Snowboard Blog - 01/25/09

It’s time for westward expansion as I hit up one of the Appalachian’s biggest peaks outside of Greater Pittsburgh!

 Excellent:

n      The little things – I have personally never seen tissue boxes at the chair lifts, tickets available for purchase as you drive in, a person divvying up the ridership at all the busy lifts, or a ski school that is dedicated to the new folks on the mountain. Plus, I loved checking out the array of mountain cameras so you can view the slopes yourself before you go.

n      Rockin’ lodge – If you’re looking for an experience that doesn’t just end on the mountain, head to any 

of the four different lodge areas to enjoy yourself; one bonus: many on the mountain are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s – not just teens.

n      All-inclusive – one of the greatest things about Seven Springs is the variety the mountain provides. If you want a condo right off of one of the slopes, it’s there. If you want simple green circles, they’re there separated and separated from the more difficult terrain. There is bowling. There are several places to eat and the tavern in the main lodge is monolithic. So much for so many tastes.

n      Open trails – I almost never had any problems avoiding other skiers or snowboarders because the trails are so wide and vast.

 

Satisfactory:

n      Price - $52 allowed me to ride all day and night on the weekend. Prices during the weekday and night are much more reasonable, especially for what you receive.

n      Artificial Snow – I could tell that much of the base is artificially made, and, being as south as Seven Springs is, it does an ample job of covering a solid portion of the mountain.

n      Food – As par with most resorts, food was overpriced. However, I enjoyed the soup and one of the best and largest cookies I have ever laid eyes on. My friend had a killer buffalo chicken sub, but dropped $10 on it.

 Needs Improvement:

n      Conditions – After talking to several regular riders, they said that today was one of the best days they’d had in a while. That being said, it was 22 degrees and windy, enough to freeze my Camelbak insulated water container and enough to turn at least 3 or 4 runs into solid, scraping ice journeys.

n      Closing Trails – I think that some of the trails were far too icy to be open, while other trails were set to shut down at 4:30p.

n      Signs – One thing about Seven Springs is it is difficult for a newcomer to navigate. Signs are scattered and their fonts small.

n      Terrain Parks – “The Alley” was one of the most fun parks I have ever rode through. With its 6 table tops, I loved it. However, it was really the only one worth visiting. The others were under construction or too simple.

 

Final Grade: B-

 All things considered equal, on its best day Seven Springs could possibly be an A- resort, or at least a B+, especially with all things considered. However, as a man who is one with the mountain, the conditions left me feeling that this was a slightly above average day. That being said, I will, without question, say that the Seven Springs is unrivaled in comparison to other resorts south of The Pennsylvania Turnpike, probably the best resort in southwestern PA, and – snowfall permitting – the potential to be a truly incredible resort. 

Snowboard Blog - 01/17/09

To Lake Harmony for Big Boulder Ski Resort in the Poconos; PA’s terrain park specialty.

 

Excellent:

n      Terrain Parks – Actually called Board Parks because they dedicate much of their time and energy to creating so many.

n      Conditions – Big Boulder touts being the first resort to open and the last to close for a reason; it opened prior to Thanksgiving and will probably have its last run in March thanks to Old Man Winter’s frequent snow breath.

n      Price – at $48 for their most expensive lift ticket and $30 for a night pass, not many resorts rival Big Boulder’s price

n      Two Mountains – though not many will travel to and fro, one can spend the day at Jack Frost and then maneuver to Big Boulder for the evening.

 

Satisfactory:

n      Food – The cuisine is below standards of other resorts, but at least it’s more reasonably priced.

n      Not Many Beginner Runs – The emphasis on Board Parks has pinched out many of the Green Circle trails for the beginners, oftentimes pushing them into more advanced trails.

n      The Lodge – There’s enough room to maneuver but not enough to enjoy a drink; but the most frequent patrons are young, high-school aged kids so this is adequate for Big Boulder.

 

Needs Improvement:

n      Short Runs – By the time you take the lift to the top and come back down, it feels as if you could easily time it on a stopwatch.

n      “Normal” trails – Again, the emphasis on board parks has limited the amount of Black Diamonds to three, so if you’re visiting the mountain just for an explosion of speed or for variety, you may walk away disappointed.

n      Busy Nights – The low price for a night ticket and the traversing of many of Jack Frost’s day skiers make for crowded trails at night.

 

Final Grade: B

If you love to do tricks and hit the Board Park, you’ll entirely disagree with my assessment and rank Big Boulder as an A. I’m quite fine with compromising with a B for Big Boulder, as the excellent conditions and great price make Big Boulder a wonderful stop for any mountain traveler.

A Call for Open Government

In 1775, a nation was purportedly conceived behind a veil. Amidst the shut windows and closed doors of the Pennsylvania State House, 343 of the nation’s most stalwart citizens entered and exited the Second Continental Congress in what was legendarily secret. Here they managed a ballooning crisis with their fatherland, and, together, forged a common bond that founded a nation.

But those officials had something today’s do not – government accountability. The unjust taxes, the innocent citizen casualties, and the dismay of Great Britain were shared. It bridged a gap between citizen and government. Vital to this connection was the media, and the outcome of the American Revolution may have been substantially different without the honesty and clarity they transferred.

But this pivotal role did not cease at national foundation. William Lloyd Garrison was a beacon of morality that helped abolish slavery. Journalism raked through the unsanitary conditions of the early 20th Century food industry. Nary could an American dismiss Walter Cronkite as he delivered the Vietnam War to American television sets. Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward used transparency to unearth Watergate. And, most recently, DrudgeReport.com revealed the shocking Whitewater scandal in 1998.

Though investigative journalism shed light on a litany of our government’s darkest secrets, Americans have come to accept a deeper veil of secrecy. Beginning September 11, 2001, many citizens became so terrified, they delivered Pres. Bush a blank check to protect us. There was little concern over what rights we lost or crimes we were about to commit.

And so, the blindness and shortsightedness of our government led us to war without evidence of weapons of mass destruction; to disobey The Constitution at Guantanamo Bay; to condone the atrocities committed by BlackWater mercenaries; and accumulate a deficit beyond imagination.

Slinging war money as though it were confetti is only the prelude to our morose economic climate. Undue tax relief complemented by bad loan industry oversight, shady banking procedures, and corporate bailouts doomed Americans without their knowledge. And here we stand, on the verge of collapse. A fall we knew little about.

The new incoming president has many difficulties to overcome, least of these being an open government. Barack Obama has resigned himself to the task, beginning Change.gov, a website dedicated to his administration’s tasks at hand, compiled in a Citizen’s Briefing Book.

But an e-book is just the beginning; the public is thirsty for more than rhetoric. They want honesty. Americans yearn to eliminate backroom, partisan politicking, and hope that the next decision to go to war or expunge previous policies is completed in public and not behind a veil. They want an environmental policy that is as realistic as it is idealistic, fair enough to keep jobs while improving an endangered environment. Americans want a government that will support them when health concerns arise rather than seek the political donations from the pharmaceutical industry. They want to feel safe from attacks and not threatened with their liberties. But most of all, Americans want to ascertain where their tax dollars are being spent. They want a government who helps them while accounting for every one of the hard-earned dollars it takes to accomplish that.

President Obama seems ready to the task at hand. He stated, in his inaugural address, “Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”

Our Founders rebelled from a government who failed to bridge a gap between the people and their government, a government who kept them in the dark. Hope and change led an admirable mission to create the American democracy; only open government can relight that mission and make it admirable again.

An Historic Day - And I Experienced It!

January 20^th, 2009 was an iconic, memorable day for millions of Americans, and I was one of the lucky few to experience it, up close and personal. An itinerary of my day: 

• 1:26 am – Departure – Harrisburg was entirely empty and quiet.
• 3:24 am – Park & Ride – I approached Grosvenor Metro parking lot earlier than opening, and people had already parked and were waiting to board the metro.
• 4:09 am – All Aboard! – After passing the time chatting with a few parade volunteers, the first train of the day approached, and we didn’t just board it, we filled it. On board I met two very friendly ladies, one a middle-aged teacher from Pittsburgh who was sharing the inauguration with 50 of her students, another a young, beautiful, intelligent black woman who discussed the hurt associated with the Eagles’ playoff loss.
• 4:37 am – Shortcut – I hopped off the Red Line at DuPont Circle and walked south to my friend’s apartment. While walking, I noticed that the security increased as I walked and time elapsed; one National Guard soldier every other block gave way to blockades and snipers as I drew closer to the National Mall. Not even 5 am, I was stupefied by the amount of people walking the streets, bursting with energy, song, praise, and even dance. I soon joined in and yelled, “This is so surreal!”
• 5:01 am – A Bit of Warmth – I met my friend John and perused my Inaugural Packet provided by his boss and my former Congressman Paul Kanjorski as John readied himself; we quickly walked to the nearest Metro station.
• 5:30 am – Capitol South – John and I exited at the Capitol South at the perfect time and far ahead of schedule, so we sat down for a quick breakfast and coffee.
• 7:10 am – Rendezvous – Once we met all John’s friends, we made our way to the Blue Ticket Area.
• 7:36 am – The Line – I will attach a picture of “The Line” that was formed to enter the blue ticket area. It swirled like marshmallow and caramel in an ice cream amalgamation that wrapped around 2 blocks long, and equally as cold. While waiting in “The Line,” I met some very compelling individuals. Two ladies behind us were professed Pittsburgh Steelers fans. One man to our right began an ominous chant, dividing “The Line” into three sections, each obligated to “Oh! Bah! Ma!” Another man near me was Steve Glassman, Chairman of the PA Human Relations Commission, and a very affable man who was most cheerful of any one in “The Line.”
• 10:46 am – Clear! – Yes, 3+ hours later, we finally made it to our designated area. Still, every one was in high spirits.
• 11:36 am – No Respect – When Pres. Bush appeared on the Capitol stage, the crowd booed and soon followed with, “Nahna nahna nahna, hey hey hey, goodbye.” This was the most only sour event of the day.
• 11:44 am – Timing – Just when the Ceremony Speaker announced “and now, President-Elect Barack Obama,” a swarm of sparrows flew from the sky right behind the camera, capturing a moment television viewers would never see.
• 11:57 am – VP – Joe Biden, with a beckoning voice, swears in as Vice President.
• 12:05 pm – Gametime – Barack Obama, despite a fumble between he and Chief Justice Roberts, swears in with a gravity and somberness I had yet to hear. He soon follows the jitters with a resounding speech that echoed throughout the city, and likewise, the applause and cheers thundered as the Americans behind us on the lawn and scattered throughout the streets followed in their cheers and applause.
• 12:31 pm – After 11 hours, the historical event was complete. While exiting we separated ways. I again began talking to members of the exhilarated audience, and observe, with a smile on my face, as strangers high-five, smile at one another, and join in Gospel hymn. One man grabbed me by the shoulders and said, “Congratulations man – lots of history was made today.” I turned and laughed. It was surreal that I was fortunate enough to experience it.

Snowboard Blog - Blue Mountain 01/11/09

A fresh four inches of snow were a siren to visit Blue Mountain located in Palmerton, PA. After driving back roads to reach this small haven, my day was underway. The report card:

 

Excellent:

n      Majestic views – after the snow and ice storm fell a few trees and clung to those both living and dead, Burma Road housed one of the most glorious landscapes for a skier / snowboarder. Much of the remainder of the mountain was similarly remarkable.

n      Long runs – any rider can lift to the top and have a lengthy ride down, three of which eclipsed a mile. Lazy Mile with the Terrain Run Park / Halfpipe at the bottom are one of my favorite runs in the state.

n      Ski & Board Check – cautious riders will rest easy with the free board / ski check located at each lodge and rest area.

 

Satisfactory:

n      Food – while fare was overpriced as it is at most resorts, the amount of choices and the quality were better than most. I particularly enjoyed the roasted almonds to the rear of the bottom cabin.

n      Conditions – in the beginning of the day, the fresh powder was great, especially once the groomers pulled through. However, many of the lift loading and unloading areas were ice-filled, as were large portions of the black diamonds.

n      Price - $52 allowed me to ride all day and night on the weekend.

n      New Trail – Dreamweaver – the new trail is very representative of the park and places another lengthy trail on the east side of the park that every one can enjoy.

n      Board Parks – what was once a neglected part of the mountain is now very reasonable. With five board parks, Blue is moving in the right direction.

 

Needs Improvement:

n      Ticket kiosks – I arrived at 11:45a and the ticket kiosk would only allow us to purchase a ticket for 12:30p. Needless to say, when we tried to enter the mountain, we were stopped by the attendants.

n      Trail off-shoots – friends and I love to go venture off the path through the woods. I can count on one hand the amount of places one can do this at Blue.

n      Lodge comfort – the lodges could use a facelift and better setting, especially to serve adult beverages from a bar rather than a cooler adjacent to the bathroom.

 

Final Grade: B

Blue Mountain has always housed some of the longest runs in the state and is now complementing that with a variance of board parks. In addition, they possess friendly customer service and excellent crossovers between trails.