OFFICIAL 2011 "The Gathering" Trip report!!!! - Page 7

Great meeting you Jimmy! I am very pleased that my Ones will have a new home and will provide a couple seasons of skiing "on real edges"  :)  I had a lot of fun sliding on your skis that day!  Cheers!

I finally got to meet Bazz': a great guy but no pink gaiter?  I felt dissapointed....  :) 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy 

Yup the beach party was an incredible ending, my last day anyway, to one of the best weeks of skiing I've ever had. Good Skiing is more about who you are with than where you are at but with and at really came together last week.

 

My son came up from Denver with a friend and skied with us at Breck Thursday. After a bit of "goofy" skiing with comprex we took a break over at nine i think. We got separated from Kneale's group after the break and worked our way over toward six chair, then decided to go up the Imperial. We got to the top and run into Old Boot, Lady Salina and Xcoalminer and skied with them for a bit, went down to peak 8 to take a break and finndog and gregmerz stopped by for a visit. Just as we are getting ready to head back to seven Living Proof and Mathias99 come by and Matt decides to join us. Seems like where ever we went that day we kept running into people I knew, talk about feeling like a local.

 

Thanks to everyone who skied, drank, dined & laughed with me and for waiting for me at the bottom. Special thanks to JohnL, DSloan and Marigee for putting up with me all week. Tried to convince my wife that we really needed to fly out to Denver to visit our son for MOTHERS DAY. I'll let y'all know how that goes.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by segbrown 

 

 

CSG and Finndog

Ya finndog, sliding is a noice way to put it. Comprex tuned those crimsons up thursday night and delivered them to Abasin on Friday, he thinks they may be a bit base high. The One's are adapting to their new home very quickly, they said to say hello and don't worry about them. They will see you again, maybe in December. By the way, while you were in the men's room at Bart + Yeti's Wednesday I tried your green jacket on. It fit very nicely  .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toecutter 

Wow,..I didn't realize how much "older" the crowd is on here.  LOL.  Looks like you all had fun.  Thanks for the TR.

 

P.S., No broken hips I hope... 

 

Wow....looks like you had to post this quick before you caught your school bus. 

Perhaps you can join us at the next gathering and add some young blood to the mix......heh, maybe you can help our old friend weems learn how to ski again after his recent hip surgery.  I'm sure he'll appreciate any help you can give him.

I WILL need some help.  New back and new hip.  (Second new hip coming up in July)  Not that I should need help, but I think the doc put the first hip in backwards.  I keep walking around in circles.  

Glad you all had fun at my stomping grounds.  A Basin is where I learned to ski as a child.  It's so nice in the spring. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by weems 

I WILL need some help.  New back and new hip.  (Second new hip coming up in July)  Not that I should need help, but I think the doc put the first hip in backwards.  I keep walking around in circles.  

 

Glad you all had fun at my stomping grounds.  A Basin is where I learned to ski as a child.  It's so nice in the spring. 

Is there any coincidence that there is an ad for joint pain relief on this page now?

Weems, I've been looking at getting some Opedix base layers.  At my age, I can use all the support I can get. 

That's Old Boot.  You sooooo shoulda seen him showing me how to ski my retro skis.  He's a ton of fun!

^^ Old Boot is looking good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tog 
 

Overall, very impressive retro ensemble. The most complete ever?

 MR got all the glory with radical stripe attire, but this is totally complete.

I'd have to give it a tie with you two, though with the Spademans and

the boots youmight have the edge. What are those gloves?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I might have to concur.  Talk about primary colors.  MR's goggles, however, could tip the scales.  If it has not already been posted, I'd be interested in a list of the major retro items and their approximate age that Phil and MR were wearing.

That would make a lot of sense on the boiler plate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy 

Ya finndog, sliding is a noice way to put it. Comprex tuned those crimsons up thursday night and delivered them to Abasin on Friday, he thinks they may be a bit base high. The One's are adapting to their new home very quickly, they said to say hello and don't worry about them. They will see you again, maybe in December. By the way, while you were in the men's room at Bart + Yeti's Wednesday I tried your green jacket on. It fit very nicely  .

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toecutter 

Wow,..I didn't realize how much "older" the crowd is on here.  LOL.  Looks like you all had fun.  Thanks for the TR.

 

P.S., No broken hips I hope... 

 

It's OK mang, most of us even still have our own teeths. Tell ya wut i am short fat old have trouble catching my breath above 12K' and already have one hip that's sore all the time. Come to Tahoe next year if you can keep up with me maybe the Chicas will let you ski with them.................

PS.. How many Dirty Martini's can you drink in two hours?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy 

 

 

PS.. How many Dirty Martini's can you split in two hours?

 

 

fixed it for you....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tog 
 

Nice action shot. Who is it?

Hi Tog, it's Old Boot.... He's slowly recovering from his Bike Accident a year and a half ago and can make the moves this year, but hadn't the stamina to ski the mountains.  He hopes to come back next year able to ski the full day.  Nice his knee has fully recovered now though.

Also I have a few more shots of the gathering I found though I didn't take any action shots lol.  I just couldn't convince myself to stop skiing and take pictures.

Day 1 , Vail Meet up.

Vail Lunch while we wait for the lightning to stop and the resort to reopen.

The snow quickly piling up outside the lunch window while we wait for the lightning to stop and transform the icy conditions to winter playground.

Our first day at A basin; the Blue bird day was really chilly and windy.

The A Basin, take it easy today group, from the top of the hill before first run.

and a Colorado sunset on the way to dinner.

 It's really is a close call, I give him the nod due to the whole "ensemble" red/white/blue thing was seemless. Now then, your boots were a leg up for sure!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philpug 

I conceded to MasterRacer, his outfit smoked mine. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady_Salina 

 

 

 

Love it, makes me want to break out into some John Denver. Was this Tuesday?

Rocky mountain high........

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jamesj 

 

Overall, very impressive retro ensemble. The most complete ever?

 MR got all the glory with radical stripe attire, but this is totally complete.

I'd have to give it a tie with you two, though with the Spademans and

the boots youmight have the edge. What are those gloves?

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

I might have to concur.  Talk about primary colors.  MR's goggles, however, could tip the scales.  If it has not already been posted, I'd be interested in a list of the major retro items and their approximate age that Phil and MR were wearing.

 

 

 

 

To answer JamesJ question (not to steal Phil's thunder; I think Phil's outfit was superb and certainly coordinated to perfection.)

1978 Rossi ROC 210cm with M4-15 / Rotomat heels and Salomon safety straps *

1978 Rossi gloves *

Bouton goggles (not the same ones that I actually used in the 70s)

Scott 'pointless' poles

Langes (bought for 50 cents at a senior rummage sale; never worn)

1978 US Team DH suit *

1974 jacket made by my mom *

'Easy Rider' helmet - a modern replica gifted to me by a friend

(* originally mine)

When not wearing the helmet I was wearing a period Uli hat*

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmy 

It's OK mang, most of us even still have our own teeths. Tell ya wut i am short fat old have trouble catching my breath above 12K' and already have one hip that's sore all the time. Come to Tahoe next year if you can keep up with me maybe the Chicas will let you ski with them.................

 

PS.. How many Dirty Martini's can you drink in two hours?

 

 

Bwhahahaha!  Many of these old guys are rippers.  Eventually us youngin's (I'm claiming that I'm still one of those at almost 34) learn that they can and will show us a thing or two about ripping. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trekchick 

Wow....looks like you had to post this quick before you caught your school bus. 

 

Perhaps you can join us at the next gathering and add some young blood to the mix......heh, maybe you can help our old friend weems learn how to ski again after his recent hip surgery.  I'm sure he'll appreciate any help you can give him.

 

Ha ha!  Nice one.  Actually I'm right in there with you guys (but maybe at the lower end).  I've got all my manufacturer's original equipment body parts though!

Thanks for the invitation; it looks like a blast.

P.S., I don't even know what a Dirty Martini is!  Does it involve chocolate milk?
 

Dirty Martinis are made with the brine of olives. About 1 part brine to 4 - 5 parts gin or vodka. Shake, Strain. Especially good with jalepeno or blue cheese stuffed olives (and the accompanying brine). I like mine made with Saphire Gin.

Hi Seg,

Looking at the time in my camera (which is off lol), i think it was 7:30pm ish on the Tuesday, after our day at A-Basin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by segbrown 

 

Love it, makes me want to break out into some John Denver. Was this Tuesday?

With the memory of the Gathering fading quickly from my feeble mind, I thought I’d jot down what I can still recall.

To start, I’d like to give a special shout to my friend Bazzer.  A couple of weeks prior to the Gathering I was looking at my dwindling ski funds, adding up the price of lift tickets and lodging all while knowing I had access to a nearly free condo in Winter Park.  I’ve been to a bunch of gatherings and know how rewarding they can be but the lure of skiing the Jane for free was gaining ground in my mind.

That’s when Baz offered me a bedroom in Vail at the Park Meadows Lodge.  Seems his overflowing reserves of good karma had landed him a severely discounted rate at PML and for some reason he was willing to share his good fortune with me.  This coincided with Greg Merz’ posting of the Last Minute Travel lift ticket deal.  Good fortune seemed to be raining down on me and I could not say no so I headed down Berthoud Pass, through the tunnel and over Vail Pass to join the Bears.  Thanks Bazz and Greg!  Yahoooooo!!!

Anybody ever ask a pro photographer if you can take his picture then it turns out as poorly lit as this?  Yeah, that's exactly what I did and it's also exactly how I felt skiing with all the stellar skiers that week.

Day 1, Vail

I was eager to try some of next year’s offerings from Blizzard so I was hanging out at the Double Diamond ski shop while the clock ticked past the appointed meet up time (sorry Uncle Louie).  While Philpug handled the setting of DINs and BSLs I became aware of a scent in the air.  It was familiar but displaced.  It was……. rain!  It didn’t last all that long but it turned out to be a harbinger of odd weather that day.

I was on Bushwackers and the first few runs of the day were, uh, firm.  I suppose it was an overstatement when I said I was hating life, I mean there we were, a bunch of friends on top of a snow covered mountain.  Life was pretty good but I was longing for familiar skis with a decent wax job.  I had an icy tumble on my first run that I can still feel.

By the time we made it to Mid-Vail pretty much everyone was off skiing except COskigirl who would serve as our guide this day.  Without exception, the guides at this Gathering were excellent.  CSG’s love of this hill was apparent from the start.  She’s been skiing this mountain since before she was born and was eager to share it with us.  I was acclimating to the BWs and having fun skiing ice bumps when it started to…. hail!  I could not help but to laugh as the dense snow pellets pelted my face.  Yeah, it hurt but at least it wasn’t raining.

Oh, but wait…. Do thunder and lightning usually accompany a hail storm?  I was keen to make another run in the “dippin’ dots” but all the lifts in sight were stationary.  In fact, the lightning had forced every chair on the mountain to grind to a halt.  No matter, it was time for some sustenance anyway so in we went and as we munched the precipitation turned to snow.  Lots of snow.  Less than an hour later it was a powder day!

I don’t know Vail too well but we had a ball on the terrain off the Northwoods lift and a few others.  Doing little drops with Finndog, Philpug and rachelv was absolutely grin inducing, as were the tree runs with Phil and Trekchick.  Many said that they had never seen a mountain make such a turnaround so quickly.  It really was pretty impressive.

Day 2, Breckenridge:

MastersRacer was the guide du jour and what a joy to follow such a…… masterful skier.  After the meet up at peak seven we made our way over to peak nine or ten or twelve….. I don’t know, this place confuses me.  But I do remember Horseshoe Bowl since we got there just as it opened.  We did three or four laps of the T Bar, ruining fresh snow each time.  From there we did some of the horse runs and then a few off of E chair before heading in for lunch.  Then it was a trudge and a traverse over to Mineshaft which just skied beautifully.  Mosdef my fave run of the day until……

So, it was a tad windy that day.  I think our leader must have had a secret shortwave link to the Imperial Express because it was on wind hold most of the day but when we decided to go check it out the bull wheel was turning and they were loading chairs.  Now, I was thinking Spring when I dressed that morning and the wind was uncomfortably chilly.  A question was posed as to whether we wanted to brave the wind on the Imperial and I was really close to voicing a negative  opinion.  Instead I kept my mouth closed and assumed the fetal position on the chair.  Oh, did I mention that earlier in the day a couple of trees had conspired to tear my pants to shreds and half my naked ass was hanging out?

It's just a flesh wound.  Have at you!

Once off the lift, it was decided that our destination was Whale’s Tail.  Now, I’ve skied WT before but am far from familiar enough to know the way or what the way entailed but I was game to follow and follow I did….. and followed, and followed and followed.  This was a traverse head on into a 50-60mph wind.  At some points the wind carried so much snow that if you opened your mouth it would fill with snow at an alarming rate.  As the traverse continued I seriously questioned the wisdom of this decision.  There were a bunch of times that the whiteout cleared enough to get a glimpse of what was below and I thought, ‘why aren’t we dropping in here?’

Finally we got to our destination and waited to be sure the whole group was intact.  After MR shouted some instructions that I struggled to hear just a few feet from him, he dropped in.  MeFree30 followed on his heels and I couldn’t help but to succumb to the forces of gravity.  I think it was the voice of JohnL that quickly faded from me, “ONE AT A TIME from now on!”  I suppose he was right and it was a risky proposition for me to follow two such good skiers so closely, but the traverse had been so harrowing, I was so cold and the skiing was so sublime that I just had to go.  The three of us danced with the mountain.  There was less than a foot of blown in snow and it was not light and fluffy, in fact it had a bit of a crust, but on this day, on those skis (Bluehouse Maestros) it was as welcoming and forgiving and grandma’s open arms.  It was sheer bliss.  As Stefano de Benedetti might have said, “on thees run I felt like a leetle bit of a super man.”

Grizzled veterans please forgive me, but for this relative newb, that traverse and run was the most enthralling experience I’ve had on skis.

One other memory from this day comes to mind.  Very near the end of the day we came to a sunny bump run with trees on the side.  MR, Lady Salina and King Grump headed for the trees but I was feeling a bit tree shy.  I quietly explained this to JohnL and then continued at the top of my lungs, “besides, these bumps look SAWEEEEEET!”  as I charged downward expecting to blast through soft crud.  Perhaps I should have taken note that ten out of the twelve peeps on that run were not on their feet.  The sun had densified and the wind had refrozen that snow.  Those bumps were indeed, not sweet!  We all laughed at that more than once.

Day 3, Arapahoe Basin

I was excited to ski with CGieb.  I’d had the pleasure of dining with this Epicski luminary a couple of times and had heard numerous tales but this was my first opportunity to ski with him.  I was also looking forward to skiing with Bazzer on his first trip to one of my fave hills.  We did a couple of groomer runs then a few laps on the ‘Zuma side and on West Wall before lunch.  After lunch, guess what……. all the upper lifts were on wind hold.  Back into the Black Mountain Lodge (one of the few resort dining facilities where I will actually purchase a meal, thanks to ex-Winter Park local chef Chris Rybak), the talk turned to next year’s Gathering.  Cases were made and a secret ballot was cast.  Tahoe!

A few more groomer runs then Pali re-opened and laps were made until legs gave up.  CGieb absolutely lived up to my lofty expectations and Bazzer knew he would be back to further enjoy this gem of a hill.

Day 4, Vail

This was the day of the vailsnowpro throwdown.  I was pretty nervous as I am a skier that shines in hero conditions but often struggles in challenging conditions.  Conditions this day were……. not optimal.  In fact, some of the tastiest bits of the mountain were closed and VSP was forced to scrap his planned route.  Instead we skied coral reef, chicken heads and lots of cat tracks.  We found good snow on a shaded line in Champagne Glades (we repeated) and really good snow in chute two of Steep and Deep (we repeated twice).  We found a bit more that was worth skiing but mostly we endured, survived, smiled, laughed and learned.  I hope I’m lucky enough to take the real tour some day.

Day 5, Breckenridge

It’s always a pleasure to ski with Uncle Louie, our leader this day.  This was another day of wind, re-freeze and no new snow.  I followed blindly and happily as UL headed toward the Imperial.  He said the snow would be good so that’s where we went…. and of course he was right.  It was chalky and fast and we did laps there until lunch.  After lunch it was slush bumps on Peak Ten.  It was a good day and I was very happy to see Bazzer starting to get a feel for the bumps in the PM.

Day 6, ABasin

Again, CGieb was our guide and he did a fine job.  Another re-frozen morning, we played on the groom in the early morning before moving to lower East Wall and West Wall.  At this point the beach party was forming but Pali was calling.  I did a couple of laps there while Mr. Vertical assumed the grilling duties.  The party was a blast but I limited myself to one bourbon, one Scotch and one beer so that I could still kick it when the snow got soft.  Truth be told, it was one beer, a small glass of wine and half a watery cocktail.

The afternoon was spent on the Pali side.  The cornice was jumped, the Allies were dallied in and Main Street was taken over by a parade of zoo animals.  What a way to officially end the Gathering!

Ya know, I’ve tried not to repeat too much of what has already been said but I would be terribly remiss if I didn’t stress that even though there was a ton of excellent skiing that week, the real highlights were the smiles I exchanged with old friends and new friends alike.  In fact, the only downside to the Gatherings that I can think of is that there is never enough time to hang with all the peeps that I’d love to hang with.

A word on Vail.

Since I’ve gone on record on this forum as not being a big fan of Vail, I’d like to say that I’ve soften that stance a tad.  One reason is the Park Meadows Lodge.   Vail has always seemed like an expensive proposition to me but at PML you can get a decently clean room with a kitchen for a reasonable rate.  The owners are way chill and I didn’t see one bedbug in a week.  If you’d like to do Vail on a budget, check this place out!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthias99 

Pics!

 

I uploaded a whole bunch of stuff to Flickr.  I set it so the identifiable pictures of people are private, but if you follow this link, you can see them all: http://flickr.com/gp/matthias99/63c43p/

 

You can download full-res versions through that link as well, though I'm not sure if you have to register to do that.

 

Some highlights:

 

 

DSloan after losing her ski in the Vail powder

And here's the accompanying picture Mattias99 was nice enough NOT to post in the trip report (but included on Flickr):

I'm not too proud to admit that's mine. At least I'm good for a laugh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toecutter 

Ha ha!  Nice one.  Actually I'm right in there with you guys (but maybe at the lower end).  I've got all my manufacturer's original equipment body parts though!

 

Thanks for the invitation; it looks like a blast.

 

P.S., I don't even know what a Dirty Martini is!  Does it involve chocolate milk?
 

 

GASP!!!!  You don't know what is in a dirty martini?  That saddens me.  It's my second favorite stiff drink.  Right behind a manhattan.  Mmmmm, I would be quite happy with either right now. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by bumpfreaq 

 

 

Day 2, Breckenridge:

MastersRacer was the guide du jour and what a joy to follow such a…… masterful skier.  After the meet up at peak seven we made our way over to peak nine or ten or twelve….. I don’t know, this place confuses me.  But I do remember Horseshoe Bowl since we got there just as it opened.  We did three or four laps of the T Bar, ruining fresh snow each time.  From there we did some of the horse runs and then a few off of E chair before heading in for lunch.  Then it was a trudge and a traverse over to Mineshaft which just skied beautifully.  Mosdef my fave run of the day until……

So, it was a tad windy that day.  I think our leader must have had a secret shortwave link to the Imperial Express because it was on wind hold most of the day but when we decided to go check it out the bull wheel was turning and they were loading chairs.  Now, I was thinking Spring when I dressed that morning and the wind was uncomfortably chilly.  A question was posed as to whether we wanted to brave the wind on the Imperial and I was really close to voicing a negative  opinion.  Instead I kept my mouth closed and assumed the fetal position on the chair.  Oh, did I mention that earlier in the day a couple of trees had conspired to tear my pants to shreds and half my naked ass was hanging out?

It's just a flesh wound.  Have at you!

 

Once off the lift, it was decided that our destination was Whale’s Tail.  Now, I’ve skied WT before but am far from familiar enough to know the way or what the way entailed but I was game to follow and follow I did….. and followed, and followed and followed.  This was a traverse head on into a 50-60mph wind.  At some points the wind carried so much snow that if you opened your mouth it would fill with snow at an alarming rate.  As the traverse continued I seriously questioned the wisdom of this decision.  There were a bunch of times that the whiteout cleared enough to get a glimpse of what was below and I thought, ‘why aren’t we dropping in here?’

Finally we got to our destination and waited to be sure the whole group was intact.  After MR shouted some instructions that I struggled to hear just a few feet from him, he dropped in.  MeFree30 followed on his heels and I couldn’t help but to succumb to the forces of gravity.  I think it was the voice of JohnL that quickly faded from me, “ONE AT A TIME from now on!”  I suppose he was right and it was a risky proposition for me to follow two such good skiers so closely, but the traverse had been so harrowing, I was so cold and the skiing was so sublime that I just had to go.  The three of us danced with the mountain.  There was less than a foot of blown in snow and it was not light and fluffy, in fact it had a bit of a crust, but on this day, on those skis (Bluehouse Maestros) it was as welcoming and forgiving and grandma’s open arms.  It was sheer bliss.  As Stefano de Benedetti might have said, “on thees run I felt like a leetle bit of a super man.”

Grizzled veterans please forgive me, but for this relative newb, that traverse and run was the most enthralling experience I’ve had on skis.

One other memory from this day comes to mind.  Very near the end of the day we came to a sunny bump run with trees on the side.  MR, Lady Salina and King Grump headed for the trees but I was feeling a bit tree shy.  I quietly explained this to JohnL and then continued at the top of my lungs, “besides, these bumps look SAWEEEEEET!”  as I charged downward expecting to blast through soft crud.  Perhaps I should have taken note that ten out of the twelve peeps on that run were not on their feet.  The sun had densified and the wind had refrozen that snow.  Those bumps were indeed, not sweet!  We all laughed at that more than once.

 

I realized how bad the pants were but I didn't realize how bad the 'flesh' wound was.  I had more duct tape.

BTW, Arnica montana, both topically and orally is good for that kind of injury.

Great skiing with you BF!

Hey Toecutter !

We may be old but we are definitely hardcore !