2004 Sunday River, Maine
Ski Trip Report
Just before we pulled out to head to the airport, I checked the web weather report one more time. Good...No ice storms on the horizon. A quick stop at SnowTime’s parking lot to check on carpoolers, then off to BWI. No hitches, except for a minor rolling backup just before our exit to BWI.
We all got checked in OK and headed for the gate. Then Eric showed up. His ticket hadn’t been switched from one of our last minute cancelees. Thus began intense attempts to correct the problem. Several cell phone calls and a mad dash back to the front ticket counter and back, Eric enter the flight. Suffice it to say that a very nice ticket agent at the Southwest counter in Manchester made it almost all better (we’ll see if Eric gets a refund for his second ticket).
The rest of the flight was uneventful, unless you count the suitcase that came up on the next flight and made its way to the hotel without us. Northeast Charters picked us up at the airport (a few minutes late) and we headed off to dinner at the Old Country Buffet. These folks continue to amaze me. When we arrived with a bus-load (46 of us) of skiers, they panicked because they didn’t have any free tables. Within 10 minutes, we were all seated.
After eating entirely too much, we headed to the grocery store. Some folks stocked up on only the essentials (beer). Others bought enough to feed everyone on the bus for two or three weeks. We loaded up again and headed for the mountains.
We drove on through the night, watching Warren Miller’s Fifty once again (these buses are going to have to start installing DVD players so we can watch something new). As we closed in on Sunday River, we saw snow! By the time we got to Sunday River, we had a good snow thing going on.
A small army of bellboys greeted us and moved our luggage off the bus and into the hotel. A few of us opted for the bellboy route all the way to the room. After a little rearranging of the luggage, it was off to bed.
The next morning, it was off to ski in the fresh powder. OK, it was a little tempered by the sleet, but it was far from the ice that you often find in the east.
I think almost everyone beat me to the slopes on Saturday morning. After taking Caren to daycare, Evan to his lesson, and getting Kate rentals, it was after 10:00 by the time I was heading to my first lift (many thanks to the Ambassador who took us to Evan’s lesson, got Kate’s lift ticket switched to a place it wouldn’t hit her in the face, and got Kate her rentals).
Apparently while I was taking care of this, Brooke took a nasty spill and fractured her leg. We all wish Brooke a quick recovery and hope to see her back again next year.
The day was overcast and gray, but it was great to be back on the slopes. The sleet let up around noon and we spent the afternoon discovering Sunday River. Kate was ecstatic. Having skied places like the Poconos, she had never experienced such an expansive resort.
A little gray on the first day.
Kate takes on Sunday River.
Later in the day, as I was heading up the lift near the hotel, I saw a poor woman who was saying “What did I hit?” “That tree right there.” was the reply from the ski patrol. It wasn’t until that evening that I found out it was Pam. Hope your head is better, Pam.
Many of us enjoyed dinner in Legends downstairs in the hotel. We watched a new layer of snow being laid down as we ate. A loud ‘thunk!’ from across the restaurant got our attention as a somewhat inebriated patron lost consciousness and fell out of her chair.
The rest of us eventually went ‘thunk’ in our own beds while the snow piled up outside. The next morning presented us with the best conditions I’d seen so far this season.
I got a little bit of skiing in, then met up with Mary who was going to take a lesson. After thinking about it, I decided that my only chance to take a lesson was going to be this morning because I was going to be skiing with Evan this afternoon and tomorrow.
I was going to meet up with Bob B., et al, at 10:00 by Lift #2, but I figured if the lesson was at 10:00, I could let them know before it started. Unfortunately, my logic didn’t connect with reality. For the record: A: I was early! B: I apparently skied right in front of Kim and Kate (twice), but since I was looking for them by the lift, I was looking the wrong way. C: I skied to Lift #2 at 10:05, loaded and went up the mountain. While doing this, I looked all over and did not see one Ravens purple jacket.
Many thanks to Kate, who loyally sat and waited for 45 minutes for me. Sorry to those others who also waited. Yes, I feel very guilty.
Evan skis into the Enchanted Forest.
After a lesson that included an intermediate woman in a black diamond class (“I can’t ski moguls!”), I met up with Evan and his mom. Evan had just finished his half day lesson and was ready to go skiing with dad. I wasn’t long before Evan had left his mother in the dust and headed off to do some glade skiing (good thing his mother wasn’t around).
Sunday evening, we headed down the slopes to Saturday’s Cantina. The kids obviously hadn’t expended enough energy. Unfortunately, Mary had. So I spent most of my dinner chasing munchkins around the restaurant and giving time outs. After a very active meal, we headed back up the slopes (passing some nighttime snowboarders) to the hotel.
I had gotten tickets for the evening show of the Flaming Idiots and we headed for the hotel’s theater. The show included some audience participation, such as the 3-way juggling around a volunteer from the audience. This wasn’t too bad for the first little girl, but the second girl seemed much more concerned when the put away the plastic batons and pulled out the 16-inch knives. She was even more concerned when one of the toupe dropped a knife.
The silliness continued until, near the end of the show, your fearless trip leader was chosen as a volunteer. All was going well. A Flaming Idiot brought out some new, strange batons. Then he jumped on my back! I leaned down to pick up the batons for him while the other two Idiots positioned themselves on either side of us. Then the Idiot on my back lit the batons. I didn’t get to see much of them juggling the flaming batons. I had to remain really still as the batons flew by my face and singed my nose hairs.
The next day, Mary, Evan and I headed out to the slopes. We started off doing some runs at the base lodge area. Then Evan and I ditched his mother and heading off to higher altitudes. We took a long green and blue route that wound down from North Peak. We decided to start heading back toward the hotel. We got to the top of Barker Mountain and started to head down. As we came around the lift, we saw Kim and Kate. Our little group skied down Ecstasy and made a turn onto Monday Mourning. Evan cruised along behind Kim and Kate and I followed, ready to pick up any pieces or parts Evan might loose. Evan took advantage of the Nastar course at the bottom, scooting around the gates and then off to the lifts.
Later, Kim reported to Evan’s mother that he had been on a Black Diamond. I was confronted with the eyewitness account and dutifully pulled out my trail map. “No. Look, honey. It’s a blue...uh...that turns into a black. Hey! Great job Evan! You skied a black diamond!”
Apparently while this was going on we were missing the action over by the hotel where Brittney had just lost a bet with her brother. This involved snowboarding with less than the usual snow gear. In her own words:
“Oh, wow! What can I say? My favorite part of this trip had to be the last 30 minutes! So I lose a bet and go ‘boarding in my bathing suit top, the outer layer of my ski pants, socks, head band, and boots. Oh, and don’t forget the board! What an experience!”
On the way home, Chris decided we should have a 50/50 drawing. We sold a few dozen tickets and found a hat. Evan was picked as the designated picker. And who should he pick, but his own mother! I’m still not sure how he did it.
Thanks to everyone who came along. I hope to see you again next year.
Evan waiting for Dad to catch up.
