Bri/DK Fest X Recap (Bolla, Woods, and Pow)

Three years running (on top of several of the K0 trips) and the Bri/DK Fest is still in full swing.  For the 2010 season we were lucky in to get awesome snow, great weather, one DiK that was loaded down with 2 1/2 gallons of Vallapocellia.  Read after the break for a run down on Killy, Pico, and wine by the liter.

24 Hour Transformations (Uller at Killy)

In one day, an amazing thing occured at Killington. Winter started.

Friday

Saturday

Winter at Last (Gorbachev, Sherlock Holmes, and BonoIrishLover)

So after initial reports of excitement and merriment in late October and early November, things turned awful in a hurry.  Al Gore was out there ruining the winter with warm temps and non-winter precipitation destroying the early season base.  This then led to my East Coast news embargo. 

I can officially say now though, that the embargo is lifted and Boloney Moguls declares this season open for business.   Because I’ve recently become sponsored by the U.S. government, I took off from D.C. on Thursday and straight-lined it for Killington. 

G305 is a true home away from home and always a happy sight after hours on the road.  I arrived there in a t-shirt and jeans, while spitting rain persisted through Rutland.  After some brew dogs and Vallapecila with Dan Kelly himself, I got some sleep in and woke up for early season mid-week riding.  Because cold temps had finally arrived in Killington before the slight warm-up I drove through, the guns were cranking full blast for days and the terrain finally had at least a mediocre base.

Driving down the access road, I saw a familiar view that has been plaguing all the mountains of the East:  dirt trails more suited for mountain bikes than snow sports.  After Beer One, I suited up – for what was a much colder day than I expected – and headed to the K-1 Gondy.  The mountain was alive with the roar of dozens of snow guns rapidly trying to jumpstart a winter that Uller seemed indifferent to starting. 

Everything blown on was classic East Coast conditions and I couldn’t have been more psyched.  Hardpack with a lot of man made on top of it – and more being blown – turns were good, edges held, and runs were fast.

With my faith restored in the East Coast and my new TRS, I returned to the condo and waited for the rest of the crew to arrive. 

Friday night was a standard scene:  carloads of Boloners arrived after 11 and mild raging occurred.  We couldn’t have anticipated what Saturday would hold though.

Driving up to the hill everything seemed the same, besides the epic crowds that turned out for 2 top to bottom runs.  Killington was again the only game in town.  Mount Snow, Okemo, Stowe, Bolton Valley, all the NY/CT mountains had missed their projected openings AGAIN.  All snow enthusiasts that had missed their Thanksgiving trip, on top of others, headed to the Beast to get their fix.  Damn the conditions.

Enduring crowds was much easier as the Ktown snowmakers expanded the open terrain and helped us spread out a bit more.  But, Great Northern was still the only way to the base.  This caused a log jam of the worst variety, with kids, grandpas, and jib rats slamming into each other at high speeds at choke points on the bottom of the run.  

And then it started to happen.  Uller woke up and what I thought was just flurries and trace snow started coming down.  The sky whited out, the light flattened, and snow came down.  No one wanted to jinx it, but every time we looked at the once bare dirt runs of the morning, we couldn’t help but get excited, seeing the Beast wake up and take on its snow-draped style.

I think  Tim said it best.  What me and him were really excited about was spinning our newly acquired Subarus through their first snowstorm.  Back at the lot after a day of riding through man-made and natural, the ground was completely covered with inches of fresh.  The access road back to the condo was as treacherous as Great Northern was.  But this time, we had 2WD cars trying to descend and climb ice-covered roads to no avail.

Back at G305, after a quick rally course run through the Pico lot with the Seenbaru, that I hope would make Ken Block proud, the celebrations commenced.  We cooked up a mondo meal, poured some brown stains, and opened up Catch Phrase and Cranium.  A night full of drinking, laughing, phrase-guessing, and charading took place.  Finally it felt like winter was here and it could have been the middle of February for all we knew.  Snow on the mountain, cold temps outside, and a raging fire inside.  You know things are good when we're able to use the back deck as a beer cooler.

Sunday was any-day winter in VT.  A little more terrain opened up, the guns were still blasting, but most importantly it was cold, and the Beast looked like the mountain we all expected it to look like in December.

Winter has come to Vermont and the rest of the East Coast.  Just yesterday Killy claimed another 12ish inches coming down which will do wonders for the base.  After some wind and bluebird skies, this weekend more precip is supposed to come down and cement the gains of the last week.

Finally, it is ski the east time.

Earning Turns (Assload of Miles for Early Season Riding)

With the exception of one DiK, the remaining four of us all put in serious miles for minimal riding, and it was well worth it.

The Boloners:

Myself, Power:  500 miles one way
BP, Dong:  273 miles one way
Kath, Not Pukey:  300ish miles one way
Tim:  300 miles one way
Dan, DiK:  75 miles one way (ass)

While I will continue NOT to break my East Coast news embarago, some comments on this weekend's mega mileage trip are necessary.  5 Boloners in Killington with 5 cars.  That's how BM keeps it green all year long.  Roughly, the gang logged in excess of 2,800 miles for three open trails at Ktown.  I think it would be impossible for ANYONE to question a Boloner's dedication to riding. 

Saturday's mushy sludge was plenty rideable at the higher elevations but quickly rutted out and turned to a color reminiscent of the Mid-Atlantic.  The trails lower down consisted more of rock ollies and avoiding running water and mud than powder turns, but I'll take it at least.

I seem to really be utilizing lists and short sentences, so I'll highlight the weekend via bullets:

• High point:  First shot of rumplemeinze in the 2010 season - delicious, refreshing, minty.
• Comedy gold:  Dan nailing himself in the throat, popping a cork out of his wine
• Drinking achievment:  Dan/Tim for dueley red-eyes at the Wobbly
• Exceptionally Stylish moment:  BP riding in his girly leather jacket, earning the descriptor "faggy 70s shit"
• Random Hero of the weekend:  The Hammer hanging out at the Wobbly during the Wild Stallions premiere
• Sweet Air Award:  Tim's backside 180 to mud plant
  

Sales Position Available (Ideal Candidates Inquire Within)

Well, there isn't exactly a sales position open - anymore.  And, that's because this guy takes the job without an interview.  I would buy anything he sells.  Two of them.  Just because he's awesome.



Oh yea, in news I'm sure no one cares about... KILLINGTON OPENS TOMORROW.

Unleash the Fury (East Coast Snow Update)

Everyone on the East is sitting around, looking at gear - new and old alike - and anxiously waiting for Vermont to announce "game on."  A quick jib sessions a few weeks ago at Mount Snow only served to make us all more hungry for the season to really start.  All eyes now are on Killington.  To paraphrase the Beast, snowmaking has been going on since yesterday, but conditions suck to make snow at the low elevations.  Fresh, real snow might be coming tonight, but the temperatures for prime snowmaking will certainly be there.  That's the critical part.  The East Coast snow gods are fickle, but the icy hand of a New England winter isn't.  When it shows up, it stays and locks in that deep freeze.  Using our technology, we can finish the job.  Gotta love the brand new fan guns they are using at killy pictured right.  I think that thing was only on for six hours when they took this and there is already light coverage.  Amazing.

The glimmer of hope?  The Beast says they will make an official announcment about top-to-bottom skiing tomorrow around this time.  Frankly, that seems much more positive than they were at this time yesterday.  Let's hope they can do it.  Boloney Moguls needs to keep it green and get back to Rutland.

Other prospects?  Well with all this cold finally setting in, snowmaking at Mount Snow has seriously cranked up.  They even claim to have gotten a few inches last night of fresh.  In the picture to the left you can seem them blow as hard as they can all over mother nature.  Damn green stuff needs to become white stuff.  Down by the base, they have nothing, but again, at higher elevations it is really looking like a winter wonderland.  Key here is to get great cover in for a 3rd annual post-Thanksgiving trip to the Snow Lake Lodge.  Last year's debauchery can be recapped here.  But to summarize, I ended up with a bruised jaw, Kath became Pukey, Kyle was anused, and Vinny was creeping about.  Oh yea, and the plate of gravy.

A Basin Open (The Winter Spreads)

My fondest - well most terrifying - memories of Colorado were probably at Arapahoe Basin.  Now Arapahoe Basin is open for the X season.  This monster mountain equipped with the huge front side plus the nutso steep and expansive Montezuma bowl is now letting riders and skiers in to kill it all day long at the high altitudes.

Nothing like tapping the Rockies with a Coors Light and delicious CO pow.  It definitely has a light cover now, but it's amazing to see how much snow and how many trails (and how much of the bowls are covered) only at October 14th.  This season is already shaping up to be an impressive one.  The CO kids probably already have a few days on the hill considering Loveland has been open for a week.  Jackson, Utah, and the Sierra Nevadas are taking some pretty decent dumpings too.  Giddyup.

Like Dan says, the snow at A Basin is so awesome because of all the tears of the Arapahoe tribe.  Photography above kindled borrowed from Sean Kerrick Sullivan.

But, we must be thankful for what's going on here on the Right Coast.  Wild Stallions shipped (and I've viewed the greatness).  Also, as the bum himself chastised me for not commenting about, Killy got some snow, and has also began snow making.  Wahoo.  Killy open before November 1?  I think it could happen.  Maybe Jay or Stowe will open up shop first.  The race is on.


UPDATE:  And the winner is:  Sunday River.  They opened today with a total of one lift and one trail.  Count it!

A Lull in the Action (Not for Long)

February, at least for one Seen always sees a downturn in the action for the inevitable destruction that will be the big March trip. Just an FYI there, Jackson just hit 300 inches.

This Feb will be different though. The majority of Boloney is headed to G305 for a weekend of debauchery, shredding, and bad fashion. (and hopefully some gnarly filming)

Pico / Killington / Sugarbush update:

Pico - currently a balmy 3 degrees. And what's that howling? Oh, of course. It is the lovely Vermont wind that makes Pico famous and frostbitting. No new major snow since the huge dumping last week, but they have snow on the radar for saturday, sunday. Powder Monday anyone?

Killington - 7 degrees, feels like -8, but you won't feel a thing. Oh how Killington is lovely this time of year. Of course, Killy will likely get the same weather Pico gets, but will be way icyer because of the crowds.

Sugarbush - Sunny and 8 degrees. Well atleast you don't have to worry about your beer getting warmer. A 175 inch base and they got two feet in the last week. Not too shabby. If I was going up to VT, I think this would be a great spot on Saturday.

Well on the other hand, this guy is going to shred some real sicky gnar gnar (weather permitting). I have to say "weather permitting" because in the Mid-Atlantic, it rains during Febuary. Yes. Rain. In the middle of the damn winter.

The target for this weekend: Seven Springs. Southern PA's premier resort for sucking ass. A 3 1/2 hour drive for a 750 ft vertical. Trails almost three quarters of a mile! And crowds, oh the crowds. Let's keep our fingers crossed because I'm sure it will be epic!

President's Day weekend is shaping up to be a good one. With much nomading, most of the gang will be crashing at CT's place in VT. Should be a sick weekend of hot-tubbing, Okemo-ing, and Magic Mountain - ING.

All told - this is just a warmup. Jackson Hole is on everyone's radar and it can't come soon enough. Boloney Moguls is hungry, hungry for altitude and delicious out-West POW POW.

The riding never stops.

Boloney goes Epic (Pow Pow Pow)

So it seems Boloney has survived their ordeal in the great north. Some truly amazing pics and vids can be accessed here and to the right. Expect a full report in the coming days.