Pico, VT 1/20/00

<I>(Note from the Administrator: This report was originally posted on 1/20/00. Due to our move to new servers, the date and time attributed to this post is incorrect.)</I> <BR> <BR>We returned to the Adirondacks last weekend after a two-week odyssey through Florida and have been waiting patiently for the temps to warm up a little before heading back to the slopes. We were happy to find more terrain open today than we saw at the beginning of the month, and the conditions everywhere on the mountain were the best we'd seen all season. All of the open trails were covered with a dry, cold, fast, and well-groomed surface - no surprises, very predictable. The lower trails were in fine shape, and 49er off the summit was as good as it gets. Snow guns were running on Upper KA, and skiers were able to cut over to the mid-Pike from 49er. Although there seemed to be only about a dozen non-staff skiers on the hill during the morning, everyone was stopping at the usual rest spots and commenting on the fabulous conditions. Skiers heading over to Rutland from northern areas this weekend should be pleased with the skiing, but we have friends from L.I. planning a weekend getaway who are concerned about predicted snowfall further south making northbound travel difficult. <BR> <BR>We found another pleasant surprise today in the Pico base lodge. We like to camp out on the ground-floor level of the lodge (no stairs to climb). Also, the brown-bag lunch crowd was politely shunted off to the lower level during lunch hour. But last season, the picnic tables on the lower level started to fall apart and disappear. By the beginning of this season, there were hardly any tables and chairs left in the area. But today the room was packed wall to wall with a slew of new tables and benches. So, thankfully, no more "musical chairs" in the base lodge.