The long awaited opening day at Greek Peak has happened. Today was day to ski just the Alpha slope. Rather decent surface even if there were a few mud streaks in places. It was good to get a ski fix.
Alpha slope is basically a beginners slope that works for early instruction in skiing and boarding. So if nothing else is available, what should one do there? Obviously a good time to work on fundamentals. Although I did a bit of free skiing, I did also spend a bit of time on edge control, body positioning and the like. Still trying to lay down those perfect parallel tracks.
After so many years of skiing, one would think you would not get so excited about being on the slopes again. Not so! The old heart quickens and the enthusiasm kicks in. Almost like being a teenager again. Hooray for day 1 of a new season. May the snow gods dump on us in the coming weeks.
If anyone of of you regular readers need photos of opening day, go to my Facebook page. Come on you old geezers get with the modern social media if you haven't already.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays or whatever you like. All good wishes to everyone.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Thursday, December 17, 2015
A Skier's Lament
As an avid geezer skier I always look forward to the start of a ski season and hope for an extended period of good snow and cold weather. This year has to be one of the most vexing delays to the start of the season that I can remember in over 20 years of logging the characteristics of the season. The latest start for me in the past was December 22, 2001 for the 2001-2002 season. Even so, I was able to get in 8 days of skiing before the first of January. Greek Peak predicts and December 22 opening day this year. Based on the rain today and the warm weather predicted for next week, I surely doubt that we will get any skiing before January! Oh that I will be wrong! I can only hope for a miracle that Greek can make enough snow this weekend with the predicted brief cold spell.
However unsettling the delay of the season is for me, it is devastating for the people who rely on the ski season for employment. I know that many of the lift attendants count on shifting from their summer employment to the jobs at the ski area. And no doubt the ski instructor staff, wait staff and others suffer from the snow drought as well. Their pain is much more critical than mine.
Meanwhile, the only alternative I have is to be distracted by other projects or transport myself to some place there is snow. Oh how I envy son Colin and his family departure for Utah later this week! The Wasatch is getting a dump of snow and Alta and Snowbird will be swimming in powder. Although traveling to a snow area is an alternative, I have reached an age where the rigors of airline travel severely discourage the effort.
So while my skis languish in my locker and my boots and ski clothing remain in storage, I find myself into the decluttering mode. Over many years of various construction and remodeling projects, I have accumulated odds and ends of tools, nails, screws and a miscellany of hardware. With my extra time I will trash, sort and give away this debris.
Thankfully I have 20 years of ski logs to relive those past great days on the slopes.
However unsettling the delay of the season is for me, it is devastating for the people who rely on the ski season for employment. I know that many of the lift attendants count on shifting from their summer employment to the jobs at the ski area. And no doubt the ski instructor staff, wait staff and others suffer from the snow drought as well. Their pain is much more critical than mine.
Meanwhile, the only alternative I have is to be distracted by other projects or transport myself to some place there is snow. Oh how I envy son Colin and his family departure for Utah later this week! The Wasatch is getting a dump of snow and Alta and Snowbird will be swimming in powder. Although traveling to a snow area is an alternative, I have reached an age where the rigors of airline travel severely discourage the effort.
So while my skis languish in my locker and my boots and ski clothing remain in storage, I find myself into the decluttering mode. Over many years of various construction and remodeling projects, I have accumulated odds and ends of tools, nails, screws and a miscellany of hardware. With my extra time I will trash, sort and give away this debris.
Thankfully I have 20 years of ski logs to relive those past great days on the slopes.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
I Hate Global Warming
My commute to my Cornell office gives me time to muse about the state of the world both locally and globally. On this early December day I lament the mild and rainy weather. It should be snowing and cold. Our local ski area should be making snow at least. However neither of those conditions exist. Dairy cows that normally reside in their snug barns are grazing on green grass. Harvested soy bean and corn fields lie bare to the sullen low flying clouds. And the bare, recently manured fields spice the air with the pungent odor of cow manure.
I hate global warming! Post Thanksgiving, skiers in Upstate New York should be on the slopes. Perhaps I was spoiled by last years ski season. We were on the slopes shortly after Thanksgiving and I even had a record 20 days of skiing before January 1. Doesn't look like skiing will start much before Christmas. Sunday I passed by Greek Peak. One slope had the appearance of a dappled horse's flank. Small separated patches of white against a dun brown background. Alas, warm weather is predicted for at least the next 10 days.
While the delayed start of my ski season is an annoyance, it is not such a dire circumstance as the potential change in sea level inundating many cities and parts of the world. Nor is it as dire as the disruption of the ecosystems. It is predicted that global warming will increase extreme variations in weather. Perhaps we are seeing that this year. Parts of the Western United States and the Midwest have been inundated with snow and rain, while the East has been dryer and hotter.
Meanwhile my geezer skier friends in the East, we will have to be patient for the time being. However, Going to the gym, walking the treadmill, or simply walking the neighborhood will have to do for now.
I hate global warming! Post Thanksgiving, skiers in Upstate New York should be on the slopes. Perhaps I was spoiled by last years ski season. We were on the slopes shortly after Thanksgiving and I even had a record 20 days of skiing before January 1. Doesn't look like skiing will start much before Christmas. Sunday I passed by Greek Peak. One slope had the appearance of a dappled horse's flank. Small separated patches of white against a dun brown background. Alas, warm weather is predicted for at least the next 10 days.
While the delayed start of my ski season is an annoyance, it is not such a dire circumstance as the potential change in sea level inundating many cities and parts of the world. Nor is it as dire as the disruption of the ecosystems. It is predicted that global warming will increase extreme variations in weather. Perhaps we are seeing that this year. Parts of the Western United States and the Midwest have been inundated with snow and rain, while the East has been dryer and hotter.
Meanwhile my geezer skier friends in the East, we will have to be patient for the time being. However, Going to the gym, walking the treadmill, or simply walking the neighborhood will have to do for now.
Friday, November 6, 2015
Farm Machinery Boneyard and Pluto
Hopefully the title of this blog will pique your interest! The two parts are related. Some of you may know that Clyde Tombaugh was the discoverer of Pluto in 1930 while at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Tombaugh was a farm boy from Kansas who was mostly a self taught astronomer. While on the farm in his youth and early adulthood he made his own lenses and telescopes. The telescopes were made from scavenging the remnants of old farm machinery. How great it is that old farm machinery morphed into a scientific instrument.
Tombaugh corresponded with the people at the Lowell Observatory and convinced them to hire him even though he had no formal training in astronomy. He was assigned all the nitty gritty tasks to maintain the facilities as well as the opportunity to make observations with a telescope. There were theoretical calculations that there had to be another body beyond the 8 planets already discovered. Variations in the orbit of Neptune seemed to indicate the presence of an additional planet. Tombaugh was given the tedious task of looking for the elusive planet. The process was to use a blink comparator which would photograph the same area of the sky at defined times. By comparing photographs one could observe points of light that move and thus track an object moving in space. It was an onerous task but farm boy Tombaugh stuck with it and succeeded where others did not have the same tenacity.
Tombaugh stayed with the Lowell Observatory over most of his career and lived to a ripe old age of 90. He did complete bachelors and masters degrees in astronomy too. Ah yes, he became an esteemed geezer with several international awards!
Recently my wife and I visited the Lowell Observatory and viewed the telescope that Tombaugh used for his discovery. How timely, in view of the recent fly by of Pluto by a space probe!
Is there a connection to skiing here? Of course! While in Flagstaff we made a side trip to the Snowbowl Ski Area. Perched at a base elevation of 9200 feet in the San Francisco Peaks the lifts will elevate you an additional 2300 feet to a breath taking 11,500 feet. As I hiked there, I struggled to get enough oxygen from the thin air. There was a dusting of snow on the higher elevations. A precursor to the over 200 annual inches of snow recorded there.
Our stay in Flagstaff was a nice mix of science/engineering and ski area exploration.
Tombaugh corresponded with the people at the Lowell Observatory and convinced them to hire him even though he had no formal training in astronomy. He was assigned all the nitty gritty tasks to maintain the facilities as well as the opportunity to make observations with a telescope. There were theoretical calculations that there had to be another body beyond the 8 planets already discovered. Variations in the orbit of Neptune seemed to indicate the presence of an additional planet. Tombaugh was given the tedious task of looking for the elusive planet. The process was to use a blink comparator which would photograph the same area of the sky at defined times. By comparing photographs one could observe points of light that move and thus track an object moving in space. It was an onerous task but farm boy Tombaugh stuck with it and succeeded where others did not have the same tenacity.
Tombaugh stayed with the Lowell Observatory over most of his career and lived to a ripe old age of 90. He did complete bachelors and masters degrees in astronomy too. Ah yes, he became an esteemed geezer with several international awards!
Recently my wife and I visited the Lowell Observatory and viewed the telescope that Tombaugh used for his discovery. How timely, in view of the recent fly by of Pluto by a space probe!
Is there a connection to skiing here? Of course! While in Flagstaff we made a side trip to the Snowbowl Ski Area. Perched at a base elevation of 9200 feet in the San Francisco Peaks the lifts will elevate you an additional 2300 feet to a breath taking 11,500 feet. As I hiked there, I struggled to get enough oxygen from the thin air. There was a dusting of snow on the higher elevations. A precursor to the over 200 annual inches of snow recorded there.
Our stay in Flagstaff was a nice mix of science/engineering and ski area exploration.
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| The Pluto Dome and Telescope |
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| Pluto Telescope - An Astrograph |
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| Arizona Machinery Boneyard - Potential Telescope? |
Monday, October 12, 2015
Silos and Ski Lifts
Question: What do silos and ski lifts have in common? I think the answer is they both are indicators of the progression of successful businesses.
As I travel the dairy country of upstate New York, silos are typically skyline markers. As consolidation of the dairy industry has occurred over many years, abandoned barns and silos are frequent indicators of this trend. However, over the same time, successful dairies sport a progression of larger and larger silos. Also as the dairy has expanded the barns get larger as more cows are added.
As I observe the ski industry, a similar trend has occurred. Some ski areas have been abandoned or in some cases they have been absorbed into larger more successful operations. For the successful ski areas, a progression of more and better ski lifts occur. Also just as the dairy farmer adds more structures to house the larger herd, the ski area expands the lodges and service facilities.
So, I conclude silos and ski lifts have an interesting connection. I think the two photos below confirm my conjecture. Note the dairy with a progression of larger and larger silos from right left in the photo. Also note a larger barn from right to left plus a large free stall structure on the far left. I regret that my ski lift photo does not capture all the possibilities at a ski area. However, I have been at ski areas that show a progression form a rope tow to t-bar, to double chair, to triple chair and even to quad chair.
Perhaps all these musings confirm that my interests in engineering, agriculture and skiing do converge. I like making connections between disparate things!
As I travel the dairy country of upstate New York, silos are typically skyline markers. As consolidation of the dairy industry has occurred over many years, abandoned barns and silos are frequent indicators of this trend. However, over the same time, successful dairies sport a progression of larger and larger silos. Also as the dairy has expanded the barns get larger as more cows are added.
As I observe the ski industry, a similar trend has occurred. Some ski areas have been abandoned or in some cases they have been absorbed into larger more successful operations. For the successful ski areas, a progression of more and better ski lifts occur. Also just as the dairy farmer adds more structures to house the larger herd, the ski area expands the lodges and service facilities.
So, I conclude silos and ski lifts have an interesting connection. I think the two photos below confirm my conjecture. Note the dairy with a progression of larger and larger silos from right left in the photo. Also note a larger barn from right to left plus a large free stall structure on the far left. I regret that my ski lift photo does not capture all the possibilities at a ski area. However, I have been at ski areas that show a progression form a rope tow to t-bar, to double chair, to triple chair and even to quad chair.
Perhaps all these musings confirm that my interests in engineering, agriculture and skiing do converge. I like making connections between disparate things!
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| A prospering dairy of Cortland County, New York |
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| New quad chair on the left replaces a double chair. |
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Ski Area Construction Entertainment
Visited my local ski area on this sunny October afternoon to scope out the new deck over the stream outside the Trax restaurant at Greek Peak. A friend mentioned this construction in passing a few days ago. He suggested I should check it out.
The photos below illustrate the magnitude of the project. I have built a lot of decks in my lifetime as home projects, but this one sure exceeds anything I have ever done. The support beams are massive steel I beams and by my engineering estimate you could drive semis across that deck without any concern. There was some attempt to beautify with stone columns and they do add some grace to the structure. To an engineer the under structure has a symmetry and bold lines that are pleasing to view. Since the stream was nearly dry, I could get a streams eye view that will not be available this winter.
Looking forward to the ski season and the chance to lounge on the deck and view the skiers on the slope. A nice addition and upgrade to the area. Sorry that I didn't get to see the various stages of the project over the summer.
The photos below illustrate the magnitude of the project. I have built a lot of decks in my lifetime as home projects, but this one sure exceeds anything I have ever done. The support beams are massive steel I beams and by my engineering estimate you could drive semis across that deck without any concern. There was some attempt to beautify with stone columns and they do add some grace to the structure. To an engineer the under structure has a symmetry and bold lines that are pleasing to view. Since the stream was nearly dry, I could get a streams eye view that will not be available this winter.
Looking forward to the ski season and the chance to lounge on the deck and view the skiers on the slope. A nice addition and upgrade to the area. Sorry that I didn't get to see the various stages of the project over the summer.
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| Down Stream View from the Creek Bed |
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| Upstream View |
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| Support Beams |
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| Decorative Columns |
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| Supporting Steel |
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| Upstream View |
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
The Technological Revolution -A Boon or Curse?
For those of us who have lived 80 years or more, we have seen amazing advances in technology. I grew up with no telephone, no central heat and no indoor plumbing. As a kid I remember the comic strip Dick Tracy with the futuristic wrist radio. Today we have the iWatch and the Android equivalent capable of a whole spectrum of uses.
For the most part I love the data I get with the technological toys of today. My auto display tells me my miles per gallon, time travelled and average speed for every trip, large or small, I take. I have a weather station connected to the Internet. Any where I am in the world I can bring up the current weather at my home as well as the minute by minute record of the past weather.
As a skier, I am thrilled to know that my skis, bindings, outdoor clothing and helmets will continue to improve. And it is nice to know you can get an App that to track your vertical on any ski day.
So when does all this technological advancement become a curse? It seems like one or another of my devices will have a glitch that needs attention. Almost every day I am dealing with issues with my smart phone, iPad, iMac, PC, Apple TV etc. In some respects I am addicted to E-mail, texting, and Facebook. Fortunately, I think I have come to grips with enough is enough!
For approximately a year I had been using my Kindle App on my iPad to read books. It's a convenient way to access books. However, recently, I have rebelled. I am now enjoying the feel of a hard cover book in my hands. Very satisfying to turn the pages, mark the progress with a bookmark and consume the content in the old-fashioned way. And although it is convenient to text the children to keep in contact, face to face conversation is so much better.
Ski season is but a few months away. A great time to spend less time gazing at screen. Though most of the geezer skiers have their smart phones handy at coffee break, it would be rude to have those devices interfere with the camaraderie of that time.
For the most part I love the data I get with the technological toys of today. My auto display tells me my miles per gallon, time travelled and average speed for every trip, large or small, I take. I have a weather station connected to the Internet. Any where I am in the world I can bring up the current weather at my home as well as the minute by minute record of the past weather.
As a skier, I am thrilled to know that my skis, bindings, outdoor clothing and helmets will continue to improve. And it is nice to know you can get an App that to track your vertical on any ski day.
So when does all this technological advancement become a curse? It seems like one or another of my devices will have a glitch that needs attention. Almost every day I am dealing with issues with my smart phone, iPad, iMac, PC, Apple TV etc. In some respects I am addicted to E-mail, texting, and Facebook. Fortunately, I think I have come to grips with enough is enough!
For approximately a year I had been using my Kindle App on my iPad to read books. It's a convenient way to access books. However, recently, I have rebelled. I am now enjoying the feel of a hard cover book in my hands. Very satisfying to turn the pages, mark the progress with a bookmark and consume the content in the old-fashioned way. And although it is convenient to text the children to keep in contact, face to face conversation is so much better.
Ski season is but a few months away. A great time to spend less time gazing at screen. Though most of the geezer skiers have their smart phones handy at coffee break, it would be rude to have those devices interfere with the camaraderie of that time.
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