Fun & Fitness over 50

Skied at Mt. Snow in Dover, VT almost 2 weeks ago. Predicted temps were 30 at 9AM to a high of 54 at the base but it was already over 30 when I arrived at 8:30.

Ticket price was $29.99 senior rate on-line pre-purchase (oh yeah!). Nobody there! Parked in the 1st row.

I did my usual green circle warm up on Long John to Deer Run to Long John

but was eager to get to the blue squares. Snow was soft(ish) but not yet mushy/heavy/carved up.
I was also concerned with how my DIY spring wax job would fare in such conditions. So far so good.

2nd run was right down the middle of the Main Face, Lodge to Exhibition.

3rd run:  Drifter to Canyon.

4th run: jog left a little and down Snowdance,
probably my favorite on the Main Face. Blue square, long (1.7mi), groomed and wide. I saw the ski patrol dropping the rope on River Run but passed on it this time. I wanted to make sure I saw the lift spinning. This was just after 10AM, scheduled opening time for the North Face.

#5: I shot over to the North Face on River Run.
This was my first time ever on the North Face. River Run was still setup from the night before, not icy though, just starting to soften up a tad. Pretty easy blue square. Scoped out the diamonds on the ride up the Challenger lift on the North Face. A lot of them were bumped up pretty good. Some down right nasty looking with names like "Boulder Pile". I passed on them and went back to the Main Face at the top. I wanted to check out the status board back in the lodge to make sure I knew which trails were groomed before I committed. So back down Canyon on the Main Face for #6.

After a brief break in the lodge for coffee, a bite and the status board,  I took another run down Sundance.

Run #8: back over to the North side on River Run. Ready to take a shot at the groomed black diamonds. The Main Face was starting to get mushy and crudded up. Too much like work! Carefully scoped out what I could see of the groomed diamonds on the way up the lift. They were to my right. So far, so good. Fallen Timbers and Chute. I usually avoid anything black diamond or higher named "Chute" ha, ha. Fallen Timbers sounds like a glade and looks like one on the map but they said it was groomed.

#9: wound up taking Chute.
Not bad. A little narrow but still wide enough to make a couple turns across. A few ice patches, easily avoided. Groomed as advertised, a couple of rollers but not what you would call "bumps".

OK. Ready for Fallen Timbers.
This run was in the best shape, wide, flat, no ice. and it was NOT in the trees! ;-)

Another crack at Fallen Timbers, one last run down Chute and back to the Main Face and down to the base. These 2 diamonds were definitely my favorites for the day. I would love to have done them some more but my legs were giving out from the steepness and knew I would have one last tough slog down to the base in the Main Face mush.

There is a great view of Somerset Reservoir from the North Face that I didn't have the presence of mind to snap but here's a nice pic of the view that someone else took:
Finished up back to the base on Sundance and survived heavy crud without mishap. My wax job did well although I did apply some swix F4 liquid for a touch up about 11.

Here's a link to all my stats for the day:
Alpine Replay Stats
Great day! BTW, I also found a great shortcut around the town of Wilmington. Avoids the bottleneck at Rte. 100 and 9. From Rte. 9 just before Wilmington take a left on Haystack Rd., rt. on Ray Hill Rd., left on Mann, left on Coldbrook which changes into Handle. Just stay on Handle until you get to the resort.

One more road trip for the season? Maybe Sugarbush?