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Stratton 1/24/09-1/25/09

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dotguy78 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 15, 2006 Posts: 147 Location:Worcester, MA	Posted: Jan 26, 2009 - 5:17 PM GMT The Mountain Nothing much new to report. Arrived about 8 both days and as always parking at Sun Bowl was practically empty. Spectacular weather, sun with occasional snow squalls, breezy but not too cold. The Snow Groomed packed (deep!) powder. The kind where your pole goes in 4-6", and then you lean on it a little and it drops down another foot and a half. Quite firm early or in the shade, softening up to silky goodness in the afternoon. Snow bowl (Janeway, Drifter, Slaloms and Spruces) quite windblown and skiing down to ice in spots by lunchtime. Kidderbrook, Free Fall, Downeaster, and Tamarack were excellent the entire day. Shocking amount of untracked settled snow in the trees on the upper mountain. (Hint: the second largest of the bear family is a good place to look.) The Crowd Skied from 8:30 to 10 Saturday without waiting for a lift. Got fairly crowded (Shooting Star 5-10 minutes, Ursa 15 minutes, Gondola several years) from 10 until lunch. Saturday afternoon waits were 3-5 minutes everywhere, Sunday very little waiting from 1 to close. Overheard Austin, apologize to everyone on this lift for complaining so much... Why is that guy going in the trees? He must be lost... We don't have anything like this in North Carolina... The clock tower is a little bit over the top, don't you think?... Uh oh, the kids have figured out they can buy things with their lift ticket...

mapnut Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Jul 31, 2002 Posts: 5076 Location:New York City	Posted: Jan 26, 2009 - 6:01 PM GMT Love your "Overheard" feature!

iskiatomic Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: May 22, 2004 Posts: 637 Location:SOUTHINGTON, CT	Posted: Jan 26, 2009 - 6:26 PM GMT Skied Stratton yesterday also. IT WAS FAST!. Quite burrrrrrrrrrrr outside, just could not dodge that wind all day. The Snow bowl lodge is an absolute zoo at the end of the day, never enough room. KC __________ DON'T LET FEAR AND COMMON SENSE STAND IN YOUR WAY

dotguy78 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 15, 2006 Posts: 147 Location:Worcester, MA	Posted: Jan 26, 2009 - 6:49 PM GMT Quote: IT WAS FAST! Sure was! Especially toward Snow Bowl, almost like a race course in the morning. I try to stay out of the lodges there during lunchtime and after 3. It's always a mob scene. I think having a good crowd-avoidance strategy is a big part of enjoying Stratton

bondman Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 739 Location:bondville vt.	Posted: Jan 26, 2009 - 7:22 PM GMT I was there too. It is worth mentioning that the band(AdamEzraBand) at Grizzley's(bar in base lodge) was great. If I needed to park in the Sun Bowl for crowd avoidance, I think that it would be worth driving back to the Main Base for libations. Usually a good band. __________ God Bless Hannes Schneider

skirick Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Oct 16, 2004 Posts: 469 Location:Westchester Cnty, NY	Posted: Jan 26, 2009 - 8:31 PM GMT dotguy, how is the Sunbowl lodge? I'm thinking about going to Stratton this Sat to use my comp tix but the main lodge is always so crowded and parking is a mile away. Am I better off going to the Sunbowl? __________ Young enough to ski hard but old enough to know when.

rickbolger Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Mar 14, 2005 Posts: 2317 Location:Great Gorge, NJ	Posted: Jan 26, 2009 - 8:56 PM GMT If you happened to notice two hacks hacking their way down the Ursa Express liftline at 3:00 on Saturday, that was Trackbiker and yours truly. The Sun Bowl is usually the most expedient place to park and ticket.

dotguy78 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 15, 2006 Posts: 147 Location:Worcester, MA	Posted: Jan 26, 2009 - 10:42 PM GMT Edited: Jan 26, 2009 - 10:45 PM GMT The Sun Bowl lodge is small but full-service. Parking is never an issue early (not sure how it gets later)... much better than going to Lot 2 and waiting for a bus. Ticketing is at booths outside. Inside there is a full customer service desk (if you have, say, a snow day ticket), a ski shop (with rentals), cafeteria, and bar. They've had a barbecue going on the deck the times I've been up this year. The only advantage to the main base is luxury shopping and a bazillion condos. I believe there's a shuttle bus back and forth but I've never used it. PS -- Mr Bolger, how are your skis? There looked to be some shrubbery poking up along there...

bondman Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 739 Location:bondville vt.	Posted: Jan 27, 2009 - 12:44 AM GMT The only advantage to the main base is luxury shopping and a bazillion condos. I believe there's a shuttle bus back and forth but I've never used it. WRONG! see post above __________ God Bless Hannes Schneider

trackbiker Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 26, 2004 Posts: 1648 Location:Eastern PA	Posted: Jan 27, 2009 - 3:00 AM GMT Quote: If you happened to notice two hacks hacking their way down the Ursa Express liftline at 3:00 on Saturday, that was Trackbiker and yours truly. Hey, speak for yourself! I was gapering my way down. dotguy78, the snow and the shrubbery were both pretty soft under the lift. The rest of the mountain was starting to get a little hard at that point.

dotguy78 Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Feb 15, 2006 Posts: 147 Location:Worcester, MA	Posted: Jan 27, 2009 - 2:32 PM GMT Bondman, where do the shuttles from the snow bowl go then? I always see people getting on and off the buses there... do they only go to lot 2?

bondman Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Nov 19, 2003 Posts: 739 Location:bondville vt.	Posted: Jan 27, 2009 - 3:18 PM GMT The shuttles from the SunBowl DO go to the Main Base. I think that you are wrong when you say that the only benefit of the Main Base is the shopping and the condos. Grizzley's is one of the best Apres' locations in the U.S. A nightclub in the early evening for ageing boomers. The shuttle stops at 5PM, so I would suggest that you drive over. Parking is avalable in the garage late in the day. __________ God Bless Hannes Schneider

skirick Profile \| Galleries Rank: Member Since: Oct 16, 2004 Posts: 469 Location:Westchester Cnty, NY	Posted: Jan 27, 2009 - 3:51 PM GMT Quote: The Sun Bowl lodge is small but full-service. Parking is never an issue early (not sure how it gets later)... much better than going to Lot 2 and waiting for a bus. Ticketing is at booths outside. Inside there is a full customer service desk (if you have, say, a snow day ticket), a ski shop (with rentals), cafeteria, and bar. They've had a barbecue going on the deck the times I've been up this year. The only advantage to the main base is luxury shopping and a bazillion condos. I believe there's a shuttle bus back and forth but I've never used it. PS -- Mr Bolger, how are your skis? There looked to be some shrubbery poking up along there... Great, thanks for the info. Rickbolger and trackbiker, I'll give you a yell if I see someone moving as discribed. Which brings me to another issue, I see all the time that SJ er's are meeting up on the slope. How do you guys find each other? Maybe we need some kind of a special yell or something. __________ Young enough to ski hard but old enough to know when.

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