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Jackson Hole, WY
Rendezvous Bowl Having heard so much about Jackson Hole I needed to make a special effort to travel to and ride this mountain. Winter 2018 had 1,275 cm(502 in) which was above the average snow fall of 1,166 cm (459 in) for this mountain. As a budget traveler and having booked for a late season trip in March, I didn’t have any expectations, I just wanted to ride a new location and tick another famous mountain off my list. There were a couple of late snowstorms that came through with 20 cm to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) during my stay. The lower-mid elevations were warm, with rain falling…
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Jackson Hole, WY Video
Review of Jackson Hole Resort.
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Snowbasin, UT
Strawberry Peak How did I come to be riding in Utah, at Snowbasin? My goal was to ride Jackson Hole, in Wyoming. Well it comes down to research, Jackson Hole airport isn’t exactly an American Airlines hub, however Salt Lake City is a more common flight route, and therefore cheaper to fly into. The savings from flying into Salt Lake City I could put towards a three night stay in Ogden, UT, where I could then achieve my favourite thing, riding a new mountain. Ogden has plenty of history in the frontier days. Originally residing in Mexico, it became the first European settlement in Utah, and a rail hub in…
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Belleayre, NY
Below Lift 7 at Overlook Lodge History The year is 1839 and Stephen Van Rensselaer III has died. Stephen was the landowner of Rensselaeswyck and collected rents in a very lenient fashion allowing rents to be in arrears when tenets were unable to pay in full. When the Van Rensselaer heirs went to collect the outstanding rents, causing a revolt that lasted until 1845. Belleayre in the Catskills was once such location where the Rent Wars occurred. Fast-forward to 2018 and I’m here to go snowboarding with some buddies. Belleayre is a smaller resort owned by New York State. Since it doesn’t have a big name it’s not very crowded…
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Sugarloaf, ME
Sugarloaf Ski Resort Absolute zero, -273.15° C (-459.67° F), how cold does this feel? I’m not 100% certain, but I got part of the way there when I rode Sugarloaf during the 2018 New Year. Negative twenty six degrees Celsius (-15° F) is the official number. The lifties kindly kept us updated during the day, -55° C (-75° F) was the coldest I saw on one of their whiteboards. Whether that included a windchill factor I’m not certain. Given the averages for that time of year is between -9° to 0° C (16° to 31° F) it was a bit unusual. The Drive This trip was a roadtrip with friends.…
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2017 Year In Review Video
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Islay, Scotland
Laphroaig-Kettles Ishga Baugh, the water of life. The Island of Islay, it may not be the birthplace of Whisky, but it sure is the best place for peated whisky. With a choice of many proud names still active on Islay such as Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Coal Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, and my favourite, Laphroaig. There are a few new names joining the scene here, but there are plenty of names that are no longer in operation. On this trip we visited Laphroaig, Ardbeg and, Lagavulin, as well as doing a small hike in the afternoon. Laphroaig Distillers Tour Laphroaig was the first stop, and I had signed us up for the…
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The Three Sisters
Glencoe: The Three Sisters Bidean nam Bian, the Scottish name for the Three Sisters. Named one of the best views in the United Kingdom, this area also has a lot of history. The Three Sisters are located in an area once owned by Clan Macdonald. Coire Gabhail was used as an area to hide their livestock they owned, or stole. Clan Campbell commonly had feuds with Clan Macdonald and in 1692 the Massacre of Glencoe occurred. We hiked up a trail called the Coire Gabhail, The Lost Valley. Walking Highlands has a well laid out description and details of the hike. Once we arrived at the stream we decided…
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Steamboat, CO
Valley Below The middle of winter, the best time to go to the snow. For one week in February 2017, suddenly, it wasn’t the best time to be in Colorado, unless you wanted to work on your tan. With the highs up into the 20s C (70s F), the snow is going to suffer. While my timing was unlucky, Steamboat was still a fun mountain to ride, especially with my experience riding the east coast ice pack. Steamboat has some elevation to help keep the snow closer to the optimal temperatures near the summit of 2,050 m (6,732 ft). Steamboat Ski Resort is easily accessible from Denver airport, I took…
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Steamboat, CO Video