# Stowe jan 14 - 17



## hardline (Jan 14, 2009)

*Stowe jan 14 - 17, pics now up*

so im just getting out of the hot tub with two girls and i will do this proper after i cook carrie's birthday dinner. the quick and the dirty. car broke down on the way from the condo to mani, cold, windblown, hot spiced cider at fireside, new tree shot on spruce, no notch action. hitting it tommorrow, pics and full TR will be up in 2 hours.


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## powbmps (Jan 15, 2009)

Alright, its been like 10 hours.  Did something better come up ?


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## billski (Jan 15, 2009)

At -14 the bits move slower 

I'll find Hardline when I get up there tomorrow.  If something better comes up, I'm not telling


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## Beetlenut (Jan 15, 2009)

Maybe the cable came unplugged from the back of his laptop! Now he has 1's and 0's all over the floor!


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## billski (Jan 15, 2009)

Beetlenut said:


> Maybe the cable came unplugged from the back of his laptop! Now he has 1's and 0's all over the floor!



Yep, that's an ugly mess.  Especially if you don't own a bitsweeper.  :flag:


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## Marc (Jan 15, 2009)

Weak sauce, 18 hours+ and no pics yet...


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## Beetlenut (Jan 15, 2009)

billski said:


> Yep, that's an ugly mess.  Especially if you don't own a bitsweeper.  :flag:



Word! That bytes!


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## hardline (Jan 15, 2009)

so didn't get out of the city till 8:45. hauled ass and got into town around 1:45. too many shots of jamesons and a bottle of red wine later im setting up 2 boards/ bindings.
     8:45 rolls around way to fast. at 1pm on the gondi i realize my friend carrie was kicking me to get up. on the the way to the hill my car overheats. whaaaat, the exit hose on the radiator frooze. so nothing was flowing into the block.pulled off at muigels and figured at what was what. a verry nice amn from MA in a subbie gave my luigi a ride down to ags station to get some antifreeze. load the pupie up and we are rollim
     drop the kidies off at lessons. (kiddies are the never evers that where with us) we head up the quad as the gondi aint spinning. we go up and take a ridge/sunrise/standard run. then after our the rise up the quad we ducked in to chapel woods.  came out to far over and end up going down over to the tollhouse.then my freind was frozed 





so we poped into the fireside, she had a jamesons and coffee while i had a spiced cider with rum. once we had those we decided to have some food. she got the chowdaa i got the beef stew, not bad. jumped on the double after i had the lady at fireside call to make sure the gondi was spinning.




there are more moose tracks on the trail than skiers




    traversed over to the gondi. 




rode up and did chin to switchback to some woods to lower chin. tracked but fun. did that bunch more times as my friend didn't really want to go out into the notch. at 2:30 we took cliff trail over tot the over easy to go meet up with the kids at their lesson. some rasta kid blow out of bypass and nearly pancakes me. neither of us misses a beat and he gives me a my bad as we are still bombing down the trail. then the dumbass crashes into a tree at the entrance to nosedive. 




    went over to spruce there where a bunch of people sleeping by the lockers at spruce camp. the girls decided to have a burger. i have to say the food they over at spruce is pretty damn impressive. the great room is cool if not a little souless.




bathrooms are big




bar sucks feel more home at the ghetto.
    decided to do do a few laps on spruc eas the sun was over there now. 




we did a bunch of laps on sterrling. found a few new woods shots over there.








last time up it was cold so we did an upper smugs run 




back down to spruce to collect the kids. 

looks like tomorrow might be an off day as its just that cold but i might slowshoe it up the LT later in the day.


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## hardline (Jan 15, 2009)

Marc said:


> Weak sauce, 18 hours+ and no pics yet...



so hiked into the notch and did the tourist thing on 100 to waterbury. drinking mulled wine. going to be out early tomorrow. going to the sunset for some pool and beers then take the buss to the market.


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## roark (Jan 15, 2009)

After this:


hardline said:


> so im just getting out of the hot tub with two girls


the rest was a disappointment.


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## RISkier (Jan 15, 2009)

The new lodge at Spruce is nice.  Very different than the old Spruce lodge or the temporary they've been using the last few years.  The food is tasty but they are really proud of it; at half price it would be a decent value.  I love Stowe but the whole Spruce development is targeting a clientele that's outside the circles in which I normally run.


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## hardline (Jan 16, 2009)

roark said:


> After this:
> 
> the rest was a disappointment.



unfortunatly the the cam was left at the condo but my girl carrie has pics ill have to get them when i get back to the city


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## billski (Jan 16, 2009)

RISkier said:


> The new lodge at Spruce is nice.  Very different than the old Spruce lodge or the temporary they've been using the last few years.  The food is tasty but they are really proud of it; at half price it would be a decent value.  I love Stowe but the whole Spruce development is targeting a clientele that's outside the circles in which I normally run.



My bud says the prices for food at "spruce camp" about 1.5x the regular high prices (burgers are 13(no chips) vs 7-8 at the other Stowe concessions.
Since I'm not a brown bagged, guess I'll be eating  at the Mani ghetto.


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## hardline (Jan 16, 2009)

i really like the food. it is also ten times better than over at the ghetto.


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## hardline (Jan 16, 2009)

well today started off kinde late as the power went off and we got smashed from doing sunset/picaso/the shed. the walk back to the condo was a little hazey.
     got to the hill at 10:30 got right on the gondi. called billski and said i was going to do a bench run. took chin clip down








the snow was so damn sticky i just unstraped and booted it out there. 




the bench needs some love. 




i didnt have my real pack with me so i had no cord to fix the downed side and it needs to raised. come on people. 
looking over the ridge back to the resort




passed angel 




and decided i was going out further into the notch snd i was rewarded with some damn fine blow-in













missed the traverse back to the maintenance shed so i just went with it down to 108. there is still a lot of pucker bush down low. snow was still really light and just slightly wind affected. the run took me a little under an hour as i was taking my time and scouting some things.

poped in to midway for a juice called billski. he said he was just getting off at the top of the gondi. said i would wait for him. meet up with him and we took the gondi up and did a screamin run down cliff trail and over to the quad. it too the boys over to upper chapel. bill had never been in there. the traverse is still a little boney and i took nice shit to my knee. bailled on the lower part and traversed back to the quad. the second run we jumped into the woods lower down. 

billski comming through lower chapel.




then we had a little in run in with the waterbar on the sideov the trail. i first went off smashed into the far side. then i yelled up for bill to watch out. he landed right in the middle. then bills friend hit it sideways and well got a little stuck




we then went over to the gondi and went down chin clip and did the woods over there. kinda tracked but fun to be out. at 2:30 had to bail and go ever to spruce to meet my friend. sorry i didn't get back bill but i did a few upper smugs laps. then found my friend.

i got the sausage sandwich and a few swichbacks.








this isn't the stowe of yeasteryear




was goin to stay and watch the movie claim they where showing but i was pretty tired. so i decided to just go back to the condo so i could nap.
pretty notch


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jan 16, 2009)

great pictures..food looks good..


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## hardline (Jan 16, 2009)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> great pictures..food looks good..



actually wasnt in food was bit futher out but up top it was nice but the pucker bush sucks ballz.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Jan 16, 2009)

hardline said:


> actually wasnt in food was bit futher out but up top it was nice but the pucker bush sucks ballz.



I don't mean Angel Food..I mean the sausage..


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## hardline (Jan 16, 2009)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> I don't mean Angel Food..I mean the sausage..



haha easy to see the mix up. the burgers there are really good. its like having a new york nieborhood in the lodge. anything you want.


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## deadheadskier (Jan 16, 2009)

hardline said:


> well today started off kinde late as the power went off and we got smashed from doing sunset/picaso/the shed. the walk back to the condo was a little hazey.
> got to the hill at 10:30 got right on the gondi. called billski and said i was going to do a bench run. took chin clip down
> 
> 
> ...



sahweet

man I can't wait to get up there.  How's the place?


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## hardline (Jan 17, 2009)

deadheadskier said:


> sahweet
> 
> man I can't wait to get up there.  How's the place?



nice. they hot water went out this morning but it was working by the time i went to th hill. its been so cold the wind affected snow is still light and flufy. gondi to mid mountain is good. there is still a lot of bush lower down. didn't get up top was way to cold to be putzn around up there. as long as your where in the woods you would sweat. today was actually a fun day to be in the woods. you could still find fresh shots.


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## deadheadskier (Jan 17, 2009)

Still trying to figure out which condo Phil set you up with.  Was it Mountain side?  The place up the hill across the street from the Sunset?   If so, too funny.  My first winter ski bumming in town in 95' my roomates and I used to poach the hot tub there while we used the laundry facilities located in the same building.  They left the building unlocked so anyone could walk in.

That ended the night we were hanging out in the hot tub and a family came in to use it.  Starting up small talk they asked what unit we were staying in.  We responed 3E or whatever.  They said, that's funny, we don't recall seeing you in our spare bedroom.   

ah youth :lol:


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## BeanoNYC (Jan 17, 2009)

deadheadskier said:


> Still trying to figure out which condo Phil set you up with.  Was it Mountain side?  The place up the hill across the street from the Sunset?



Kingslug stayed there once...


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## billski (Jan 17, 2009)

For starters, let me say that hardline is one dam fine boarder.  His skill and energy level gives him really good form and adaptability that I can only wish for at my age.   Real nice guy, definitely a pleasure to spend some quality slope time with.

It was cold Friday, but not too bad, since the it was bluebird all morning and there was virtually no wind anywhere on the mountain.   The place was empty.  We'd never seen it like this.  Amazing.  The gondi building was entirely empty at 9am, we just walked right on.   The trails were the same way.  It was like having private trails.    Midway was jammed with collegiate racers, who did their two runs and slugged in the lodge the remainder of the stay.   We skied, ate and went whenever wherever we wanted.  Never saw the parking lot so empty.   I'm hoping for a reprise of this at Jay this AM.  The cold scared them all away.  Good for us!

Conditions - no appreciably new snow since sunday, though it did snow lightly at day's end.  Trails are generally groomed out, but the usual natural suspects, were bumped with lots of dry pow giving lots of turning choices.  If however, they get a lot of traffic, it's gonna scrape off quickly.  So a carvers delight on the groomers.  The woods could use more snow, lots of stuff that should have been filled in by now wasn't, but given the earlier rain debacle, they have recovered relatively well.  
I've a few pics, including hardline which I'll post on Sunday.
All the terrain was open, we skied exclusively at Mani today.  Expecting some snow, looking for things to slowly improve or one or two good dumps could do it too.
While we started on the gondi, the lack of wind made riding up on the quad fairly tolerable.  Still, we ducked into the lodge every 3-4 runs for a warm up.  Definitely skiing the woods kept us warmer than if we had skied marked trails; a good move.


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## hardline (Jan 17, 2009)

ya it was the mountainside across the street from the sunset. so i am now sitting at the pancake house wait for theguy at the garage to check to out the car it was making some weird noises and i dint want to drive back and breakdown on the highway so better to get it checked out here. so i may have to spen another night here.


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## kingslug (Jan 17, 2009)

BeanoNYC said:


> Kingslug stayed there once...



Yes i did!


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## RISkier (Jan 17, 2009)

The woman in the blue coat and Burnin' Luvs in the pic with the fur coat was Ice Queen, I was behind her.  Weird to see part of your bodies posted on a forum.


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## poconovfr (Jan 17, 2009)

BASTAGE! That's it I'm driving.................later.


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## hardline (Jan 17, 2009)

RISkier said:


> The woman in the blue coat and Burnin' Luvs in the pic with the fur coat was Ice Queen, I was behind her.  Weird to see part of your bodies posted on a forum.



my camera see's all you have been warned


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## hardline (Jan 17, 2009)

*Saturday the day of gloom*

So i get up later because the power went off again and my alarm did do its buzz thing. so i call around town to find out whos open and can take a look at the car. yaya was the only one in so it was that or stay in town till tuesday. so while yaya took a look(i already had a idea of what was wrong) we got pancakes nextdoor at the grey fox. about 2 hours later they confirmed what i had suspected. radiator is fuckt and not passing coolant and 1 cylinder is done. heres the kicker. if i had not decided to warm my car up. it would never have overheated. it was because it was just sitting there for 40 min with out air running over it. so this was bound to happen at some point. i am just glad it wasnt on the highway. 
    i took a bunch of pics but i am to tired to crop them and upload them but i will do it tomorrow. these are mostly the pics that where taken when we where drinking and goofing off around town. 
     the upside to this is i have to go back up at the end of the week or the beginging of next week. ill just time it with the snow. and this time ill have a new split in tow so i can do some exploring.


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## hardline (Jan 18, 2009)

billski said:


> For starters, let me say that hardline is one dam fine boarder.  His skill and energy level gives him really good form and adaptability that I can only wish for at my age.   Real nice guy, definitely a pleasure to spend some quality slope time with.
> 
> It was cold Friday, but not too bad, since the it was bluebird all morning and there was virtually no wind anywhere on the mountain.   The place was empty.  We'd never seen it like this.  Amazing.  The gondi building was entirely empty at 9am, we just walked right on.   The trails were the same way.  It was like having private trails.    Midway was jammed with collegiate racers, who did their two runs and slugged in the lodge the remainder of the stay.   We skied, ate and went whenever wherever we wanted.  Never saw the parking lot so empty.   I'm hoping for a reprise of this at Jay this AM.  The cold scared them all away.  Good for us!
> 
> ...



     just wanted to say it was fun playing tour guide for you guys. hopefully next time there will be some fresher snow and if you guys are up for it out into some of the funner stuff out in the notch. billski is a super nice guy. they told me what type of stuff they wanted to do and i tried to find it for them. pretty much everytime i turned around they where right there behind me. even if i did lead them in to a ditch. sorry guys.


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## billski (Jan 18, 2009)

*More Pics*

Sorry to hear about hardline's car troubles, hope it was something minor and not the rockers.  

here are some photos from the day.  
p.s., the ditch was the laugh of the day.

Stowe grooms them well (even if I'm not a groomer-luver).  With no company, we had entire trails to ourselves.







Can you say corduroy?





While we killed time waiting for hardline to arise:




Minus 15 at the summit, minus 5 at the base.

bluebirds smiling on me...
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	









One line of cars in front of the mani ghetto lodge.





the man hardline arrives with board and my skiing kumbada for the past three decades, Doug eating some bark









Lots of pucker brush, since the snowpack was so low.  Lots of woods waiting for snow to fill in those little surprises called ditches.

Can't wait to get back and find some of the other lines with hardline - prayin' for more sno....

I played tourist afterwards to gawk at the new "camp" - you can stumble from the lodge into the transfer lift.  Literally




This construction project is about 1/3 done!









Yep - this is where you change!


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## hardline (Jan 18, 2009)

bill where were we when you took the pic of me we were still above the hardwoods. was it when took you to what i call upper chapel? looks like i will be back up the week of the second. i will be taking reservations for guiding services. lol. like i said ita always fun to have some people in chase. i need to find some new people to chase around the mountain.


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## billski (Jan 18, 2009)

hardline said:


> bill where were we when you took the pic of me we were still above the hardwoods. was it when took you to what i call upper chapel? looks like i will be back up the week of the second. i will be taking reservations for guiding services. lol. like i said ita always fun to have some people in chase. i need to find some new people to chase around the mountain.



Yep, that's UC.  

My wife just cracked a plan to ski Bolton on 1/31.  Often they like to sleep in on Sunday AM and we sneak over to Mani for the morning.  That would be the only time I've got that weekend.   I really do want to get to the bench.

p.s., How's the car?


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## hardline (Jan 18, 2009)

well the radiator is shot and the #1 cylinder wasn't to good. he said he will be done by monday. i have an event i have to do on saturday and was going to take the vermonter up in the morning so i could just sleep instead of driving. however that means i dont get into waterbury till later in the day so now snow time on sunday. the best i can do is monday. i gave you the best directions you could get for the bench. just remember when you start to see a ridge building on your right and most of the tracks going to the right you should follow if you want get the traverse back or you will be down by 108. there is some really fun stuff out there you just have to be willing to take you time and look around. or have someone to follow.


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## billski (Jan 19, 2009)

RISkier said:


> The woman in the blue coat and Burnin' Luvs in the pic with the fur coat was Ice Queen, I was behind her.  Weird to see part of your bodies posted on a forum.



Next time you're up there or elsewhere, post a note in the trips section or drop a PM.  No need to ski together, I understand we all have different plans;  I'm happy to just say "hello!"


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## hardline (Jan 19, 2009)

RISkier said:


> The woman in the blue coat and Burnin' Luvs in the pic with the fur coat was Ice Queen, I was behind her.  Weird to see part of your bodies posted on a forum.



ya the next time you are up let us know



billski said:


> Sorry to hear about hardline's car troubles, hope it was something minor and not the rockers.
> 
> here are some photos from the day.
> p.s., the ditch was the laugh of the day.
> ...



the other thing that is kinda funny about the couches is everybody sleepd on them i have had 3 different friend all just go down there abd take a nap. and they where out to the world.


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## billski (Jan 19, 2009)

*smash*



hardline said:


> ya the next time you are up let us know
> 
> 
> 
> the other thing that is kinda funny about the couches is everybody sleepd on them i have had 3 different friend all just go down there abd take a nap. and they where out to the world.


 
Truth be told, I've been known to take a quick nap in the lodge before the drive home during a long day trip.

Doug told a story about a neighbor who daytrips skiing and fell asleep behind the wheel on the way home.  Totaled car, in hospital but is OK.  After that his wife INSISTED that he check into a hotel and get a good night's sleep before he drives home.  Guess it's better a little bit poorer than a little bit dead!:smash:


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## hardline (Jan 19, 2009)

billski said:


> Truth be told, I've been known to take a quick nap in the lodge before the drive home during a long day trip.
> 
> Doug told a story about a neighbor who daytrips skiing and fell asleep behind the wheel on the way home.  Totaled car, in hospital but is OK.  After that his wife INSISTED that he check into a hotel and get a good night's sleep before he drives home.  Guess it's better a little bit poorer than a little bit dead!:smash:



wow already up to 1,049 views.

i totaly agree much better to sleep a night than lose your life. i think its just kinda funny people sleep so peacefully down there.


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## RISkier (Jan 19, 2009)

I thought about posting something for some kind of get together.  Probably couldn't have kept up with you on the slopes but my apres ski technique is real solid.  I could have at least bought a round at the Horn or the Shed (that Shed Mountain Ale is really special, the Switchback Ale is very tasty too).


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## billski (Jan 19, 2009)

RISkier said:


> I thought about posting something for some kind of get together. Probably couldn't have kept up with you on the slopes but my apres ski technique is real solid. I could have at least bought a round at the Horn or the Shed (that Shed Mountain Ale is really special, the Switchback Ale is very tasty too).


 
Definitely do it.  Don't worry about skill levels, Everyone skis their own level anyways.   It's all about meeting folks.  Even if we just ski one run together, just say hi, or meet for lunch, we gotta start putting faces on all these AZ'ers!  

BTW I got my Stowe plans mixed up.  My next trip is tentatively Feb 28/Mar 1.
I've got some Bush and MRG vouchers to burn too some other date....


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## hardline (Jan 19, 2009)

RISkier said:


> I thought about posting something for some kind of get together.  Probably couldn't have kept up with you on the slopes but my apres ski technique is real solid.  I could have at least bought a round at the Horn or the Shed (that Shed Mountain Ale is really special, the Switchback Ale is very tasty too).



im always down for beer. i had waaaayyy to manny switchbacks on thursday night. 

i am always will to take a run with someone. there are plenty of woods for all skill levels.



billski said:


> Definitely do it.  Don't worry about skill levels, Everyone skis their own level anyways.   It's all about meeting folks.  Even if we just ski one run together, just say hi, or meet for lunch, we gotta start putting faces on all these AZ'ers!
> 
> BTW I got my Stowe plans mixed up.  My next trip is tentatively Feb 28/Mar 1.
> I've got some Bush and MRG vouchers to burn too some other date....



really whats the plan now? are you even going up?


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## billski (Jan 19, 2009)

hardline said:


> im always down for beer. i had waaaayyy to manny switchbacks on thursday night.
> 
> i am always will to take a run with someone. there are plenty of woods for all skill levels.
> 
> ...


 
Sorry, I'm not writing well today.
Next DEFINITE Stowe trip is Feb 28-Mar 01. Likely there will be something before then at Stowe, just not firmed up. I also have to squeeze in MRG and Bush days somewhere before May... (_life is tough_...)
.


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## hardline (Jan 19, 2009)

billski said:


> Sorry, I'm not writing well today.
> Next DEFINITE Stowe trip is Feb 28-Mar 01.  Likely there will be something before then at Stowe, just not firmed up.   I also have to squeeze in MRG and Bush days somewhere before May...
> .



i will close the season at bush or who ever is the last close plus i do the weekend befor at snow. i still have another 2 to three trips to stowe min. cant do MRG that whole snowboard thing. we also have an AZ day at the bush


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