# Burke Mountain: February 17, 2007 (AZ Gathering) WITH Pics



## thetrailboss (Feb 18, 2007)

*Date(s) Skied: * February 17, 2007

*Resort or Ski Area: * Burke Mountain

*Conditions: * P/PP

*Weather:* Snow showers in AM, partly cloudy in PM.  Cold.  

*2006-2007 Report # :* 32

*AZer's In Attendance:* Trailboss, Ms. TB, Andy Zee, Vi, Jeff, Jeff's wife, RIDEr, Ms. RIDEr, Snowmonster, Roomate of Snowmonster, from_the_NEK, koreshot, Chris "The Weatherdude," Eric, the original trailboss (a cameo appearance)

*Trip Report: *  Well, by popular demand, we finally had an AZ Burkeapolooza.  The interest for Burke, combined with the school vacation, and the fresh snow meant that my inbox was full all week with requests to join.  It was amazing.  

I got to the mountain at 9:05 and was greeted by Mountain VP Dick Andross who was taking some time to park cars in the lot.  

"What are you doing?  You're LATE!  Did your alarm clock not go off?"  He joked.  
"Something like that..."
"Well, I am telling [the original trailboss] about this!"  :lol:  

So in short, TB is, um, not as anonymous as he thought....

I met Andy Zee and his crew in the lot.  

"Nice to see you, this place reminds me of Plattekill.  That's a good thing," Andy said.  

We got our tix (thanks to some help from a reader of our boards and Burke reports :wink: ) and met in the lodge.  Koreshot, RIDEr, and Ms. RIDEr came in and we all got ready.  

Once outside, we took two warm-ups on Binney Lane and Dashney Mile.  

At 10am, our group took up most of the loading area.  Snowmonster, his roomate, Chris "The Weatherdude," and his friend Eric met up with us.  







And we were off to the top.  First run was down Dipper to an awesome Powderhorn.  Everyone was ripping nice turns.  We jumped into some pow on Dipper Doodle, where some folks found themselves in a bit too deep...Jeff and Andy Zee got buried at one point!  

From there, we went back up to the top.  Ms. TB and Ms. RIDEr went one way, from_the_NEK took koreshot and some other folks tree skiing, and I took the remainder of the folks down Bear Den Ledges and its pow and bumps:






It was great.  Deep drifted snow and lots of fun.  

From here, we rode back up and did East Bowl, much to RIDEr's chagrin, but heck, he did a great job getting enough speed to get through the run outs!  The trail was in great shape.  I pointed out the glades and we headed back up.  

Next run was down Carriage Road to a bumped up Doug's Drop.  We picked our way down and then rendezvoused with from_the_NEK and the tree rats.  We all headed down Mountain Marsh to Marshland.  Koreshot got through on his wide boards and I picked my way through.  Snowmonster sampled his first glade and Andy and Vi made it through OK.  From here, some of us went to lunch while I took a group to the top for one more run down Willoughby.  

After lunch, we headed back up to the top.  First run was down Wilderness, which was bumps galore:

RIDEr:







Then it was down Powderhorn to the Dippers and Poma.  Kudos to Snowmonster's roomie for making it down her first bump run!

We did a spin on the Poma and Warren's Way...RIDEr made it 2/3 the up the Poma on his board...that takes skill!

From there, we planned on one more East Bowl run, but ski patrol beat us to the trail and closed it.  So we did a spin down Fox's Folly, one of Burke's most infamous trails.  Ms. RIDEr got some jeers and responded in kind :wink:






And we did one closer on the Dippers all the way down.  Ms. TB did Toll Road.  

We took some nice shots and then headed down for Apres Ski:






Apres Ski in the Tamarack Bar was fun.  Mr. Andross made a brief appearance and saw the crew.  Everyone had a great time at the bar hanging out.  The evening ended with lots of handshakes, promises to ski Burke again, and even some hugs.  If you didn't come, you really missed out.  This was THE day to ski Burke and THE GROUP to do it with :wink:  






Feel free to chime in with YOUR report and pics.  

*Trailboss' Burkeapolooza Album*


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## adamti91 (Feb 18, 2007)

Sounds like a nice mountain... Hope to get to an AZ meet up soon, not many in the Catskills though.


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## andyzee (Feb 18, 2007)

Good TR TB, I was tempted to do one but knew I wouldn't remember the runs and figured I'd wait for yours. Sorry I didn't get to ski with you all after lunch, but as you know, we wanted to give Millie some company. Definetly a great time.


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## thetrailboss (Feb 19, 2007)

More comments and pics are *HERE*.


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## andyzee (Feb 19, 2007)

thetrailboss said:


> More comments and pics are *HERE*.


 

Hehe, threads getting a bit mixed up.:-D Guess everyone's still on a bit of a high after the great day!


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## thetrailboss (Feb 19, 2007)

Yeah, I tried to do a merge, but it didn't work....maybe we can get an assist here?  :wink:


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## andyzee (Feb 19, 2007)

Here's my assist  :


Some more pics:


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## Greg (Feb 19, 2007)

Great report and pics. Two AZ gatherings on one weekend. It used to be one or two per year.... :beer:


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## koreshot (Feb 19, 2007)

Nice TR trailboss. It was great meeting so many AZ peeps and AZ significant others.  It was a fun day, Burke is a nice place.  Sorry I never met up with you guys after lunch, but NEK had me going up and down the mountain like a mad man.  He definely likes to rack the vert up.  It was quality vert too - he knows how to find good snow and steep lines.

Any more photos of the day?  I can't believe I fogot to bring my camera.  Andy, you got any footage on the helmet cam?

There is only tough part about the day was my encounter with a tree, early in the day.  Bad judgement of terrain vs. my speed resulted in a bail-out turn, backseat style, and I ejected out of my ski.  Hitting thin cover when I was most vulnerable didn't help either.  Now out of control and still going pretty fast down the gladed run, I rotated to my side facing the fall line long ways and saw a birch tree, about a food in diameter coming at me.  There was nothing I could do to change my destiny and I ran squarely into the tree with my stomach.  The impact was hard enough that I basically folded/wrapped around the tree, smacking my boots with my hands.

Had I hit the tree 6" in either direction, I would have either bruised my pelvis or cracked a few ribs - got very lucky.  In the process I somehow bruised my quad muscle pretty badly.  I skied out the rest of the day in some pain (the skiing was too good to stop), but could barely walk on the leg by Sunday morning.  Stomach muscles and a couple of ribs have been hurting too, but I am feeling pretty good this morning so I am pretty sure there was no serious damage done.


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## thetrailboss (Feb 19, 2007)

koreshot--we heard about your bad hit there.  Hope you are OK!


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## andyzee (Feb 19, 2007)

koreshot said:


> Andy, you got any footage on the helmet cam?


 
Sure got some footage, haven't had a chance to look at it yet and obviously, I wasn't able to fly with you. Damn, this boy loves air! I'll see what I can do with regards to getting something off the cam, but it's going to be tough since we'll be getting ready for our Utah trip Thursday.   Oh, and glad your injury wasn't too bad, remember, just climb right back up on that horse.


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## Greg (Feb 19, 2007)

andyzee said:


> Sure got some footage, haven't had a chance to look at it yet.....I'll see what I can do with regards to getting something off the cam...



So basically, expect to see this footage sometime in September.... :roll:


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## andyzee (Feb 19, 2007)

Greg said:


> So basically, expect to see this footage sometime in September.... :roll:


 
 I'll work on an AZ outing DVD during the summer. So  far got Hunter, Mt. Snow, and Burke to work with. September/October sounds about right. :-D


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## thetrailboss (Feb 19, 2007)

What runs did you video?


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## andyzee (Feb 19, 2007)

thetrailboss said:


> What runs did you video?


 
I don't know, sorry but I don't remember the runs there. Got most of the stuff in the morning.


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## thetrailboss (Feb 19, 2007)

Ah....that is the good stuff....

Ledges, East Bowl, Marshland, Doug's Drop.


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## andyzee (Feb 19, 2007)

thetrailboss said:


> Ah....that is the good stuff....
> 
> Ledges, East Bowl, Marshland, Doug's Drop.


 

Yeah, yeah that sounds right. Got one or two face shots as well. My face hitting the snow


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## snowmonster (Feb 19, 2007)

andyzee said:


> Yeah, yeah that sounds right. Got one or two face shots as well. My face hitting the snow



As long as it's not footage of my face plants, andyzee! Looking forward to seeing the footage too.

koreshot, glad you're all right. We were worried about you after we heard of your adventure in the woods. Get well and see you on another AZ outing.

trailboss, great pics! Little snowmonster left the camera in the car so no contributions from us. She had a blast though -- enjoyed both the skiing and the stories at apres ski!


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## andyzee (Feb 19, 2007)

Greg said:


> Great report and pics. Two AZ gatherings on one weekend. It used to be one or two per year.... :beer:


 
I went to the one with all the cool kids, where was the other one? 8)


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## Greg (Feb 19, 2007)

andyzee said:


> I went to the one with all the cool kids, where was the other one? 8)



The one where we release *[POST="145643"]video evidence[/POST]* within a couple days...


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## koreshot (Feb 19, 2007)

snowmonster said:


> koreshot, glad you're all right. We were worried about you after we heard of your adventure in the woods.



Thanks for everyone's concerns and thoughts.  It happened on the first run in the woods, when Rider & I split off to join Chris and Eric.  I was very lucky to get up from that fall without any major injuries.  Other than some bruising and soreness I am totally fine.  I was able to shake it off and more or less keep up with NEK till about 3:30, which was a testament to the fact that I wasn't beat up too too bad :roll: ... NEK is a speed and air monster.


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## from_the_NEK (Feb 20, 2007)

koreshot said:


> Thanks for everyone's concerns and thoughts.  It happened on the first run in the woods, when Rider & I split off to join Chris and Eric.  I was very lucky to get up from that fall without any major injuries.  Other than some bruising and soreness I am totally fine.  I was able to shake it off and more or less keep up with NEK till about 3:30, which was a testament to the fact that I wasn't beat up too too bad :roll: ... NEK is a speed and air monster.



I'm working on posting my report and pictures. I will probably do it today at lunch time. 
I'm glad everyone enjoyed Burke  
Koreshot was ripping in the trees and on the trails considering his leg was so sore :beer:  I was running him pretty hard. This was the most snow we've had all at once in quite some time so I didn't want any to go to waste :grin: We did 3 or 4 runs through the "Slot" which is the glade I cut out over teh last two Autumns. The snow was deep in there as it hadn't been touched since Wednesday afternoon. More to come later...8)


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## koreshot (Feb 20, 2007)

Totally forgot to mention this... I got back to the lodge at the end of the day and was in the process of taking my boots off when I noticed this guy in the lodge:






Luis Guzman

He was there with his family, snowboarding.  I really wanted to ask for his autograph or at least say hello cause I think is a great actor, but figured I would let him ski in peace with his family.  It seems I was the only one that recognized him in the lodge cause the place was packed and nobody was looking.

I was surprised to see an accomplished and well known movie star in a resort like Burke.


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## thetrailboss (Feb 20, 2007)

Yes, Mr. Guzman was noted at lunch as well.  He has a place in the NEK where he raises horses.  He also appeared in the local movie "Disappearances."


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## from_the_NEK (Feb 20, 2007)

koreshot said:


> Totally forgot to mention this... I got back to the lodge at the end of the day and was in the process of taking my boots off when I noticed this guy in the lodge:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



When he is in the NEK he also attends the same church as me. I have sat right behind him and his family before. I agree that he is a very good actor. 
I prefer to leave celebrities have a little privacy which I think is common for most NEK folk. I have seen him at Burke a number of times but I have never seen anyone asking for his autograph.


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## RIDEr (Feb 20, 2007)

Koreshot - I remember that fall down the birches and glad it wasn't worse.  Glad the snow was there for the impact after the drop off after the tree.. for those that weren't there his ski was a few feet above where he landed...

I wasn't able to take any photos on Saturday (sorry guys), but took some from Sunday showing some trail conditions and one of Ms. RIDEr....

On the Willoughby Lift looking at Fox's Folly and The Shoot on the upper right:





The Shoot





On the Willoughby Lift looking at The Gap





Doug's Drop





Ms RIDEr on Doug's Drop (she didn't appreciate me taking her on this for the first run of the day on Sunday :argue






Overall, a fantastic weekend.  Thanks for TB for the great hospitality!  Great skiing with everybody (even though East Bowl was pay back for me being the only boarder ).

Look forward to the next time.


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## andyzee (Feb 20, 2007)

This a test, my first try on youtube, nothing special.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WGH1HGbREYhttp://www.youtube.com/v/6WGH1HGbREY


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## snowmonster (Feb 20, 2007)

Thanks for that, andyzee. Pretty good for a first try on youtube. Loved the "whoah" before the face plant!


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## thetrailboss (Feb 20, 2007)

Yes, I thought so.  I wish we had footage when a certain someone got stuck in the pow on Lew's Leap.  :wink:


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## Masskier (Feb 21, 2007)

I was surprised to see an accomplished and well known movie star in a resort like Burke

Matt Dillion was at Burke on Sunday, Johnny b gave his girlfriend a lesson


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## andyzee (Feb 21, 2007)

thetrailboss said:


> Yes, I thought so. I wish we had footage when a certain someone got stuck in the pow on Lew's Leap. :wink:


 
This what you talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crCiE7I-Vjk


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## snowmonster (Feb 21, 2007)

thetrailboss said:


> Yes, I thought so.  I wish we had footage when a certain someone got stuck in the pow on Lew's Leap.  :wink:



Guilty as charged! That would be me. For the record though, it happened in the flats after Lew's Leap. Experimenting again with my non-existent powder skills. There was no time for a "whoah" -- immediate face plant with my mouth wide open! That Burke powder sure tasted great!


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## thetrailboss (Feb 21, 2007)

andyzee said:


> This what you talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crCiE7I-Vjk



No...I had completely forgotten about that though!!!


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## andyzee (Feb 21, 2007)

thetrailboss said:


> No...I had completely forgotten about that though!!!


 
When I get back, I'll see if I can put music to Ms RIDEr yelling "Another one bites the dust"


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## thetrailboss (Feb 21, 2007)

You had some great shots there, AZ!!!  FYI I biffed it two or three times on Sunday.  Twice on the deep drifts of the Ledges.  I went swimming....


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## koreshot (Feb 21, 2007)

I love the pre-bail scream in the first video :-D 

Hey NEK, how about some of those videos you took?  Been waiting patiently...


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## from_the_NEK (Feb 21, 2007)

Here are my pictures are in no particular order... (I'm still working on a movie deal :roll: 

In the Trees





TrailBoss in Marshland Trees





Snowmonster in Marshland Trees





The Top of the Slot (this is where Koreshot and I were hanging out most of the afternoon :-D 





Koreshot in the pow (there are quite a few of these :grin: )





More below...


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## from_the_NEK (Feb 21, 2007)

I have to go to volleyball now. there are more pics in the gallery:

http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/681


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## andyzee (Feb 21, 2007)

from_the_NEK said:


> I have to go to volleyball now. there are more pics in the gallery:
> 
> http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/681


 
Nice shots!!!!


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## koreshot (Feb 21, 2007)

from_the_NEK said:


> I have to go to volleyball now. there are more pics in the gallery:
> 
> http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/681



Sweet!  Thanks.  Love the boulder shot!


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## 2knees (Feb 21, 2007)

koreshot said:


> Hey NEK, how about some of those videos you took?  Been waiting patiently...



hell yeah. based on those pics, some video would be awfully nice.


you guys look like you tore that up.


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## from_the_NEK (Feb 22, 2007)

Short raw vid on YouTube from Saturday. Sorry Koreshot it isn't either of us  It is my friend Ian dropping the boulder on the last run of the day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsmAsLd-J2E


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## thetrailboss (Feb 22, 2007)

And I forgot to add in the TR that on the second run Andy Zee complained about how long the lines were.....




30 seconds at the HSQ.  


:wink:


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## andyzee (Feb 24, 2007)

thetrailboss said:


> And I forgot to add in the TR that on the second run Andy Zee complained about how long the lines were.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

Never mind second run, lines were long all day! Once or twice, they may have been 5 minutes! Damn, only thing worst than that is conditions like I had today at Solitude, couldn't find one groomed trail!!


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## thetrailboss (Feb 25, 2007)

No videos yet?!  Any other pics?


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