Helmet Hero Video from today

Well here it is, I'm not 100% impressed with it, but I'm slowly figuring out what works and what doesn't footage wise.

The light we have to work with out here is flat and grey, and the powder is often wet, meaning that POV shots of skiing wide open powder runs tend to look boring and repetitive. I may shoot at different angles or change mounting locations to attempt to fix that, but I have a feeling it probably will be a wash. I'm encouraged by the limited "chase" shots, I thought those did a better job of capturing the conditions, so in the future I'm going to try to get more of them. It helps to have a subject in front of the lens to provide some kind of definition. Perhaps tree footage will look better?

In any event, the camera is durable and does a pretty good job of taking still video so I'm encouraged on that front.

Plattekill

What a great day, coverage was unreal, close to 20" up top and NO rocks whatsoever

Couple more shots from today

Nice solid day in Southern NY, I haven't seen it snow that hard in a LONG time. It had to be coming down at a 1"-2" an hour pace, perfect early season snow too, very wet and heavy to prevent you from punching all the way through and hitting a rock

Mmmm snow

-- Post From My iPhone

Minianimal eaten by a shark!!!

Seriously!

Happy Halloween All

A bit early, but Minianimal and I would like to say Happy Halloween to all

Decompressing

So its taken me 2 days to get off the October turns high, and I'm poking through some of the "B" roll stuff I took with the iphone camera.  I really was kinda pissed off that I had forgotten my point and shoot at home, figuring that the iphone would leave me with crappy cameraphone style pictures.  I'm actually blown away at what I managed to get, and further bummed because I may have wasted a great shooting day because I didn't think the camera I had was up to snuff.

Adding the Camera Bag app makes the iphone camera even better

The junkshow in the back of the car on the way up to Vermont

North Ridge Area

Escapade

They're not Powder magazine cover shot material, but I'm pretty impressed at the ability of the iphone in a "street" photography setting.  The real test I think will come while trying to take an action shot, which is where I think the lack of shutter speed and other controls will become a real hinderence.   I'm really looking forward to testing the limits of what this thing can do.

Little Helmetcam footage from today

First time out with the go pro helmetcam, I thought it went well. Next time I'm going to try a slightly higher angle, although due to the conditions I was looking a lot closer to the front of my skis then I normally do

Escapade to Flume

Yes
It is october 23 and I made a continous ski decent of escapade to flume
-- Post From My iPhone

North ridge

Great coverage maybe 5-6". Not too many guns set up however


-- Post From My iPhone

Sunrise over Skye peak

-- Post From My iPhone

Caper/great northern

Looks pretty skiable and if it's ok at this elevation it should be better up top


-- Post From My iPhone

Mavens in the house!

They finally got here! I'm usually not someone who raves about topsheet artwork but these are amazing. The other thing that is immediately noticeable is despite the 189 cm length they don't seem that long. As I type they are in the shop awaiting mounting.

You know you have a serious problem when.....

You are actually contimplating driving 3 hours plus for a snowstorm that may or may not materialize into anything more then 3" of snow on top of grass and rocks.

There are three insane options and one sane and boring option

I will dispense with the sane one which is to simply stay home and let others go out and have fun.  This option is clearly unacceptable and is immediately thrown out as it is entirely without merit.

Option #1 is to head to Mt Snow.  They're already open with some form of jib yard and the new ownership has made no secret of the fact that they will make snow if possible.  They will also see less natural then anywhere else due to their southerly location.  Plus doing 50' of vert through a jib park really doesn't appeal to me at all.

Option #2 is to pray like hell that Killington decides to get their crews up the mountain and turn on the snowmaking system tonight.  My guess is Killington should see 3-4" out of this storm and coupled with some snowmaking help, I'm possitive that there would be a skiable base.  However, without snowmaking help I might as well be skiing on frost.

Option #3 is to let it all hang out and make the suicide drive to Mansfield and Stowe.  NWS is reporting that there could be upwards of 7" overnight and possibly 9" in total snowfall.  I'm not sure Stowe will put the guns on, but 7-9" is enough to ski.  Again though its a long drive and if it doesn't materailize I'm stuck in the same boat as I would be at Killington.

WE HAVE LIFTOFF!!!

Holy cow, I never thought when I said two days ago that "it wouldn't be long", it really wouldn't be that long.  Mt Snow did their fan gun thing last night and are claiming to be pushing for an October opening!!!!  Unfortunately I'm working until at least Monday and possibly Tuesday as well.  But with some luck it looks like the October ski streak will continue!

Picking up passes

there's a definate chill in the air up at Killington as minianimal and I picked up our 08/09 passes

Not too much longer now

The Waiting Game

The temps fluctuate wildly, the folliage peaks, and the light becomes ever fainter and flatter. The season draws inexorably closer and yet, it just can't get here fast enough. The last few days have simply felt like agony for me. I can't wait; visions of the first turns of the season, the first chair of the season, the first powder day all float through my head. I fear if it does not snow soon I will go insane waiting for it.

New Killington Guide for 08/09

Just a couple of scans from Killington's new Winter Guide 08/09

Recon

There's nothing better than fall recon, especially when you find hidden lines where you weren't expecting them.

It started pouring rain so I wasn't able to find out just how far this glade went but it looks pretty sweet