lonbordin Posted January 3, 2021 Report Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) Yesterday was day one... It was fun. Pandemic protocols were being followed. The GM was after people for not wearing masks. I had a great day on the snowcone ribbons of Paoli. Very lightly attended largely due to the rains, which I timed perfectly. The rain stopped right as I reached Paoli proper. It was a wee bit thin... ah well. I regretted that line! Today was day two... very much not like day one. Here's an email I just sent- Rick (He's the PP GM) I hate writing an email to a group email. I looked for you and attempted to call Paoli Peaks (busy signal each time?) while I was there and when I got home. If I run into you tomorrow we'll talk. That said I needed to write this email while the feelings were fresh in my head. Yesterday, day one of the season, was great. I appreciate all the efforts being done to allow the resort to operate in the pandemic. Obviously a lot of thought went into making the experience as safe as possible and I appreciate it, thank you. Today, day two, was a completely different experience. There simply wasn't ANY mask enforcement going on that I saw and there were a lot of people without a mask at all. Not under their chin, not fallen below their nose... absolutely no mask visible at all in the lift lines, in the lodge, in the areas around the lodge. I really want the Paoli season to continue and I'm really afraid it will be cut short by the local health officials or worse that it will be cut short due to someone getting sick and dying due to visiting PP. I have had a really difficult time during this pandemic... I've lost my father, an uncle, an aunt, and a cousin. So I have a different viewpoint than many people as to the seriousness of the situation we find ourselves in... I was really looking forward to this season and yesterday at Paoli gave me hope that I could snowboard at Paoli within a safe paradigm. Today's experience (from 4PM to 7PM) was the opposite experience. Lifties, ski patrollers, ski instructors, staff ALL saw the lack of masks and I didn't see a single employee tell someone to put on a mask, not one. I saw you tell multiple people they had to wear masks yesterday, thank you! I'm not sure what I can do to assist but I urge you to give us the best chance at a long and healthy season by motivating your staff to enforce the Vail resort rules. Edited January 3, 2021 by lonbordin f*ckin' sucked man.... 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted January 3, 2021 Report Share Posted January 3, 2021 2 hours ago, lonbordin said: It was a wee bit thin... ah well. I regretted that line! I swore never to complain about conditions again after your post last season, but now my amplifier goes to 11. A pocket full of seed might prove useful for that furrow. Keep fightin the good fight. Respect. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted January 3, 2021 Report Share Posted January 3, 2021 9 hours ago, lonbordin said: I have had a really difficult time during this pandemic... I've lost my father, an uncle, an aunt, and a cousin. So I have a different viewpoint than many people as to the seriousness of the situation we find ourselves in... I was really looking forward to this season and yesterday at Paoli gave me hope that I could snowboard at Paoli within a safe paradigm. Today's experience (from 4PM to 7PM) was the opposite experience. Lifties, ski patrollers, ski instructors, staff ALL saw the lack of masks and I didn't see a single employee tell someone to put on a mask, not one. I saw you tell multiple people they had to wear masks yesterday, thank you! I'm not sure what I can do to assist but I urge you to give us the best chance at a long and healthy season by motivating your staff to enforce the Vail resort rules. sorry for your loss. i hope to hear the GM's response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 4, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2021 Thank you all for the kind words. No GM found today BUT things were much improved. Masked faces all around... yay! I even saw staff telling people to wear their masks... awesome. You know what else was awesome? I rode with another hardbooter today at Paoli Peaks. Second time in fifteen years! And the last time was the guy who got me into this mess to begin with!! Thanks @Carve234 @Mike Blanz came over to Paoli to ride. W00t! He's the other Indiana hardbooter but he typically rides over at Perfect North. Apparently his son rides the hardboots as well... so there could be THREE (yes, 3!) hardbooters at Paoli on an upcoming weekend. Oh, the humanity. It was great to ride and talk to another weirdo like us... It was such a great day I didn't take a single picture. You all probably deserve a few days without one of my snow porn pictures anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 Went last Thursday, Monday, Thursday, and today. Last Thursday and Monday were decent. Thursday was boarding on a rough bowling ball... it was awful. I'll spare you all gratuitous pictures of the ribbons. Was there from open until 1100... no one was there for the first hour and the hordes only started to arrive as I left, all reservations had been taken for today. Couple of inches of fresh (REAL SNOW!!!) on top of blown snow... above average groom (see for yourself)... I had a blast. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 17, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 (edited) Back today... more snow overnight and snowing throughout my visit. Grabers (the steepest run) was fantastic. PP was sold out again today... left around 1100 as the crowds were building. Edited January 17, 2021 by lonbordin real snow... unbelievable... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted January 17, 2021 Report Share Posted January 17, 2021 does Paoli ever have snow that reaches to the tree lines in the image? or is this the best it gets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2021 15 hours ago, bobble said: does Paoli ever have snow that reaches to the tree lines in the image? or is this the best it gets? It does... here's a shot from Jan 2015. (we haven't seen a base like this since then...note the large snow stores (rollers)) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2021 Went Tuesday afternoon. Fun but the clock was ticking... as the sun moved over the ridge the runs were transitioning to frozen ridden rock. One by one the hill got less enjoyable. Luckily for me very few had been on Grabers, our "black" diamond. So I spent most of my time there. Left by 17:30. Found out that Paoli's been running with only 3 lifties.... The mtn. ops have been doing it all. I'm worried about those guys some of them look REALLY tired. Making snow, grooming, running the mtn., and being lifties is a BIG ask. Apparently mama Vail corp isn't really ready for Paoli Peaks. I heard they classified the resort as urban. I've been to a lot of resorts over the years... da' Loaf is more urban than Paoli Peaks. I don't think there's a resort in North America with as much fertilizer in the snow as PP. Carhartt is the official uniform. I'll be back out Thursday afternoon. Hoping they get to make some snow tonight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 22, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 (edited) They attempted to make a wee bit of snow... I think it was more a dry run for tonight... predicted to be -8 C tonight at Paoli... first cold night during the current snow making season. I do worry that they are looking to expand rather than add to the base on certain runs. I guess I have to hope for a polar vortex visit or it's going to be a short season. It's felt more like late spring all my recent visits. Rode with my son and his friend... that was nice. Snow was fun, soft, temps got to 10 C. I had a blast. Edited January 22, 2021 by lonbordin kinda reminds me of a golf course 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big mario Posted January 22, 2021 Report Share Posted January 22, 2021 looks like some serious consequences if you overshoot your run! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 4 hours ago, big mario said: looks like some serious consequences if you overshoot your run! Yeah the soft mud will send you flying... Learned that a long time ago the hard way... Still I see my lines getting way too close to the edge on the rides back up... I'm kinda' hard headed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 18 hours ago, big mario said: looks like some serious consequences if you overshoot your run! 13 hours ago, lonbordin said: Yeah the soft mud will send you flying... Learned that a long time ago the hard way... Still I see my lines getting way too close to the edge on the rides back up... I'm kinda' hard headed... I bet Mario knows from personal experience. While blissfully carving down a run at MCC#1, I suddenly found my board being redirected in an 8" deep trench and heading for the trees. Somehow I mustered the strength to extricate myself from what I later learned to be a "typical Mario trench" and was welcomed into the fraternity with tales from other survivors. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big mario Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 45 minutes ago, bigwavedave said: I bet Mario knows from personal experience. While blissfully carving down a run at MCC#1, I suddenly found my board being redirected in an 8" deep trench and heading for the trees. Somehow I mustered the strength to extricate myself from what I later learned to be a "typical Mario trench" and was welcomed into the fraternity with tales from other survivors. Ive hit few of those, they hurt. 90 degrees is best. Mario 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corey Posted January 23, 2021 Report Share Posted January 23, 2021 You have to approach it differently: Mario makes a banked slalom course for the rest of us. He's a giver! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordmetroland Posted January 24, 2021 Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 10 hours ago, Corey said: You have to approach it differently: Mario makes a banked slalom course for the rest of us. He's a giver! He should be known as The Sexton... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2021 Big Mario's like the little older brother I never had... (Supa' nice fellow everyone should ride with the LCI crew if you get the shot!) Back at the Peak's this morning... Hoping for snow got freezing rain, sigh. Still it was super fun, once you cut through the ~1/4 inch of frozen crust. Nearly empty. Then it shifted to strong rain. I went to the car and waited it out. Rain stopped and went back out... Fast surface not as firm but completely rippable and still empty. Really fun. Around 1300 the hordes started to arrive signaling time for my departure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 (edited) More rain early today, warm temps... Soft snow but no melt.. could set an edge... Had to maintain momentum. Still PP is open and I got to board a few hours. What's better than that!?! Edited January 27, 2021 by lonbordin Don't answer the question... Just don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeS Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 Thanks for posting all the pics. They have interesting hours midweek, noon to 9. I’m planning on going tomorrow if you are around. Should be good after the new snow today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 28 minutes ago, GeorgeS said: Thanks for posting all the pics. They have interesting hours midweek, noon to 9. I’m planning on going tomorrow if you are around. Should be good after the new snow today. I'm stoked! Baffled but stoked! Another to join the suffering!?! Crazy times we live in. As fate would have it I am planning to be there tomorrow... should be on the snow by 1230 to 1300. I'll be in a gingerbread colored outfit and my son, the taller one on skis, will be wearing a few shades of green. With only four runs (they might have two more runs open, maybe) and two lifts we will not have a problem seeing each other. One note of caution, sounds like they might get a couple of inches which is great but the new snow masks the edges of the runs which can be dangerous. (Just started snowing here in B-town) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 Also @GeorgeS there's a webcam... just not on the PP site... cause why would that work??? C'mon Vail Co. get it together.https://www.wave3.com/weather/cams/ Scroll down for Paoli, IN Last note... I'm not certain where you're driving in from but be careful... these people drive really poorly in the snow on their un-inspected vehicles. (bald tires everywhere + rear drive pickups + snow = watch out!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeS Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 Great! Thanks for the link. I’m coming from the Nashville area and Paoli is actually the closest ski area. Ober Gatlinburg is a bit farther on slower roads at the end and probably not as good overall. The NC resorts are another hour or 2 away. hopefully the roads will be clear by Noon. I’ll be trying for 1st chair at Noon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 27, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, GeorgeS said: Great! Thanks for the link. I’m coming from the Nashville area and Paoli is actually the closest ski area. Ober Gatlinburg is a bit farther on slower roads at the end and probably not as good overall. The NC resorts are another hour or 2 away. hopefully the roads will be clear by Noon. I’ll be trying for 1st chair at Noon Ober is 600' of vert... Paoli is 300'. Just want you to know what you're getting into! We do get folks from Nashville fairly consistently so your choice isn't that unusual. The big plus is that Paoli is almost always empty which is necessary as we'll be taking up all of the run. Paoli is a top-down resort... so not really a first chair scenario... I guess you could race to the bottom but you'll regret it on the chair ride back to the top. Make as many turns as possible... that's the only way to make the trip down last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeS Posted January 27, 2021 Report Share Posted January 27, 2021 Yeah I keep forgetting that top down thing, been to a couple of those before. Those chairs at Ober look sooo slow though. I may go there at some point but Paoli looks like it would be better for learning snowboarding. My daughter wants to bring my grandson along next time for a lesson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lonbordin Posted January 28, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2021 So the cam facing the tubing area is working- https://www.paolipeaks.com/the-mountain/mountain-conditions/mountain-cams.aspx Ummmnn, that's WAY more than a couple of inches and it's still coming down. I'll bet there's at least 6 to 8" of fresh on that hill right now... I will be packing my powder nose Coiler as well as my regular! I need to mount some bindings on that sucker! Gotta get busy!!! What a crazy season.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.