Author: Brownski

Chasing Plake

Posted on by Brownski

We were on our way north when my preferred social media network alerted me that Glen Plake was bringing his Down Home Tour to Plattekill this weekend. I heard just in time too — right before we had to make that Freedom Pass call: Plattekill or Magic.

Glen Plake hucks
First Descent of Plake Chute courtesy John Tunis

There was no way I was gonna miss the chance to meet the star of the “Blizzard of Aahhhs” —  Glen has to be considered one of the legendary pro skiers of all time.

Plattekill is always fun, and even if it turned out that Plake’s visit was a photo-and-handshake publicity stunt, I knew we would have a great time. We turned onto Route 28 and headed west.

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Tagged: Catskills, Plattekill25 Comments

The Old Stop-n-Go

Posted on by Brownski

Every time I’m on a lift that stops more than once I have to wonder if it’s a mechanical problem, beginners having trouble loading or just a good old fashioned Stop-n-Go.

skiing in a fur
The Ultimate Sin?

The first Stop-n-Go I saw was possibly the most egregious abuse of power I’ve ever witnessed. It was early in the season when I worked as a liftie at Alpine Meadows. I was learning the ropes at the upper loading station on the Weasel Chair. A middle aged woman was skiing in an expensive fur coat on a sunny day and she was obviously getting a kick out of people noticing her. I’m not sure if the liftie was an animal lover or just offended by the ostentatious display of wealth, but the sight of that coat set him off.

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Tagged: Ski Life10 Comments

Killington: Let’s Get Going

Posted on by Brownski

Killington isn’t called The Beast of the East for nothing. The place is big with lots of vertical; it has a great variety of terrain and tons of lift capacity.

K1 Lodge

But where they really earn the respect of diehard fans is in the snowmaking department. Killington has a robust snowmaking system and a skillful, dedicated crew that allows them to open early in the fall, stay open late into spring and persevere in low-snow years.

I’m a bit partial since I worked in Killington’s snowmaking department one season but I would argue that the snow they make is better too, as close to the real thing as is possible using pond water and compressed air.

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Tagged: Killington, VT5 Comments