(the Little Nell, yesterday)
Resembling a scene out of the early season playbook from upstate New York’s Hunter Mountain, a.k.a. “The Snowmaking Capitol of the World”, the recent low temperatures have allowed the still primitive-by-east-coast-standards snowmaking system of Aspen Mountain to crank out the fake stuff. An anonymous Aspen Ski Company insider, identified only as ‘M. Blakeslee’, confirmed that, if temperatures stay low and snowmaking continues, top-to-bottom skiing could be given the green light on Thanksgiving, Opening Day. You heard it here first.
As I picked up my ski pass yesterday, the roar of the snowmaking was reminiscent of earlier days back east. Then (25 years ago), as a kid, there was nothing more exciting than to make the three hour trip upstate to ski Hunter or Windham, battling huge lines(even by east coast standards) to ride slow lifts, only to ski down under the snowguns, sandblasting your face and causing short term hearing loss. It didn’t get any better than that.
Somehow it’s still exciting today.
See you out there Thursday.
I’m on my way to sign us all up for NASTAR now.
Remember when you used to have to take a test to see if
your snowboarding skills were good enough for their
mountain!
The fact that I was snowboarding at all is as funny as the test itself.
And my insider source was wrong– no top to bottom skiing Thursday. Only the top will be open and skiers ride the gondola back down. My attempt to ‘scoop’ the Aspen Times failed
Lizzie- I’ll take my NASTAR revenge on you any day you like. On a related note, Christy once tried to register me as “Egg McMuffin” in a running race in Telluride a few years ago. Thankfully someone noticed the unlikely racers name and disallowed it
Hi Ted,
Wow does that bring back memories. Egg McMuffin will go down in history as one of the favorite family stories. You were one of the best sports ever to put up with all your unruly cousins. Love, Mary Ann and Pat
AMEN,GREAT TRIP ! HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO EVERYONE.WE HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON.
Listen Ted, Go Fold a Banana, okay? …I’m not afraid to admit I snowboard.
I’ve always been impressed you were so proud to have abandoned your roots. It’s OK, when I finally grew up I returned to skiing, you still could too.
I can easily return to my roots…as soon as I score that $2300 fur-trimmed Ski ensemble I’ve been eyeing in the Gorsuch catalog.
You could always bust out the white furry boots you picked up in Chamonix back in 1983. They’d be fine around the fire at the Little Nell Bar in the meantime.
You’re sooo right!
And even better, I’ll borrow Jeannie’s in-the-boot ski pants and Donna Karan Ski jacket!
Now we’re talking. Friday December 26th, at the Little Nell Bar, by the fireplace. BE THERE!