Effective July 29, 2011, this blog will no longer be updated. To view the new, updated blog (complete with all past blog entries), go here:
Friday, July 29, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
MAYHEM!!!
It has been a few years since I’ve been to any big outdoor concert or festival. I think my last one was Ozzfest around 2003 or 2004 before I moved to Vermont. But when a coworker of mine convinced me to go to the Mayhem Festival down in Massachusetts, I had a desire to tear some shit up. But could I get the day off from work, after having gotten the previous weekend off completely? Luckily, I convinced my supervisor that he owed me, gave the go-ahead to Ryan to order the tickets, and after a morning shift on Friday July 22, at 9am we were on our way to the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA.
This was the lineup for the day… ** indicates those bands we watched:
JAGERMEISTER STAGE:
Deadseason - 1:45
Red Fang - 2:35 **
Kingdom of Sorrow - 3:35 **
Unearth - 4:35 **
In Flames - 5:40 **
REVOLVER STAGE:
Straight Line Stitch - 2:05 **
All Shall Perish - 3:05
Suicide Silence - 4:05
Machine Head - 5:05
ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAIN STAGE:
Trivium - 6:25
Megadeth - 7:15 **
Godsmack - 8:30 **
Disturbed - 9:55 **
When we got to the grounds of the Comcast Center (ironically, where I saw my first major outdoor show back in 1995 – Phish – at what was then called “Great Woods”), it was 100 degrees. We got there not long after doors had opened and caught several acts on the secondary stages. On the Revolver stage, we caught Straight Line Stitch, then moved to the Jagermeister Stage (right next to the Revolver Stage), for Kingdom of Sorrow, Unearth, and In Flames, with a half hour break in between each. All 3 were off the charts, and our position for each of these was about 4 rows back from the barricades, and at the edge of the circle pit. We all were doing a bit of moshing at times, and the other times, pushing what seemed like 50+ people over our heads crowdsurfing. A couple of people I just launched over the crowd to the waiting security guards to catch them. It was unreal and something I’ve never experienced on that level before (I wasn’t nearly as close for Ozzfest, and other shows there was some crowd surfing but nothing like this).
The hot sun was brutal but luckily there were a couple of “cooling stations” which were nothing more than a hose spraying water and us all running through. Bottled water was $4.50, Gatorade was $6, and there was a Rockstar Energy Drink tent giving away free cans of Rockstar. This was also one of my first shows which I didn’t have any beer – not because of the price (though it was $9.50 or so for a beer), but because of the heat. We both felt content with just water or gatorade. The sun was also roasting my back and I’m sure I’m not the only one who was at that show that is presently feeling the effects of sunburn.
After the Jager and Revolver Stage acts were concluded, we all filtered towards the pavillion area. By this time, the sun had receaded to a point where it was not blazing the lawn, and we found ourselves a spot to watch Megadeth and Godsmack from. The peaceful serenity of the lawn was a complete 180 from the standing in the sun and the pit of earlier in the day. Godsmack put on one hell of a good show. Partway through Disturbed, we decided to head for the exit and get a jump on the road, by this point it was 10:30pm. Headin’ for the exit, I decided to plunk down $25 for an official 2011 Mayhem Festival shirt. It was then on the road, stopping for gas and McDonalds, on our trip north back to Vermont.
By the time we arrived back in the Mad River Valley, it was around 3:30am. Holy shit – what a show. I’m glad I went and thank Ryan for convincing me to go. He had told me it would be the highlight of my summer… and I think it most definitely was!
From the Mayhem Festival Web Site, here are pics and a video from the day:
Sunday, June 19, 2011
“Berkshire County Rambler” 6/18/2011 Rail Excursion Trip Report
BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO VIEW THEM FULL-SIZE!
Once again, Mass Bay Railroad Enthusiasts outdid themselves with another excellent rail excursion, including some “rare mileage”. I ordered my tickets online at the last minute and I’m glad I was able to participate.
I left home base at Sugarbush Resort at 5:20AM on Saturday morning, June 18. I had conflicting trip lengths from Google Maps and Delorme, with Google saying nearly 4 hours while DeLorme saying 3 Hours 20 Minutes. Well, I had made it to Rutland in 1 Hour 10 Minutes, took a brief break just south of Rutland at a rest area, another hour later was in Bennington, and took a break to get a coffee in Lanesborough, MA. I arrived at the Lenox station of the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum at about 8:40. So the trip took about 3 Hours 20 Minutes.
I had plenty of time to photograph the equipment in the yard and the beautifully restored station. The last time I was here (c 1993), the station was closed and no trains were running. Inside the station houses various artifacts and exhibits, and in an old B&O coach-baggage combine outside, an exhibit tells the story of the various mansions built early in the 20th century in the Berkshires.
Our train, a 5-car consist bracketed by Housatonic Railroad GP35 #3601 at the south end and Berkshire Scenic’s SW-8 #8619 at the north end. The coaches, north to south were: 328, 310 (where I sat), 3204, 341, 329. After the Berkshire Scenic’s regular excursion train, led by SW-9 #9128 departed south, our train moved to the platform/main to board, then we departed at about 10:40AM, 10 minutes late.
We first headed north through New Lenox to Pittsfield, stopping parallel to the CSX Boston & Albany Line, just as an autorack train was speeding east towards Boston. After a moment, we headed south back to New Lenox for a photo runby, then back south to Lenox for a bathroom break. At this time, the locomotives were rearranged so that they were all on the south end, with #3601 leading.
What amazed me, especially between Lenox and Stockbridge, was the fact that Housatonic Railroad has laid welded rail in sections, giving a nice smooth ride. There’s still plenty of “clickety clack” and some 10 mph slow orders, but a good amount of 25 mph running as well.
Photo Runbys at New Lenox (left) and South Lee (right)
Heading south, we had a photo stop at the US 20 crossing in downtown Lee, then another in South Lee, before our arrival at Stockbridge. It was here we learned that former New Haven Railroad employee Peter Lynch had passed away within the past week. He was a long supporter of the BSRM, and our conductor gave a brief speech about him, then had the locomotive #3601 perform a horn memorial, “calling in the flagman”. After another runaround at Stockbridge, we continued south to Great Barrington, where the locomotives changed ends and another runby was performed. We then headed back north, with a stop in Stockbridge at 4:20, then arriving back at Lenox at 5:05pm, completing the trip.
(left): Locomotives are repositioned at north end of train at Great Barrington.
(right): Heading back north through the Glendale curves
There is a good deal of scenery along this line, from boggy marshes to historic villages, old stations, industry, the Housatonic River, waterfalls, and other scenic highlights. Mass Bay RRE, the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum, and Housatonic Railroad should all be commended for a job well done!
BE SURE TO VIEW THE COMPLETE PHOTO GALLERY AND THE PHOTO RUNBY VIDEOS ON MY YOUTUBE PAGE
White River Flyer Special Excursion: 6/4/2011
CLICK EACH IMAGE TO SEE THE FULL SIZE VERSION
On Saturday June 4, it was off to White River Junction with my friend Pete for a ride on the Green Mountain Railroad’s White River Flyer special excursion. We met at the Amtrak station in Waterbury and then drove down to White River Junction, picked up our tickets, then boarded the train. Our destination was Farmway in Bradford, an excursion I last took in 2007.
(left) NECR GP-38 #3857 at White River Jct
(right) Boarding underway for our train on the adjacent platform
Our consist:
GP40-2 #308 (leading NB)
Coach #1323 (we rode here)
Coach #1301
Cab Control/Coach #1317 (leading SB)
We departed about 15 minutes late (10:15am) and slowly began to make our way north up along the Connecticut River. It was a beautiful cloudless morning in the Upper Valley. Once we got to Wilder, we picked up some speed and would alternate between running at track speed and running at 10 mph due to slow orders.
(left) Norwich-Hanover Bridge
(right) Serious rock ledges alongside I-91, US 5, and the railroad in Fairlee
It was a picture perfect day, a welcome change from our recent bouts with heavy rain and severe weather. We rambled up the river valley, passing through Thetford, Ely, and Fairlee, before arriving at around noon at the Farmway “station” in Bradford. As we departed the train, a large group was boarding to ride north to Newbury. While they did that, we headed off to the complimentary BBQ for some hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, and snacks. We then browsed around Farmway and the area for a while. Just around 2pm, our train returned from Newbury, and we reboarded for the trip back south to White River Junction, arriving at about 3:45pm.
(left) Farmway complex alongside VT Route 25 in Bradford
(right) Special excursion crosses VT Route 25 heading south
Thanks to Vermont Rail System for another great trip!
To view my complete photo gallery from this trip,
click here!
Monday, June 6, 2011
2011 Summer Hiking Series Gets Underway!
On Friday June 3 2011, I kicked off my 2011 Summer Hiking Series with a hike up and around Camel’s Hump. My friend Trevor from work came with me, on a trip that we almost cancelled due to the weather. As you probably know, this spring has had less than desirable weather. Heavy rain, severe thunderstorms, flooding, and even some tornados (in Massachusetts) has struck New England. Adding to the weather anomolies this spring was a 90 degree day on Wednesday June 1, followed by a 40 degree temperature drop the next day. Rain continued into the evening of June 2. But instead of calling Trevor to cancel the hike, I picked him up at 8AM the next morning.
We arrived at the parking lot at the top of Camel’s Hump Road in Huntington shortly before 9am and right at 9, we hit the trail. This would be a first-time hike for me, as I have never done the ‘Hump from the Huntington side. We decided to head up the Burrows Trail to the Long Trail, then head south over the Hump to the Forest City Trail, to complete the loop. I felt pretty good hiking up the trail, going at a pretty good pace over the progressively rockier surface. This was not only my first hike of the season, but also the first time hiking in my new boots. I did pretty good, and at 10:18, we arrived at the Hut Clearing, 2.2 miles into the hike.
LEFT: Arriving at the Hut Clearing
RIGHT: Final 0.3 mile push to the summit
CLICK THE IMAGES FOR THE FULL SIZE VIEW
It was chilly and very cloudy, so we had anticipated not having much of a view from the summit. The 0.3 mile hike to the summit took just over 10 minutes and after a 20 minute or so break on the summit, the clouds broke and the view from the 4083’ summit opened up.
LEFT: Jay standing on the 4083’ summit disk while still in the clouds
RIGHT: 30 minutes later, the clouds lifted and broke and the view appeared
We descended south from the summit under very windy conditions until we had looped around the summit cone. Proceeding down past the Alpine Trail and down the Long Trail, we took another break inside a cave not too far from Wind Gap. After the break, we continued down to the Forest City Trail for the final 1.2 mile downhill to the Forest City-Burrows Connector, then it was a simple 0.1 mile connector back to the parking lot where we started. It was 1PM when we arrived back at the truck, completing the 5.7 mile hike and my first hike of the season was in the books!
LEFT: View of the Hump from an overlook along the Long Trail
RIGHT: Bridge over a brook on the Forest City-Burrows Connector Trail
For the complete photo gallery from the first hike of the 2011 Season, CLICK HERE!
LINK FIXED 6/14/2011Friday, May 6, 2011
The 2010/2011 Season In Review
As I stare out my window overlooking the base of Lincoln Peak, then up at the mountain, I see patches of snow. Some has been around since the guns were fired up back in November and December, while some just fell during yesterday’s squalls. Yes, I know, it’s May 6. But we’ve seen it all this winter… including over 300” of natural snow.
The season started on November 25, Thanksgiving Day, 2010, and lasted through to Sunday May 1. We had only a couple of days where we had to close the mountain completely due to weather (high winds just after Christmas, and again in late April due to thunderstorms). We also had a very limited period of spring conditions. Our January Thaw occurred Dec 31-Jan 1, and was followed by a long duration of frequent snowstorms and powder days, most occuring on my days off. 21” fell on Groundhog Day, and 37”+ fell in the beginning of March, leading to some truly epic days. When Mt Ellen closed for the season on March 27, it closed being 100% open with not a bare spot to be found, and temps in the 20s and 30s. (If only it was economical to keep both sides open into April).
I experienced several personal milestones this season. I rode a total of 118 days. Yes, I know – some of those days I only get a run or two in, but on my days off (which I largely spend on the mountain), I can get 20-30 runs. Of those 118 days, I spent 4 days exclusively riding at Mt Ellen, and another 2 days were spent starting off at Mt Ellen, then coming back to Lincoln Peak to get my fill. The other 112 days were spent exclusively riding at Lincoln Peak. First-time runs for me this season included Stein’s Run at Lincoln Peak, and over at Mt Ellen, I rode FIS, Bravo, Spinout, and Southbound for the first time. I also snowboarded Village Run for the first time ever, and made my descent down Lower FIS, Encore, and Brambles for the first time in 3 years. And not only did I ride Castlerock, but I also worked it several times, so I probably got in close to 10 days up there, on and off the clock. What a great lift that is to work!!!
The trail map image below I have modified to mark off the trails that I have done at Sugarbush. Those in green I rode more than once this season. Those in yellow I called my “one hit wonders” – time ran out before I could make a second descent down them this season, and the few in red are those which I have never been down yet. There’s always next year!
CLICK FOR FULL SIZE VERSION
This post will be my last of the 2010/2011 season, but keep watching here for my summer posts, including:
* The 2011 Summer Hiking Series
* Mountain Biking
* Train Rides
* And other adventures throughout Vermont & beyond!
April 30 & May 1, 2011: One More Weekend
If you told me back on Thanksgiving Day 2010, our first day we were open for the 2010/2011 season that I’d be working Heaven’s Gate, bumping chairs on May 1, I wouldn’t have believed you.
Saturday, April 30 – heading up Bravo
Not long after the close of operations on April 24, it started to rain, and rain with thunderstorms was in the forecast for most of the week. With Lake Champlain reaching record levels, on Friday I received a call from my boss saying that Heaven’s Gate was a GO for the weekend. I thought for sure we’d be down to just Stein’s & Spring Fling, but Heaven’s Gate? Really??? Yes, really! But there were a few twists.
The trail count for the weekend of April 30 & May 1 included: Downspout, Lower Downspout, Jester, Lower Jester, Lower Organgrinder, Murphy’s, Birdland, Coffee Run, VH Traverse, Snowball, Stein’s, Spring Fling, Organgrinder, and Ripcord. While Stein’s, Spring Fling, and Organgrinder had essentially edge-to-edge coverage, elsewhere it was “sketchy”. But with temps in the 50s on Saturday and rising through the 60s on Sunday, I don’t think anybody cared!
April 30 – Upper Jester
One challenge of the weekend was avoiding the new terrain feature positioned on Upper Jester, between a pair of switchbacks. A groomer had gotten stuck and couldn’t be moved without destroying the remaining snowpack, or turning it all into mud. Skiers and riders had to thread their way around it on paths of snow that got narrower and narrower with each passing hour. Scores of people were raving about the conditions and how good they were for so late in the season. On Sunday, the compliments continued but were a lot more numerous. After all, noone could complain – lift tickets were FREE! It was a celebration of what would turn out to be the last day of the season.
May 1 – Base of Heaven’s Gate, with just an hour or so to go
The runout on the other hand was anything but a celebration… until you made it through in one piece. Lower Jester on its approach to Gondolier/ Coffee Run was down to bare ground in one section, forcing you to make your way through the mud. Thank god noone was coming when I was coming down on Sunday to see me go right into the dirt, as my co-worker followed shortly later, coming down to the base area with a huge streak of mud on his shirt and snow pants.
But that’s all part of the spring skiing and riding experience! You can’t expect to have perfect edge-to-edge coverage or have a trail without bumps on it past 10am. I only got a couple of runs in each day, but then I thought of when I would be riding next… not for another 6 months or so. As they say, a bad day of snowboarding is better than a good day at work. But what about those people who work on the mountain? Then… its just another day at the office, and one that I wouldn’t trade for almost anything in the world!
May 1 – Everyone got on the lift and the soft snow fell off their skis and boards, landing in the only pile of snow in the low tip area.
One of the things I love about this job is the people…. from those that I meet, to those that I work with day in, day out from November through April. I am pleased to once again have worked with such a great crew – let’s do it all again, come November!
I did not take this – most likely our photographer extraordinaire, Sandy Macys, did, as it was on sugarbush.com earlier in the season. It’s a great shot of mid winter conditions up on the mountain. During those dog days of summer, think about this picture and how we’ll all long for a day like this.
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