Taos trip report 12/27-30

My wife and I drove out to Taos for four days of skiing. This was the
fourth time I've skied there during that week and they had the fewest
trails open of those four trips. Oh well, we still had fun. All of
the blues and greens were open, but no double blacks and selected black
runs were open on a rotating basis. Best snow was on Spencer's and
Rhoda's. Lorelei wasn't too bad the two times we caught it when it was
open, but you had to dodge lots of rocks. The ridge was open, but I
didn't like the looks of all the exposed obstacles, not to mention any
hidden ones. That and my wife's altitude sickness kept us on the
lift-served terrain.

On the third day, we encountered something that several locals swear
had never occurred in December in the 15-20 years they had been the
Rain on the mountain. It didn't bother me too much, but my wife
definitely wasn't happy when it turned to sleet. Come to think of it,
I wasn't too thrilled with the sleet either as I had loaned my face
gaiter to my wife. That night the temperature dropped enough for the
rain to turn to snow.

The last day, Thursday the 30th, we got to the mountain before the
scheduled lift opening to reports of anywhere from 8 to 18 inches of
snow. We got in the shorter line for the double chair (#5) fairly
early, but they didn't start the lifts until about 9:20. The patrol
was pretty busy doing avalanche control up top and along the ridge.
They didn't open chairs 2 and 8 until well after 10:30. I don't think
they ever got chair 4 running. We stuck to the front side, doing laps
on Al's, Rhoda's, and Spencer's, with a couple of trips down
Blitz/Reforma. With the backside mostly closed, the base was a zoo.
However, the longest wait for a lift topped out at about 12 minutes, so
it wasn't exactly like Vail.

We lucked out and got on the quad (#1) instead of the double just
before lunch. The double broke down and the patrol did a rope
evacuation of about 35-40 people before getting it to work just enough
to offload the rest of the people who were stuck. Some people were on
it for up to 90 minutes. Word was they got free lift tickets for their
trouble. I'd imagine more than a few of them also weren't up to skiing
down Al's. We just missed getting to watch the evacs, as they were
just getting the ropes set up.

Here's a pic of the base area in the morning:
http://www.freephotoserver.com/files...4_22856719.jpg

Here's a couple of pics of the impending rope evac:
http://www.freephotoserver.com/files...0_19212793.jpg
http://www.freephotoserver.com/files...8_21924868.jpg
Think SNOW!!!

Bob Lee wrote:
As my dad always used to say, "Timing is everything."

I knew we were related.

Nice report - try coming sometime besides Xmas break. TSV does me sort
of a favor by blacking out the Xmas break dates on my dirtbag pass, so
I'm never tempted to brave the crowds.

But...but.... isn't that when all the Texas Grrls with big hair are
there? The lift lines are fertile grounds for search and destroy as
well as to be seen. Haven't you ever been to Alta?

-klaus

klaus wrote:

But...but.... isn't that when all the Texas Grrls with big hair are
there? The lift lines are fertile grounds for search and destroy

It's good hunting if you can rock-n-roll on Strawberry Hill all day.

Bob said:
As my dad always used to say, "Timing is everything."

Ya pays ya money and takes ya chances. They opened up the rest of the
mountain after we left town. sigh

Nice report - try coming sometime besides Xmas break. TSV does me
sort
of a favor by blacking out the Xmas break dates on my dirtbag pass,
so
I'm never tempted to brave the crowds.

The crowds were only bad because all but two lifts were closed that
morning. For the three days prior, the only time we had to wait in a
lift line for more than a few chairloads was when the Kachina lift
broke down for 5 minutes. I'd love to get back there later in the
season, but Xmas break was the only time we were going to be able to
ski this year. I thought about flying out to Alta/Snowbird but it
would have just about doubled our cost. Plus, this way we got to visit
my grandmother and family on the way out and back.

With regards to Texas Grrls with Big Hair, didn't see any that fit the
stereotype on this trip. Must've all been at Vail. Of course, my wife
is apt to whack me with a ski pole if I venture that way...

On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:15:29 -0700, AstroPax
wrote this crap:

On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:36:54 -0700, Bob Lee wrote:

I read today that bartenders in Utah can't mix a drink within sight of
the patron. True?

Not true in a bar or club, but sort of true in a restaurant.

Utah restaurant liquor law:


There's whacko drinking laws in other states. I remember in Vermont,
while at Killington, you could only get ONE drink at a time. You
couldn't get a pitcher of beer, or a shot and a beer. And if you
wanted to get a round for the table, everybody had to go up to the
bar.





My T-shirt says, "This shirt is the
ultimate power in the universe."

Harry Weiner wrote:
On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:15:29 -0700, AstroPax
wrote this crap:


On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 19:36:54 -0700, Bob Lee wrote:


I read today that bartenders in Utah can't mix a drink within sight of
the patron. True?

Not true in a bar or club, but sort of true in a restaurant.

Utah restaurant liquor law:



There's whacko drinking laws in other states. I remember in Vermont,
while at Killington, you could only get ONE drink at a time.

This silly regulation has been repealed, thankfully.

You
couldn't get a pitcher of beer, or a shot and a beer. And if you
wanted to get a round for the table, everybody had to go up to the
bar.

On that last one, not quite. A wait-person could always
bring enough drinks for everyone at the table. You,
of course, were not a wait-person and therefore could
not carry more than one drink.

VtSkier (and drinker)





My T-shirt says, "This shirt is the
ultimate power in the universe."

"Harry Weiner" wrote in message
There's whacko drinking laws in other states. I remember in Vermont,
while at Killington, you could only get ONE drink at a time. You
couldn't get a pitcher of beer, or a shot and a beer.

If you have a beer in Vermont, and someone buys you a beer, the barperson
puts a funny little chess piece in front of you. That's your next beer. I
wanted to stage a raid and get all the chess pieces, but the bar guy said
that wouldn't work. humf.

ant

Bob Lee wrote:
Anyone know if you can still get a drink to go at bars in Montana?


Sure can. It is still legal to drink and drive with an open container in
Montana as long as you aren't legally drunk which I believe is .8. However
this may change soon as we lost a lot of federal highway funding for our
refusal to ban open containers while driving. I predict that the legislature
which is meeting as I speak will come up with a new law shortlyl Drats!

Stu
Driving to Jackson tomorrow with an open container.
See you at the Four Seasons and in the tram line.

"AstroPax" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 17:48:59 -0700, Bob Lee wrote:

I hear there's free beer and scotch in the evening

Free drinks, in Utah ? Bwaaahaaahaa !!!

FYI, it's illegal for a liqueur licensee to give it away, for free.

Nor can they sell it at a price less than what they paid for it.

Hell, even happy hour is illegal !

None of this "all you can drink for five bucks" **** either.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, I heard a Sna Diego bar advertising on
the radio a "bladder-buster" night: all beers half-price until someone goes
to the restroom.

"AstroPax" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 23:13:38 -0500, Harry
wrote:

There's whacko drinking laws in other states.

I agree.

I remember having to purchase some sort of "liquor control card" once,
in Pennsylvania, I think.

But I also remember the good times, like skiing in upstate New York,
like at Whiteface and Gore Mountain back when NY was an 18 state...in
the late seventies.

The first time I got REALLY drunk was when I went away from Vermont) to
college in New York (in 1965, when drinking age was still 18). The local
fraternities held fund-raiser events in the frat-house back yard: all the
beer you cold drink (plus one hot dog) for a couple of bucks. 50 kegs! 80
kegs! 69 kegs (the snake house)!