A Legend Leaves Us

Shane McConkey passed away. RIP Shane and thoughts to his family and friends. The ski world has lost a great presence.

A Day on Rog's Trails

Eating a fresh cheeseburger with some crazy homemade relish while still standing on my skis, in the track surrounded by a couple dozen good friends- what a great way to spend a March day!

We had gotten a call in the morning inviting us up to a bit of a ski and BBQ and it sounded like a good idea. I had bailed on plans to head up onto Mount Washington with a friend as we weren’t convinced it would soften up early enough in the day, so we had very little planned for the day. We loaded up the car, grabbed our sunglasses and headed up to Lowell Field in Bridgton. We had gotten sunglasses and headed up to Lowell Field in Bridgton.

When we got there about a dozen or so friends were out playing in the snow, some were skiing, some were building a snow fort, and everyone was enjoying the sun and very warm temperatures. The maestro of the event, Roger Lowell, was jumping between the grill and giving the kids rides on a special sled that he would tow behind the snowmobile that serves as the groomer. The kids were having a blast and in between trips on the sled the kids would jump onto their skis and do a loop around the field having a blast.


The adults were enjoying themselves as well, the snow had corned up nicely but still had good glide. Loops around the field or a short loop through the woods enabled people to get out for a quick ski and then come back to socialize or see how the food was doing on the grill. The smell of hamburgers and hotdogs wafting across the trails certainly made it easy to pick up the pace on the way back!

In general it was a great time for everyone to just play in the snow. Some skied, some enjoyed a good snowball fight, everyone got a good laugh when someone would take off their skis and then proceed to posthole up to their hip in the snow.

I took a tour by myself as the corn skiing in the woods was perfect and you could go wherever you wanted. I looked to openings through the trees and stopped for a while near a brook just to listen and enjoy the beauty of nature. The snow banks set against the brook banks just looked perfect, and it was hard to accept that we only get a few days like this each year, and it’s always on the tail end of the season.


When I got back a couple of friends were talking about hoping the tennis courts and golf courses melt out soon so they can get to the court and fairways. I understand that urge to get out and moving with the next season, but the end of ski season is such a special time and should not be rushed. As skiers we can deal with some pretty unruly weather, and we find ways to enjoy it- but when Mother Nature gives us days where the sun is bright, the sky is blue, the air is warm, and the snow is perfect corn- well get out there and enjoy. Before you know it, it will be gone and come next October we’ll be starting to “itch” to ski once again.

A Ski Trip

Living in the Mount Washington Valley means that we are always in ski country, and that all we need to be on a ski vacation is a day off and a lift ticket. It is easy to begin to take for granted what the ski areas and the Valley do to make sure that guests have a good time when they come to the mountains.

I had a chance to sneak over to Smugglers Notch in Vermont recently to enjoy a weekend ski trip with my family and some friends. Despite having lived in Vermont for several years I had never skied at Smuggs and I have to say I had a number of misconceptions that were quickly dispelled.

Unlike what the Mount Washington Valley has to offer, with several ski areas and all that the Valley has to offer, Smuggs is pretty much self contained and is a place where you can park the car and only need to go back to the car for that missing ski sock that you can’t find in the morning.

The mountain itself is impressive, with Madonna Mountain sitting at 3,640’, flanked by Sterling Mountain and Morse Mountain. It is set up with most of the village at the base of Morse Mountain, which is a great beginner hill with wide-open gentle slopes. To access the more advanced terrain you can drive up to Madonna and Sterling, or ski over from Morse. The difference between Morse and Madonna is stark. Madonna offers up steep, aggressive terrain with plenty of glades and steep runs that don’t see the groomers very often. I had long believed that Smugglers only had intermediate type terrain, but one ride up the Madonna lift showed me that Smuggs has plenty of terrain to challenge any skier or rider.

In skiing with my kids I quickly found that a blue square at Smuggs on Madonna or Sterling Mountain is a bit different from many of the blue squares I’m used to skiing in the Valley. The girls quickly adapted to the steeper terrain and enjoyed riding the fixed grip doubles that cruised over rock faces and steep terrain that they hadn’t really seen before.

I found that I did two things I hadn’t done in some time, grabbed a trail map and also a grooming map. These became very critical in making sure we didn’t take the girls into terrain that could be over their head. While we were trying to steer the little ones onto the blues my wife and I found ourselves looking longingly at the steeper pitches and woods- as it looked amazing (although in need of some snow- but that was two storms ago).

While the mountain was great the kids enjoyed the pools and Kids Zone the most. These are the amenities that I often forget about as our après ski entertainment is usually found at home. Having good dining, pools, and an indoor play land all on property the ski day just flowed into après fun, into dinner and soon to bed.

I began to have a better understanding of the recent water parks that have been built within hotels in the Valley, along with the popularity of events like Cranapolooza. It is so easy to get focused solely on the skiing when the skiing is right out your back door, but when you are on vacation it is great to have a menu of other activities to keep everyone entertained. I take my hat off to Smugglers Notch, they offer up a top-notch vacation destination and we will return. That being said- I take my hat off and bow to the mountains and businesses of the Mount Washington Valley- a large number of individual businesses working together to create a truly world class experience.

Powder Day Rules

Powder days are something that skiers spend a lot more time talking about than actually enjoying, at least here in the east. We dream of them, we buy gear that is designed for just those days; we have what we call "powder day rules." We do a lot to prepare.

However, most of us also have jobs and/or other responsibilities that can make it difficult on a powder day to get out and enjoy the fruits of a great storm. I ran into such a dilemma just the other day when Mother Nature decided to drop 25 plus inches of snow on our region here in the mountains. I had planned to get up early and do a bit of skinning followed by skiing, but a late night power outage curtailed my alarm from waking me at the appropriate hour. Upon waking up I looked outside and couldn't quite believe what I was seeing. We had gotten slammed and I knew that shoveling was the first order of business for the day.

At this point I had resigned myself to the fact that getting out and skiing wasn't going to happen unless I snuck out in the evening for some runs under the lights over at Shawnee Peak. But that was before I had stepped off the steps into snow well over my knees. As I waded to the driveway I began to realize that this was a big storm, maybe one of the biggest in a long time. I spent the next thirty minutes shoveling, and felt myself begin to salivate. The issue was there wasn't any school and I had to work- so I had issues on two fronts. Then my wife called and told me a friend of ours could watch the kids for the day. Hmmmm, I thought. But work, I had a good amount to get done and I had meetings in the afternoon.

I chose responsibility and went in and got dressed for work. Sitting in my office I got myself dialed in for the day, checking email, working on my week plan, prepping for meetings. Then snow hit my window. There was a snow blower outside clearing the walkway around the building, a big tractor type snow blower- it was bogging down due to so much snow. Focus I told myself.

Then the emails started coming in with conditions updates, worlds like "epic", "storm of the century", "don't miss this powder day" filled my inbox. I tried to get my mind back on work. But I was losing the battle. I made a decision, it was 9:30 a.m., I could get to the mountain in 10 minutes, ski for an hour, hour and a half, and be back in the office by 11 or 11:30 a.m. and just buckle down for the rest of the day. It seemed like a reasonable plan- so out the door I went. I was out of the shirt and tie and into my ski gear in minutes, and was on the road only moments later. I realized the truck had an empty tank- no problem I'll get gas on the way- it will only take a minute. But when I pulled into the gas station they were closed as they had no power! I had to make the call- could I make it to the mountain AND back with what I had. Well, I knew I could make it there- that was enough- so off I went.

I got to the mountain, it was buried. People had crazy grins and you could hear the hooting and hollering. I ran from the truck to the lift and jumped into my skis. Riding up the lift I could feel my heart pounding and my mind trying to come up with a plan of attack. As soon as I got off I was poling for the pitch, the snow up over my waist. Three turns in and I was feeling like I was in another world. Amazing snow, amazing turns, amazing to be able to enjoy. I was finding myself choking on snow at times as it billowed up into my chest and into my face.

I hurried into the lift-line and the attendant said- "you look like you're on a mission." I laughed, the only line I could come back with was from The Blues Brothers, "yes, a mission from God." Up the mountain I went.

I connected with a few people and we spun some spectacular runs, laughing and hollering the entire time. But I knew I had to call it a day, I had to get back to work. So I did, it was hard but it was the right thing. My only hope was the truck wouldn't start as it would be out of gas, no luck (I even made it to the gas station). When I got back my boss asked me how it was, when I told him he looked at me and said- "so why did you leave- a day like this, don't you know the powder day rules?" Next time I won't, as I think I've found a new rule for the book.

tix deals at the cat

Wildcat Mountain Offers $9 Lift Tickets, Fridays, March 13th & 20th

March Will Be a Month of Affordable Skiing, Riding, & Events

Pinkham Notch, NH – Wildcat Mountain’s annual $9 lift ticket day held this past January marking 51 years of lift-serviced skiing and riding and 75 years from when the Wildcat Trail was first developed was popular enough to bring it back for two more Fridays in March. It was only $9 for 10 gondola rides back in 1958 and for that same original price on Fridays March 13th and 20th, it will offer a full-day’s access to over 2,100 vertical feet of skiing and riding aboard New Hampshire’s most powerful and arguably fastest summit quad chairlift. With guaranteed après weekend events and the option to always upgrade your ticket before 3:30pm for the next day for only $39, Wildcat offers vertical value and the opportunity to create a 3-day ski/ride weekend beginning Friday, March 13th and 20th for less than $30 a day.


A highlight of après events and other special ticket discount days happening at Wildcat Mountain during the month of March include:

* Sat, Mar 7th – WXGR 101.5fm Cabin Fever Ski Getaway sponsored by Cabin Fever Maple Liquor, Simply Green Biofuels, and Bud Lime, prizes and good times follow up a great day of skiing and riding. Visit wxgrfm.org to hear their mix of dub, downtempo, world-hop, electronica, beats & bass, acid-jazz and plan to join us as they spin beats slopeside and then in the Wildcat Pub.
* Every Sunday in March – $25 afternoon lift tickets that go on sale at noon and the Sunday Après Chill Music Series in the Wildcat Pub featuring artists Cheryl B. Engelhardt (cbemusic.com) or local favorite Bill Cameron. Visit skiwildcat.com for dates.
* Every Wednesday in March – Join Tuckerman Brewing Company on our traditional 2 for 1 lift ticket Wednesdays (or just $32.50 for you soulful sliders rocking the mp3 player and ear buds) in the Wildcat Pub. Find out about their local brewery tours and receive t-shirts and pint glasses when you enjoy one of their tasty brews.
* Sat, Mar 14th – Ride & Ski New England (rideandskine.com) along with the Pat Foley Band and Miller Lite are back again to host an après party in the Wildcat Pub with well over a grand in give-aways and prizes.
* Tue, Mar 17th – The Luck of Lift O’pia. Save some green and find a pot o’ gold in savings when you pre-purchase your ticket online at www.liftopia.com. Limited discount lift tickets available for St. Patrick’s Day and every day this season at Liftopia.
* Sat, Mar 21st – Wildcat Mountain Spring Party. Season Passholders, family, friends, and fans of Wildcat Mountain will want to join in on an afternoon and night of fun, food, raffle prizes, and music featuring après DJ Brian Sparhawk and “beachgrass” rock from Cape Cod’s The Old Silver Band (theoldsilverband.com). Visit skiwildcat.com for more info.

Wildcat Mountain is a year-round, family-owned business, located 100% within the White Mountain National Forest in Pinkham Notch, NH. It is home to the 75-year-old Wildcat Trail first cut by the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1933 and is renowned for its proximity to Mt. Washington and Tuckerman Ravine. For further information, please visit www.skiwildcat.com or call 1-888- SKI WILD.

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Excited

As a kid I used to go to every ski film premier that Greg Stump put on in Portland- from Time Waits for Snowman right through to Dr. Strangeglove- then I was the promoter in Burlington, VT for Groove- man those movies got me stoked to ski.

Well he's at it again, fall 2009- check out the trailer for Legends of Ahhhhhs.

I spent two weeks in Chamonix with my Dad, Stump, Hattrup, Plake, and Frank Howell in 1988 as they finished up filming Blizzard- damn that was a fun trip and had a profound impact on my life. That film had a profound impact on an entire industry- I can't wait to see this new film.

XC Skiing with Young Ones

Keeping a young child motivated and happy while you are out on a cross-country ski adventure is one part magic, one part bribery, one part distraction, and a whole lot of patience and encouragement. Young ones often bring great enthusiasm to a ski trip, usually very fired up to hit the trails and usually the first ones to race to some obvious landmark out on the trails. This enthusiasm often comes at a bit of a price as that burst of energy is often followed by, dare I say- whining about being tired or cold or hungry or some other reason to be not in the best of spirits.

It is easy at this point to get frustrated, and maybe even become discouraged and think the child doesn't really enjoy skiing. However, I would guess that it is just the natural order of events and the child just needs any one of a few tricks to keep them interested and motivated. I usually start with an attempt at distraction, "did you see that animal track?" or "did you hear that, I think I hear something just up the trail!" This will usually engage their curiosity and keep them going for a bit.

At the next whining point I will try distraction again, if that fails I usually move to a bribe of some sort. The bribes usually work like this, "at the NEXT stop we can have a snack, and at the stop after that we can have hot chocolate." Sometimes this works without much effort, other times I find I have to sell the value of the snack, which leads me to my tip of the day- don't skimp on the snack. I usually roll with some sort of fruit snack (the colored, gummy kind) and maybe a few cookies of a black and white variety.
I've tried to pass off healthier snacks, but I find I get more bang for the buck with the refined sugar snacks- I'm willing to trade the calories for a bit longer on the trails with the kids.

I'm also careful to bring along extra hats and gloves as well as socks just in case. It's amazing how easy it is to cure a case of cold feet by simply saying, "ok, I've got warm socks right here, let's swap them out." I can't tell you how often that simple phase seems to warm the young ones feet without me even pulling the socks form the bag.

Now the issue I find is that these techniques work for a bit, but the trick is to use them to get them out to the halfway point of a ski trek. At that time you can use the "almost there" technique to try to get them home with gusto. There are typically a few gripes on the way home, "are we there yet" being the most common. I do my best Ronald Regan and feign not hearing their gripes.

What I always find amazing is that despite the grumbles that I hear out on the trails their recollections of the trips are always positive and stories told with great pride. In fact you usually hear about how they can't wait until the next trip and how they want a friend to come along. Those stories always put a smile on my face, and I make sure that on my next grocery list that I have a few special snacks to make sure the trips go as planned.

A free heel world championship

Bill Demong won the large hill world championship- way to go Bill! The US has been slowly making waves in the nordic world in the last decade or two (it is a slow process) and Nordic Combined has been one area where the USST has had some solid success. Kudos to the team!