I'm Melting at Sugarloaf!

Monday with all vents open, my sleeves and pants rolled up (I got a nice tan line two thirds the way up my forearms) it was too hot.  So Tuesday morning I tried this:

9am and already overdressed at Snowflower, Sugarloaf USA. (M Goodman photo)

It was too much.  The mesh shirt had to remain (due to the lift ticket),  but it spent the week unzipped and with the sleeves pushed up.  The light weight long johns came off an hour after this photo was taken and I remained bare kneed to enjoy the slush spray on my descents.

On each ride up the chair, we could identify a new patch of dirt or a few rocks that had been exposed by the rapid melting.  With evening temperatures quite comfortable by June standards, nothing solidified overnight.  By Thursday noon only a few runs remained open.  The patrollers had declared all terrain “Experts Only” –even the greens– due to the proficiency required to route-find, dodge rocks, jump gaps, and skim the flowing brooks on every run. 

Spillway viewed from the Skyline Quad; one of the(desperately) skiable runs that was open Thursday morning, and closed after lunch. (C Goodman Photo)

With no crowds, beautiful weather, and friendly staff it was a good trip all round.  Having climbed outside in T-shirts a few times already this year, I wasn’t in the mood to bundle up in layers anyway!

There was one exception to the friendly Sugarloaf staff, though.  On the hill at the Shipyard Brew Haus, was the rudest bartender I’ve encountered in a long time. When an older couple asked what types of Dark Ales they had, he snapped “all kinds” paused for a second while the other bartender started reciting the list, and as she got about 4 brews in, he told them to “hurry up and make a decision”.  Another gentleman came up to the bar and placed an order, which he paid for and tipped 4$ (for 4 drinks).  Rudy McAsshole yelled to the other bartender: “Looks like you won’t be paying off any of your student loan tonight!”