2024 East Coast Pugski/Renoun Gathering for the Eclipse. Dates: TBD

[TonyC]

I also need to point out that when NASJA had had meetings in the East, attendance by westerners has been poor. Few up them will pay airfare to fly across the country for speculative ski conditions.

Therefore this Gathering should be in addition to, and not in place of, the annual Gathering in a western resort.

And for the westerners who do go, if you can afford to fly east to ski, you can afford that backup flight to Texas for the eclipse.

I'll leave the easterners to their own decisions, but for any of them that saw this eclipse, I'll bet they know they should have a backup plan too.

As for the skiing, no closing dates for the major NE areas haven't moved by a month since the 1980's. They probably haven't moved at all except for the horrible years like 2012 and 2016.

But TonyS and Eleeski have a point. The NE areas may be open but conditions may suck and terrain may be limited. Liz may want to do this anyway because she lived back east for 25 years and has lots of friends we could visit if the skiing is poor.

 

[Philpug]

So @TonyC will you and @Lizardqueen celebrate your anniversaries by year or eclipse.

 

[TonyC]

So @TonyC will you and @Lizardqueen celebrate your anniversaries by year or eclipse.

You know all those jokes about husbands forgetting their anniversary dates? I'm unlikely to have that problem.

 

[TheArchitect]

@coskigirl @noncrazycanuck @scott43 @TheArchitect @Dadskier Can you vote now?

Yes, I can.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

looks like i can now too, (first time i saw the question)

I would ski the east not knocking the region they have some good areas.
However would not be a destination for a ski trip from here. It's tough to top what we have in our region (BC/Alberta) and a lot easier getting there.
I get the low numbers of skiers leaving the West and flying to ski East. I would not travel to Mexico to ski either.

For the actual eclipse, ground central will be in Mexico.
Longest duration and probably best chance of weather is around Nacez (sp?) Durango or just a bit further east
your State Department may have issued warnings about travelling Mexico, our Foreign Affairs department also regularly issues warnings about travelling to the USA
Do you feel scared ? I would not over worry, it will be safe

so i voted other - as in I will try first for the best chance of eclipse and can always ski another day.

 

[TonyC]

So i voted other - as in I will try first for the best chance of eclipse and can always ski another day.

As a devotee of both pastimes I have to say noncrazycanuck is correct about this.

That's why I want a backup plan to consider the NE for 2024 as I did for Australia in 2012.

 

[Jilly]

Looking at different maps I can probably stay home and head to the Sandbanks Provincal Park for a good view of totality. 20 million users from home.

 

[at_nyc]

My cousin lives in Dallas. No brainer in a spring day.

As much (some say as little) as I like skiing (on slugh no less), I like cycling far more.

But, if forecast for Texas is bad for the day, it's easy enough for me to drive up to VT or even ME.

So for me, the northeast will be my back up plan!

That is, if I'll still be living in New York then. 7 years is a long time. I should be retired long before that, unless I started on my 2nd (actually 3rd) career by then.

P.S. I didn't vote because I feel several of the candidates are equally good.

 

[Cyrus Schenck]

I am trying to talk @Cyrus Schenck in to getting Renoun to sponsor it.

I'm into it. Roof deck party w/ backyard skiing??
if you want to be on the invite list, better start signing up.
https://renoun.com/pages/2024-solar-eclipse-renoun-party

 

[Tricia]

I'm into it. Roof deck party w/ backyard skiing??
if you want to be on the invite list, better start signing up.
https://renoun.com/pages/2024-solar-eclipse-renoun-party

Done!
Now its a party!!!!

 

[Tricia]

. 7 years is a long time.

I moved to Tahoe 7 years ago. Seems like yesterday!

 

[coskigirl]

I'm into it. Roof deck party w/ backyard skiing??
if you want to be on the invite list, better start signing up.
https://renoun.com/pages/2024-solar-eclipse-renoun-party

You're awesome. One day I'll own a pair of your skis.

 

[BS Slarver]

Voted other, as it doesn't matter to us, we are striking distance from all locations on the list.

Extra bonus points for the Renoun bash if we don't meet @Cyrus Schenck before then.

 

[TonyC]

Since Patrick asked a few questions about ski areas in 1979 and Northeast spring snow data, I have a few answers.

Since the 2/26/1079 eclipse hit the Earth at an oblique angle, the path was much wider than this year. Ski areas in the path:
Washington: Crystal, White Pass
Oregon: All of the Mt. Hood and eastern Oregon areas.
Centerline followed the Washington/Oregon border

Idaho: Brundage. Lookout Pass was just inside the northern limit.
Montana: Snowbowl, Discovery, Lost Trail, Showdown, Great Divide, Bridger Bowl.
Lonnie Ball, the first person to ski Corbet's Couloir, saw it from his home near Bridger. I was lucky to be on a Lone Peak tour with him at Big Sky (which was too far south in 1979) in 2001.

Northeast skiing in April is like some western skiing in May. That's not necessarily a criticism. Most of you know how much skiing I do in May. You want the same weather for skiing as for the eclipse, clear skies to generate a consistent corn cycle. You do not want cold and/or cloudy weather or snow may remain frozen. If you get new snow you need a lot of it to cover up the coral reef subsurface. The bane of Northeast skiing is rain and it rains a lot in the Northeast in spring. The top of Mt. Mansfield averages 2.5 days of rain in March and 4.8 days in April. At lower elevations and farther south it likely rains more.

Finally, since 2004 I have percents of area open on April 1 and April 10, respectively:
Jay: 85%, 81%
Stowe: 80%,61%
Sugarbush: 74%, 42%
Killington (south of totality): 64%, 46%
Whiteface: 69% April 1, insufficient data for April 10
Sunday River (south of totality): 85%,62%
Sugarloaf: 76%, 73%
Mt. St. Anne (well north of totality but good spring record): 91%, 81%

If I take the time to go east for this, I'll want to hit as many of the above places as possible.

Open terrain declines steadily in April across the Northeast. To enhance ski quality the ski Gathering should be April 1-7 with the eclipse as grand finale.

 

[Cyrus Schenck]

@TonyC
maybe we'll move it to a mountaintop then...

 

[TonyC]

Holding the Gathering the first week of April opens up another option for us and possibly other westerners.
1) Buy a plane ticket to Burlington for the start of the Gathering.
2) Buy a plane ticket home from one of the Texas cities you might want to visit, in our case Austin.
3) Buy two one way tickets from Burlington to Texas for April 7 and 9, using the former with a poor NE weather forecast and the latter if the NE forecast is good.

 

[Tricia]

Note: This is half tounge in cheek...but if we still have an internet in 2024...we will beam ourselves to New England.

Tony, this is 7 years away. No one is creating a plan that is set in stone today.
No one is buying a plane ticket today
We were having fun with this.

We'll let you know when its time to set the firm date.
Your thoughts have been duly noted and will be considered.

Meanwhile, can you please, please, please let us have some fun?

 

[TheArchitect]

No one is buying a plane ticket today

Uh oh....where is that cancel button on the Jet Blue website again?

 

[TonyC]

No one can buy any plane tickets more than 11 months in advance.

Nonetheless I know how these things work and inertia tends to set in. So I appreciate that the dates were changed to TBD before people start to think they are set in stone.

Any lobbying for the Ski HOF induction meeting should also be directed to the prior week IMHO. That meeting tends to be Wednesday - Sunday so having it end the day before the eclipse fits well.

 

[Uncle-A]

What ski area is near Cyrus and Renoun? If they are partners with PUGSKI on this gathering why not make it easy for them to bring Demos?