Gore Mtn, NY: 12/30/11 (Wild Air!)

Ski Day 9: Definitely don't have the pics to back up today. But I'll do the best I can.

Today felt like another day at the plant. The snowmaking plant.  Basically I've been following the guns around. Lots of noise, mist, snow, low-visibility, whales, bumps and everything else that goes with it.


Full steam ahead

Everyone I talked to was waiting for Patrol to drop the ropes on Wild Air. First run down the front and the rope was still up...


First look at Wild Air

There was some kind of problem with Pine Knot. I heard the guns blew some gak overnight and the trail, and access to summit was closed for most of the morning. With no snowmaking planned for anything open up top, I accepted that I'd have a lower mountain day.

Zelda and I did a couple laps on Topridge to get while the gettin was good...





Eventually we came across this guy....



He told me I could duck on under, but I saw Suds streakin down the left side and waved him over for the honors...



...and he was gone in a flash...



While Neve was in her lesson I lapped Wild Air. It was a bit chunky funky, but fun as hell.  Neve's lesson ended at 10:30 and when we came down she was skiing switch again...



There are a lot of reasons "why people Telemark." Yet another:

You can lap a single, snowmaking, bumped out trail that is crowded with humanity and have a blast.  My last four runs today ... I skied with a big grin. Really had fun.

We were up today too.  I have to agree Wild Air was a blast. What we weren't used to was the holiday crowd.



Still I was not to concerned cuz they were loading the gondi to capacity. That big line only took 6 mins. We decided to go up top thinking it would be less crowded



First up was Hawkeye.  Lets say it was hard and fast.  My wife had her iPod set to shuffe if you shake it, she said it changed song 3 times.Lol. Next up was Cloud to Headwaters. Sweet snow on the edges. Saw some youngsters taking pictures.


Didn't know a tree with man made snow could hold that much weight.

You have to applaud the snow making crew!  They have done a great job in tough conditions.
 


All in all a great day on the hill!

Hey Thanks Harv...I rode up early with MP and he had said the two trails to watch were Pine Knot and Wild Air.  So before they opened the top I was doing laps on Foxlair, Sunway, Quicksilver (leaving Foxlair a couple times to ride the triple (I don't like crowds).  After 4 tries I gave up and went up top.  I found Duck and we lapped Topridge until they told us there was an issue with the grooming on Pine Knot and it wouldn't open for a while.  Then we asked if Wild Air was open yet and he said they just opened it.  Making a bee-line to Wild Air we find a few people by the rope.  It looked like Harvey holding court...and the rest was history   I skied Wild Air a few more times before the crowds got the best of me so I went in to the lodge for an early suds lunch...Then I kept an eye on the gondo line as real lunch time was nearing.  At About 11:50 I walked right onto the Gondola, went to the top and stayed there doing circuits of Topridge, Pine Knot, Hawkeye and then Headwaters to Tannery and back to Topridge until they put the ropes up.  No crowds at all although a little bit of Ice (I had great edges)  

Happy New Year...May 2012 bring lots of SNOW!