# Sugarbush: 4/26/09 (AZ Bump Fest Day)



## thetrailboss (Apr 26, 2009)

*Date(s) Skied: * Sunday, April 26, 2009

*Resort or Ski Area: * Sugarbush--Lincoln Peak

*Conditions: * FG/Ice/SC/VC

*Weather:* Clouds, Drizzle, Fog in the AM, some clouds lifted for a brief time in the PM.  Highs in the 50's.  

*AZer's Present:* thetrailboss, Greg, bvibert, gmcunni, 2knees, riverc0il, Pomfret Plunge, ozzy, deadheadskier (hope I did not miss anyone  ).  Win provided the skiing and lifts, ski_resort_observer provided moral support.  Lostone was, well, just lost....

*Trip Report: * Well, since I am the first one home and because I figured it had been a while, I figured I would start the trip report thread for today.  It was interesting.  

I got there after 10am and found an empty lodge and lots of depressed people.  

The weather was, well, also the reason why folks were bummed.  The clouds and fog hung low.  

I booted up and was on the lift at 10:30.  Did a warm-up run down Snowball and found that a lot of patch work had been done.  We lost a lot of snow....but things were still good.  

Next run I headed down to Heaven's Gate.  Deathspout was quite rough....down to the icy base.  I met riverc0il and we talked about Jay.  A guy came down and hung out beside us--I didn't recognize him.  

"You guys here for the bump skiing thing?"  
"Yep, AlpineZone.  If anyone is here, it is for this!" Riv replied.  

Turned out that the guy was Pomfret Plunge, from another board, and he had flown all the way from DC to ski two days at Jay and ski with us.    Kudos for commitment.  

Soon Greg and the others showed and we boarded Heaven's Gate to find a real mess up top.  KCyanks had told us that it was rough...he had already done three runs on Ripcord, Jester, and OG and reported ice, fog, and bad conditions.  

We headed down a treacherous Jester to the base and spent the morning skiing Stein's pretty much non-stop.  It softened some, especially at the bottom, but overall it was just OK.  I found a bit too much ice in places to make me not want to let 'em rip.  

Riv hurt his thumb and had to bow out early.  Hope you get better soon!

Before lunch, DHS and I skied down Spring Fling to meet up with the crew.  Pretty much still edge to edge folks.  

Lunch was burgers and beer.  We commented that the service was good and that the food had improved even from a couple years ago.  DHS was quick to handle the math for the bill...

Then we headed back out.  The crew did a spin on Stein's while I hit Snowball.  It was decent.  

2knees had to bow out early as did DHS, so the rest of his headed back up to find that the summit had cleared.  We beelined to Heaven's Gate and found that we were above the clouds.  We brought ozzy along too...  

Organgrinder was the first run...best bumps and conditions of the day.  Folks were happy.  We then did Ripcord and found nice bumps up top.  Spillsville was next and it was ubersoft, even if it had sediment from yesterday's river.  

At this point folks were getting tired.  gmcunni, Pomfret Plunge, and ozzy headed down Jester to the bottom while Greg, Brian, and I did one more run down a foggy Organgrinder.  

"Last ride on the Heaven's Gate for the season, have a good one," the lifties exclaimed as we boarded just shy of 4pm.  

We skied down Jester to the base...Greg and bvibert hit Stein's and I did Spring Fling.  

So that was it for me I thought.  I was sore from two days of hard skiing.  But watching ozzy, Greg, and bvibert head up for one more run I felt guilty.  This could be it for me this season...and I'm just sitting here watching chairs go by.  I couldn't have that.  So I hit the lift and got in 3 more runs...with the last one being at 5pm.  Last chair went to me...I felt that I owed it to the crew to close up shop for them.  The snow was still good overall, but there is one spot on Upper Snowball which was "constructed" last night and is pretty much shot now.  No damage to my skis though.  

I headed into the bar and caught up with bvibert, ozzy, and Greg.  We chatted and then quietly left.  There was some talk about "one more day," and other talk about biking, but most of us were too tired to say much.  

It was a good day.  Feel free to elaborate and add pics, vids, etc.  

:beer:


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## o3jeff (Apr 26, 2009)

Now I don't feel so bad for missing this ski outing for the bday party that I went to.


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## thetrailboss (Apr 26, 2009)

o3jeff said:


> Now I don't feel so bad for missing this ski outing for the bday party that I went to.



It was pretty good overall....


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## o3jeff (Apr 26, 2009)

thetrailboss said:


> It was pretty good overall....



I am sure it was a lot better than than my party, I just didn't want to read that it was a top 3 ski day!


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## 2knees (Apr 26, 2009)

not my luck this spring.  another, shoulda been here yesterday (or tomorrow) kind of day.  Got up to the Golden Lion around 10:30 and it was still well above 60.  got faced watching the mavs/lakers and waited for greg to show.  not a care in the world about what was happening on the mountain.  Warm nighttime temps and a little rain SURELY would equal soft bumps in the morning.


ummm NO.  one run down organgrinder and i wanted to cry.  Steins was fun though and lapped that till 1:00.  thought about going back out for another run but it just didnt seem worth the craziness it would've made for my drive home to be back in time.  Turns out, the stuff off of HG was soft by then.  Too bad for me.  Steins was worth it though, just not great snow or great lines.  bumps were way far apart except extreme skiers left.  Problem was that nobody would ski that line and it remained rather bulllet proof.  DHS and i side slipped it basically the entire lenght one run and it didnt really help at all. 

End of season for me, good day, great people.  Nice to meet KCYanks, PomfretPlunge from the mogul board and to see TB and DHS again.  River, was looking forward to talking to you a bit, sorry to hear about the thumb.  Greg, Brian, Gary, been a great season.  glad the afternoon worked out for you.


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## deadheadskier (Apr 26, 2009)

thetrailboss said:


> It was pretty good overall....



agreed

for April 26th following perhaps the least amount of snow for March and April that I've ever seen AND some pretty gnarly weather this month, I thought the skiing was pretty good.  A bit of sun and it would've been prime.

I have seen better conditions for sure in late April, but I've also seen A LOT worse.  

TB summed up the day nicely, not much to add here other than again; great to meet and ski with everyone. 

and rivercoil, swift healing on that thumb, hope it doesn't interrupt your time up on the rock pile too much.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Apr 26, 2009)

o3jeff said:


> I am sure it was a lot better than than my party, I just didn't want to read that it was a top 3 ski day!



times two..nice detailed report TB!!!


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## riverc0il (Apr 26, 2009)

Sorry to only get one run with you guys! Basically, when I took a fall on Stein's, I landed on the same thumb that I stretched out the ligament on back in February. That sidelined me for four weeks then and I expect about the same this time around as well, so lift service ends one week earlier than I had expected and I won't get up on the rock pile until late May at best. 

Major bummed but what can ya do. Been three or four years since I last skied with Greg, TB, and bvibert and one run was definitely not enough, we'll need to hook up for some turns again next year. Didn't get to hang with the rest of the gang hardly at all before bowing out. Major bummed about that as well. This injury thing is getting old!


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## thetrailboss (Apr 26, 2009)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> times two..nice detailed report TB!!!



Where were you GSS?


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Apr 26, 2009)

thetrailboss said:


> Where were you GSS?



I was here in Pennsyltucky..I just wasn't feeling it..and my bills have to be paid..muy pronto..I'm glad you guys had fun and +++++++VIBES+++++++ to Riveroil..


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## gmcunni (Apr 26, 2009)

TB summed up the day nicely.  I'll add that i sucked today!  I tell my kids, if you aren't falling you aren't trying hard enough.  Well, I was trying very hard today!  i've got some nice snow rashes on both  arms and a huge black and blue behind one knee . . .


KCYanks, again, sorry about sliding into you, that isn't how i like to meet AZ'ers 

shot some video but won't look at it until tomorrow. will it post as soon as i can.

overall, fun day, great to meet a few new people.  Nice way to close out my season.


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## mondeo (Apr 26, 2009)

Disappointed I didn't make it, was planning on showing up out of nowhere. But I was sore waking up this morning from a great day yesterday, and with rain threatening, an extra two hour drive and $40 ticket, I decided to stay at Killington. It was about the same story at Killington, surprisingly firm in the morning and gradually softening. Was hoping to meet a few new people and get one more day out with a few of the Sundown crew.


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## ozzy (Apr 26, 2009)

mondeo said:


> Disappointed I didn't make it, was planning on showing up out of nowhere. But I was sore waking up this morning from a great day yesterday, and with rain threatening, an extra two hour drive and $40 ticket, I decided to stay at Killington. It was about the same story at Killington, surprisingly firm in the morning and gradually softening. Was hoping to meet a few new people and get one more day out with a few of the Sundown crew.



what's groomed at K mondeo?


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## Greg (Apr 26, 2009)

Yep. The others summed it up quite well. Got to the Golden Lion a bit before midnight and slugged a few beers with 2knees who was having quite the one man party. :lol:

Slept okay. Woke around 7:30, lounged a bit and took a shower. Finally called 2knees at 8:30. We casually made our way up the access road. Met kcyanks1 and DHS in Gatehouse. kcyanks headed up and DHS, 2knees, Brian, Gary and I took Bravo and then off to Heaven's Gate. I knew as soon as I got a look at the snow on Birdland and it was going be rough, lunar landscape/corral. Oof.

Orangrinder was well, rough. Lines were sick, but it was pretty firm. Here we are, a bunch of guys that skied ice bumps all midwinter at Sundown at the Bush in late April and we're greeted with ice bumps again after 80 degrees the day before. Oh well. DHS seemed to have little trouble though. Dude is smooooooth.

Decided to scope out Stein's before the 11 am meetup. Still not great, but way better. Met the rest of the crew and suggested Stein's. Bummer that Steve wrecked and re-injured the thumb. Get well soon. Indeed these short sessions every few years sucks. One thing I was really looking forward to on this day was skiing with riverc0il for a day. Next year, I guess.

So more Stein's and more Stein's. Okay bumps, kinda sweepy, but not bad. Nobody really ever let it rip though, although 2knees made a solid effort. Lunch was excellent. Gary's wings had me drooling. Grabbed the Legends. 2knees split after lunch as did DHS. Run on Stein's and then back up Bavo to met up with ozzy. Summit cleared so we hit Heaven's Gate.

One turn on Organgrinder and I was pleasantly surprised. Great visibility with sweet undercast and overcast. It was like OG was right in a layer of clear air. I just kept going down that first pitch. Perfectly sized and spaced bumps on a nice moderate pitch. I was loving it and Legends really are sweet int he bumps. That one run made the whole day worth it. Shot some vid and then boarded the lift. Had to make the dick move call to 2knees to let him now it finally softened up top. Kinda played it up a bit just to bruise his ego even more. It was excellent though when compared to the morning run. Sorry bro. :beer:

Next, Ripcord - more nice bumps, then OG to Spills (some dirt avoidance skills needed, tons of fun), then the final run of the season on OG with Brian and Michael. By the the fog rolled back in. Back over to Stein's. Met up with ozzy and we did Stein's twice. So that was it. Chatted with SRO, grabbed a beer and then split. Made it home in 4:20 with a gas and BK stop.

Friday/yesterday must have been insane on OG, Spills, and Ripcord. Nice to meet DHS, kcyanks and Pomfret.


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## Greg (Apr 26, 2009)

gmcunni said:


> KCYanks, again, sorry about sliding into you, that isn't how i like to meet AZ'ers



Glad neither of you were hurt. I saw Gary sliding towards kcyanks and me and got the hell out of dodge. The tangled mess you guys ended up in in that trough was kinda funny though... :lol:



mondeo said:


> $40 ticket



$29 with the Sundown pass. Worth every penny.


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## kcyanks1 (Apr 26, 2009)

Great to meet all of you! It was a lot of fun even if things didn't soften up as much as we hoped..  gmcunni, no worries at all about the minor crash..just as I mentioned, good thing it happened before I became completely sore later in the day, otherwise the two of us may have tumbled down Stein's intertwined, as my balance never would've held up   Steve, sorry you got hurt and we didn't ski more together.  Hope you recover in time for some trips to Tuckerman Ravine.  Hope to ski with all of you again next year, perhaps in more of midwinter situation.


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## 2knees (Apr 26, 2009)

gmcunni said:


> KCYanks, again, sorry about sliding into you, that isn't how i like to meet AZ'ers





Greg said:


> Glad neither of you were hurt. I saw Gary sliding towards kcyanks and me and got the hell out of dodge. The tangled mess you guys ended up in in that trough was kinda funny though... :lol:



:lol:  that was pretty damn funny.  that rivaled my molestation of a complete stranger on vertigo a few years ago.....


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## mondeo (Apr 27, 2009)

ozzy said:


> what's groomed at K mondeo?


Not much. Upper Superstar plus the swipe down the middle of lower. Rime, Reason, upper Dipper. Lower East Fall was 50/50. Didn't ski Skyelark or Bittersweet.


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## bvibert (Apr 27, 2009)

Great day, despite the weather.  It was nice to ski with riverc0il again, even if only for one run, next year we'll have to make more turns together.  Same with you TTB, I just realized it had been just as long since I skied with you as riverc0il.  Nice to meet DHS, kcyanks, and ozzy, you guys are all good skiers, hopefully we'll ski together season.  Good to end the season with Greg, Gary, and Pat, see you guys on the trails this summer, and on Stinger next season.  Almost forgot SRO, nice to chat with you again, see ya next season.

This was a great way for me to end the season, it would have been better if the sun had come out, but I'm really not complaining.  I got some solid turns in, even if I was gapering it up most of the time.  I'm completely satisfied now and ready to switch gears to MTB until the snow starts to fly again. :beer:


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## bvibert (Apr 27, 2009)

I forgot to mention that I can barely move my legs today, let alone stand or walk.  Thanks for talking me into those extra runs Greg, TTB, and Ozzy!  I hadn't skied in a month and it showed yesterday.


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## thetrailboss (Apr 27, 2009)

I'm sore as well, but that was after two days of skiing.....light gym workout tonight.


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## kcyanks1 (Apr 27, 2009)

bvibert said:


> I forgot to mention that I can barely move my legs today, let alone stand or walk.  Thanks for talking me into those extra runs Greg, TTB, and Ozzy!  I hadn't skied in a month and it showed yesterday.



I was in pain trying to walk from the base of Super Bravo into the lodge, and then to the car.  Better this morning though, but still some soreness.


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## ski_resort_observer (Apr 27, 2009)

I am as well as  many others at the Bush appreciate the effort people make to drive up to Vermont, especially northern Vermont, to ski/ride. I think you guys went even beyond that effort. Kcyanks was there practically at the crack of dawn driving up from NYC and it was fun meeting and talking to him before the rest of the crew arrived.

The skiing was definately challenging and it was impressive that you guys stuck it out and was rewarded with better conditions later in the day. Looking forward to the vid. Alittle bummed that DHS and Riv never came in GL as I would have liked to finally meet them but being in pain is an okay excuse. :wink:

One of the best things of this past season has been getting to talk to TB just about every weekend. He's a warrior, always skiing no matter what the conditions. I wish I had a camera a few weeks ago when he came in the lodge soaked like a drowned rat. He didn't seem to mind....a true dedicated skier.

Since I always work on the weekends I never get to ski with AZers that visit the Bush, except one time a couple of years ago with Andy and Vee. Maybe I'll try to get that worked out next year. I'm hoping that the economy will be turned around by then and the northeast will have a great snow year. Hope everyone has a great summer.


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## kcyanks1 (Apr 27, 2009)

ski_resort_observer said:


> I am as well as  many others at the Bush appreciate the effort people make to drive up to Vermont, especially northern Vermont, to ski/ride. I think you guys went even beyond that effort. Kcyanks was there practically at the crack of dawn driving up from NYC and it was fun meeting and talking to him before the rest of the crew arrived.



Great meeting and talking with you too!  Just so everyone doesn't think I'm completely nuts, I did drive up the night before   Totally worth it.  Though it would be nice if Win could negotiate a deal with VT police offers to allow us to drive a little faster. If they could give us an extra 10mph or so, my drive time would be a bit more reasonable.  All in the name of VT tourism industry   (Then he'd have to work on NY, though I'm not sure they'll be interested in helping me leave the state faster.)


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## bvibert (Apr 27, 2009)

ski_resort_observer said:


> Alittle bummed that DHS and Riv never came in GL as I would have liked to finally meet them but being in pain is an okay excuse. :wink:



I'm pretty sure you met DHS.  He was with us when we were talking to you in the morning by the boot room.


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## ski_resort_observer (Apr 27, 2009)

bvibert said:


> I'm pretty sure you met DHS.  He was with us when we were talking to you in the morning by the boot room.



Dang...I didn't catch that.....you do know I'm old, right? LMAO


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## powhunter (Apr 27, 2009)

Sounds like you guys had fun even thought the conditions werent that great!!  Way to go!!


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## thetrailboss (Apr 27, 2009)

ski_resort_observer said:


> One of the best things of this past season has been getting to talk to TB just about every weekend. He's a warrior, always skiing no matter what the conditions. I wish I had a camera a few weeks ago when he came in the lodge soaked like a drowned rat. He didn't seem to mind....a true dedicated skier.



Thanks for the kind words, SRO.  It has been great to see you as well.  

I remember that day and won't forget it any time soon.  I got last chair on the Summit for the season...75mph winds made skiing down FIS very interesting, but it forced me to take the "men's tee" on that last run and I found some very good snow...very soft and delicious.  I had nothing better to do that day and it was the last day for 'Ellen.  It was fun...Gore Tex works well...as does a warm shower when you get home.  :wink:  When folks were moaning about the weather, I told them about this trip and that things weren't so bad.


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## gmcunni (Apr 27, 2009)

video is up.


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## thetrailboss (Apr 27, 2009)

NICE video!


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## skiadikt (Apr 27, 2009)

yeah good job. looks like you guys made the most out of it.


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## kcyanks1 (Apr 27, 2009)

Thanks for the hard work on the video!  Wow, my form is a mess (not that I didn't kind of know that)


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## bvibert (Apr 27, 2009)

Nice work Gary!  Thanks for putting that together! :beer:


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## Greg (Apr 27, 2009)

gmcunni said:


> video is up.



Nice video! I didn't know you got so much footage and you mixed angles up enough so it wasn't repetitive. Glad you were able to incorporate the little bit of video I got on Organgrinder in the afternoon. Nice, nice work. I think I'll retire from AZ video production now. 

I felt like such a gaper on Stein's yesterday and the video proves it. Holy moly. :roll: I loved going to the Legends after lunch. So much better in those big sweeper bumps on Stein's than the Twisters, but still forgiving enough to ski a straighter line on the OG bumps with them. I was peaking on the OG and Ripcord runs. Those two will have to carry me through the summer. DHS gets the ripper award yesterday for sure though....smoooooooooooth. I really wish you, Steve and Pat could have been with us on OG in the afternoon. Just sick lines.


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## bvibert (Apr 27, 2009)

Here's a couple of crappy cell phone pics I snapped yesterday.

Top of Stein's:






Ozzy on Stein's:


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## severine (Apr 27, 2009)

Nice vid, Gary!


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## gmcunni (Apr 27, 2009)

not much of a blooper reel from yesterday but i did manage to catch this.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (Apr 27, 2009)

Awesome TR and video...Ozzy hel his line tight and aggressive..grilling up some serious steeze..anyway it's a shame I wasn't there yesterday but thanks for giving us a little slice of Paradise for those who were stuck in a 90 degree sauna!!!


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## deadheadskier (Apr 27, 2009)

Greg said:


> DHS gets the ripper award yesterday for sure though....smoooooooooooth. I really wish you, Steve and Pat could have been with us on OG in the afternoon. Just sick lines.



I appreciate the compliment.  

Wish I didn't have to shut it down, but it was the right call.  I felt fine all morning, then could barely put weight on my right leg walking to the lift.  Still real painful today right where the quad meets the knee and under the knee cap on the inside of my leg.  Had I tried Steins again, you all would've had to call for a sled as even Spring Fling was brutal to try and get down.

Definitely wish I had gotten to experience OG with you all after it softened, the lines up there were clearly better than Steins.  I'm not going to say that Stein's was bad, it was fun, but I have never skied that trail with good lines on it.  Tells me it's a prime candidate for seeding, though I'm not sure I've seen a trail of Stein's pitched seeded before.

Can't wait for next season already


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## riverc0il (Apr 27, 2009)

ski_resort_observer said:


> Alittle bummed that DHS and Riv never came in GL as I would have liked to finally meet them but being in pain is an okay excuse. :wink:


What is GL? I booted up in that small room next to CS. I thought of you both times I skied bush this year but had no idea when/where you worked. Nor did I know your name and would have felt odd asking around for SRO from AZ. :lol: I'll be back next year and we can hook up for some chatter.


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## Greg (Apr 27, 2009)

deadheadskier said:


> I'm not going to say that Stein's was bad, it was fun, but I have never skied that trail with good lines on it.  Tells me it's a prime candidate for seeding, though I'm not sure I've seen a trail of Stein's pitched seeded before.



Might very well be that I just suck (okay, definitely the reason...  ), but I'm not a fan of uber steep bump runs. Mostly because good lines are tough to come by. Big sweepy GS bumps like we saw yesterday seem to be the norm. Organgrinder on the other hand, and even Ripcord are the perfect pitch for bumps. Although Spills is probably as steep as Stein's (maybe just perception with it being narrower) and the lines there were good too. Dunno. All that shit off Heaven's Gate just gets good bumps. I really need to hit Mount Ellen when the bumps are prime. That's usually mid-season and it's just so tough to skip skiing Twist, Mall, Spills, Paradise, CR, etc. I just love the natural terrain at LP



riverc0il said:


> What is GL?



Gatehouse Lodge perhaps? SRO can usually be found in the ski shop down there. It seems like I always bump into him and I'm not at Sugarbush all that much.


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## PomfretPlunge (Apr 27, 2009)

Great skiing with you folks.  Thanks for the video, GMC!  Looking forward to some good threads over the summer & see you next year

Peace


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## Greg (Apr 27, 2009)

PomfretPlunge said:


> Great skiing with you folks.  Thanks for the video, GMC!  Looking forward to some good threads over the summer & see you next year
> 
> Peace



Nice! Welcome Plunge! :beer:


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## deadheadskier (Apr 27, 2009)

Nice meeting you Plunge, don't be a stranger here on AZ and hope to see you out there again next season!


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## bvibert (Apr 27, 2009)

Good to see you here Mr. Plunge, also really nice skiing with you.  I think you might win the longest distance traveled to attend an AZ outing award.


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## PomfretPlunge (Apr 28, 2009)

Yep, but for me Vermont is coming home.  Woodstock High School 81-83


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## thetrailboss (Apr 28, 2009)

PomfretPlunge said:


> Yep, but for me Vermont is coming home.  Woodstock High School 81-83




Nice meeting you, Pomfret.  I was  when I heard how far you came...and glad you caught the plane home.  

It takes balls to ski with a bunch of guys from a site you didn't know.  Glad you came.


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## thetrailboss (Apr 28, 2009)

Greg said:


> I really need to hit Mount Ellen when the bumps are prime. That's usually mid-season and it's just so tough to skip skiing Twist, Mall, Spills, Paradise, CR, etc. I just love the natural terrain at LP



Very true, but I will say that you will be pleasantly surprised when you hit Ellen on a good day.  Fewer skiers, incredible views, more snow, better conditions, and better bumps.  This season I was very happy with what they did with Ellen.  I will say that some of us were nervous with the whole "seeded bump runs" on lower angle trails, but I will say that Which Way is better as a bump run and the line they had on Lookin Good was very popular.  Throw in Brambles, Lower FIS and Exterminator and you have a full day of fun.  Ellen looks smaller than it is.  Some good terrain variety there.  Just wish that it got warm enough for good spring skiing there....


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## gmcunni (Apr 28, 2009)

i had a great time Sunday, my second trip to SB this year. I really wish it wasn't 4 hours away, i could see myself skiing there a lot more if it was closer to me (or i was closer to it).  SB is quickly becoming my favorite place to ski.


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## 2knees (Apr 28, 2009)

nice job gary.  You're sneaky with that camera.  I only saw you pull it out once.

it looks rough, but what can you do?  there was no way to really let it fly on those bumps.  so far apart and so cross cut.  the bit of vid from organ grinder is nice though.  again, i wish i had known, would've skipped lunch and skied those again.  oh well.


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