

https://www.wmtw.com/video/17860985/index.html

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Cool, I saw this on tv when broadcast as well. You 2 (plus one tele skier) were easily the best skiers out there! What was with all those dropped hands and back-seat skiers??

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Plus....guess I've been lucky with the Locke triple and been able to hit it up when it's not racing-"possessed" (though T2 is often closed off when that race schedule kicks in...). What worries me altogether is how the traffic patterns will change once this new lift turns....I think there is going to be some chaos at Sunday River for awhile (if not for good).....I greatly fear...that's a huge additional capacity. And that's a mixed blessing, as you well know....time will tell.

 

[Kiragirl]

Right on!

nice job and Tigger too!

yeah, what's up with Santa and the other guy with the red pants---why even bother carrying your poles?

 

[liquidfeet]

I was there!! It was fabulous.

But when I told my ski buddies I went, and that only one half a run was open, and that it was bumped up, and that the lines were slow, they all said that would have been no fun for them. Pooh on them. It was fabulous.

I was in costume. This is always an issue for me. I'm willing to go all-out, but it seems that men go all-out but women ... well, there are rules. I don't know the rules. Seems somehow I break the rules when I'm in costume. Oh well. I had a rubber halloween mask on my helmet, since it wouldn't fit anywhere else, and tropical spandex flower-print pants over my ski pants. You couln't'na missed me. I knew it didn't create a coherent costume, but it got me my free lift ticket, and an early day of skiing. The skies were clear, I could see Mt. Washington all white with snow, and the snow was fine for home-made and early season.

Anyway, my tips crossed, my form sucked, but I was skiing, and by the end of four solid hours of skiing on mild bumps I was totally stoked for the season, and my form improved somewhat. Wish I could'ha spoken with some of you. I was there 10:00-2:00. Did we see each other???? There were lots of 20- 30- something guys. A few retirees. Where were you????

 

[BKH319]

MSL, drunk dialed to advise DH and I finally
Sold rental property in Thomaston.
We bought a friggin' camper called SGRSHAK!
We will be at the loaf with grill opening
Weekend. All Divas are invited . Can't
Wait to see you!

 

[BKH319]

liquidfeet , I used to live in " Southie" Divas always welcome at " The Shak"!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

MSL, drunk dialed to advise DH and I finally
Sold rental property in Thomaston.
We bought a friggin' camper called SGRSHAK!
We will be at the loaf with grill opening
Weekend. All Divas are invited . Can't
Wait to see you!

>>>>???
Oh you crazy kids....can't wait to see this!
Looks like Nov 14 is a long shot with these temps.
Will keep you advised.
The SR WROD not my thing....
Loaf won't open with less than 3 top to bottom trails off the quad.
If not at least snow, hope for COLD!
Trying to scarf up some Saddleback deals/coupons/vouchers.
Interested?

 

[ZealouslyB]

I was there!! It was fabulous.



Anyway, my tips crossed, my form sucked, but I was skiing, and by the end of four solid hours of skiing on mild bumps I was totally stoked for the season, and my form improved somewhat. Wish I could'ha spoken with some of you. I was there 10:00-2:00. Did we see each other???? There were lots of 20- 30- something guys. A few retirees. Where were you????

I was there from like 10:20a to 1p, mixed in amongst the 20-30 something guys. There was a vast shortage of females on the slope all together. Very sad.



Yeah the warm rainy weather has NOT been good for snowmaking. Hopefully this cold windy weather will change things around for us.....

 

[liquidfeet]

I was there from like 10:20a to 1p, mixed in amongst the 20-30 something guys. There was a vast shortage of females on the slope all together. Very sad.
Yeah the warm rainy weather has NOT been good for snowmaking. Hopefully this cold windy weather will change things around for us.....

Yes!! I saw you!! Loved the costume; wished
I'd thought of that. I have plenty of prom dresses
I could have worn. But no, my creativity was
totally stuck in the box.

I was the one with the rubber halloween face mask
with long red hair stuck onto the top of my helmet,
and flowered spandex over my ski pants. That was
the last face mask in the CVS near my house.

Besides you and me, I saw one 60ish woman with
her hubby, and one 50-something woman with a group
of men, and I think that may have been it for the
female persuasion. I loved watching the two men
in suits and ties.

Looks like SR will get its cold temps this week ,
and they seem to be planning on re-opening this Thursday,
Nov 20. If so, I'll probably be there this Friday, and
maybe Sunday too. Or somewhere else depending on
who has the most snow.

Anyone else?

 

[BackCountryGirl]

I wasn't in costume --- I was skiing with a guy and a girl, so that mad it two more. I will be there Saturday and Sunday, but, sadly, I will be doing training at Southridge inside for new instructors. Supposedly, it was flurrying in Newry this morning. Yippie.

 

[liquidfeet]

I wasn't in costume --- I was skiing with a guy and a girl, so that mad it two more. I will be there Saturday and Sunday, but, sadly, I will be doing training at Southridge inside for new instructors. Supposedly, it was flurrying in Newry this morning. Yippie.

BCG,
I'll be a new instructor at Attitash this year. But our training's not for a few weeks. I'm trying to shove in as much skiing before that happens as I can. Only been once, however, Halloween.

 

[BackCountryGirl]

Liquidfeet: Good luck instructing -- you'll love it. The first season is tough -- the learning curve is sort of steep, but it's very rewarding.

 

[liquidfeet]

Liquidfeet: Good luck instructing -- you'll love it. The first season is tough -- the learning curve is sort of steep, but it's very rewarding.

I like steep learning curves!!! That's what I signed up for. I do love to teach, but I really want to learn to ski better. Hope those early morning training clinics help me out, so I can help out my students.

First task: learn to do wedge turns. I sorta skipped that one.

 

[MaryLou]

Yes!! I saw you!! Loved the costume; wished
I'd thought of that. I have plenty of prom dresses
I could have worn. But no, my creativity was
totally stuck in the box.

I was the one with the rubber halloween face mask
with long red hair stuck onto the top of my helmet,
and flowered spandex over my ski pants. That was
the last face mask in the CVS near my house.

Besides you and me, I saw one 60ish woman with
her hubby, and one 50-something woman with a group
of men, and I think that may have been it for the
female persuasion. I loved watching the two men
in suits and ties.

Looks like SR will get its cold temps this week ,
and they seem to be planning on re-opening this Thursday,
Nov 20. If so, I'll probably be there this Friday, and
maybe Sunday too. Or somewhere else depending on
who has the most snow.

Anyone else?

SR is my home mountain too, I think I know that 50-something woman you speak of lol...she made it on the TV clip (in red?) - she's an awesome skiier and is probably on her way to 60+ days lol. Haven't made it out yet though, we went up a couple weekends ago, but I wasn't up for skiing in the rain and we had so much to do around the homestead before winter sets in. I know...how diehard can I be? Hubby may go up this weekend, but it looks like it will be Friday after t-day for me and kiddos.

 

[liquidfeet]

SR is my home mountain too, I think I know that 50-something woman you speak of lol...she made it on the TV clip (in red?) - she's an awesome skiier and is probably on her way to 60+ days lol. Haven't made it out yet though, we went up a couple weekends ago, but I wasn't up for skiing in the rain and we had so much to do around the homestead before winter sets in. I know...how diehard can I be? Hubby may go up this weekend, but it looks like it will be Friday after t-day for me and kiddos.

Well, we can try to meet up some other time. I'll be at Attitash and Wildcat mostly this winter. But now, early season, I'll be at SR pretty often. Got ticket vouchers at the Warren Miller Film, and so I'm gonna use'em. They are good till Dec 13th, so I'll probably be up there 3-4 times before that. WROD or anything else white will work.
I too am shooting for 60 days. Got it up to only 59 last year ... don't want to be so slack this year.