I like to think that the Gathermeisters are virtually huddled together, feverishly working to answer the question of where. Of course, I’ve been accused of being delusional on occasion.
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A proposal for a new idea for choosing future Gathering destinations
- Thread starter Noodler
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I like to think that the Gathermeisters are virtually huddled together, feverishly working to answer the question of where. Of course, I’ve been accused of being delusional on occasion.
You are perilously close to volunteering there.
Anything to help move along the process.
I’m thinking a combo of Wachusett and Nashoba Valley.
Why not make it a trio and add in Blue Hills. It's on the way from the airport, and some local college race teams practice there, so it has to be good, right?
Buck Hill Minnesota FTW!
Boot up at The Bucket 8am sharp!
Boot up at The Bucket 8am sharp!
I have found this thread very entertaining and somewhat nostalgic - All the memories of my first Gathering - 2015(?) Jackson Hole. I didn't even ski then and showed up with my snowboard. I rented skis and boots and took a day lesson with the mountain's ski school. It was not nearly as useful as the full days @UncleLouie spent with me and @John Webb's wife Trish - he basically taught us how to ski on the jackson blues. I enjoyed the kids park at Grand Targhee.
I was talked into my first Gathering by @mdf, the first forum member I ever met in real life. I basically copied his trip itinerary to Snowmass earlier that year and we met for some bar trivia. He talked up the Gatherings. He mentioned that the Gatherings were mostly advanced and expert skiers, but heck, I didn't care! It was the first year me and my partner (Peter) were getting back into winter sports after a long time off. I also wanted an excuse to travel and use my first ever Mountain Collective Pass!
@JohnL and @SKI-3PO were staying in the same hotel as me and I think they recognized me in the breakfast room one morning and welcomed me into their carpool. Later, i awkwardly attended the group party at these small cabins near our hotel. It was so awkward not knowing anyone. Then a loud zany man, @Near Nyquist and a super friendly woman @Rainbow Jenny started to talk to me and I felt a little better....Thanks to all of the above especially, for getting me into skiing and this community!
I've met many more of you over the years, after my skiing improved. Due to life, I haven't been able to ski as much these past few years, but I really want to make up for it next season and plan to attend the Taos Gathering.
And while I am at it, here are my thoughts on the Gathering:
• Can Taos be brought into the mix for national Gatherings? I feel like everyone who would make an effort to attend the gathering presumably wants to improve or maintain their skiing form. A Ski Week is perfect for that. I don't think it would make the Gathering less social - if you want to mix up groups, that's what the after lunch hours are for. Also, I think being in a ski week with non forum members is a great way to recruit new members.
• Big Sky - I just looked at housing and air bnb costs in the area. I think deals can still be found. I personally loved the Gathering we had here and would love to explore the place more. Is there another reason why this place seems banned off the rotation? It seems like it would be comparable to a trip to Snowmass
• Colorado - Copper/A-Basin Combo - I would be up for this! Never been to Copper. Seems like it would be the most economical and easiest to get to.
• Lake Louise/Sunshine - I am all for this. We've been once and tacked on a trip to Revelstoke. Kicking Horse is also in between Lake Louise and Revelstoke. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, plus for the Americans we get the dollar advantage. If one wanted to go to Revelstoke or KH, you would have to plan on flying out of a different airport. For those coming from the east, we landed in Calgary and flew out of Kelowna....A week between Sunshine and Lake Louise would probably be plenty though.
• Jackson Hole - I know people love this place, but it never grew on me. Maybe it's all the bro energy and the spread out layout. And also I'm probably not advanced enough to enjoy it's treasures? However, one of the local guides/forum members found a group of us last gathering and took us on a magical mystery tour....So yeah, I think you really have to know this mountain in order to get the most out of it. None of us in that lucky group would ever be able to retrace our steps to recreate the experience.
• And wildcard - I propose a semi-regular mini-European Gathering! I have yet to post my trip report from the Dolomites...but this is a great option for East Coasters. If you want to have a luxurious-feeling vacation that involves skiing, mind blowing scenery, culture, and quality food - all at the fraction of the price of a western trip - this is for you! It would be best for families/couples/groups including non-skiers or ambivalent skiers. I know @Cheizz has wanted to get a European Gathering going for some time...I am down for it next year!
I was talked into my first Gathering by @mdf, the first forum member I ever met in real life. I basically copied his trip itinerary to Snowmass earlier that year and we met for some bar trivia. He talked up the Gatherings. He mentioned that the Gatherings were mostly advanced and expert skiers, but heck, I didn't care! It was the first year me and my partner (Peter) were getting back into winter sports after a long time off. I also wanted an excuse to travel and use my first ever Mountain Collective Pass!
@JohnL and @SKI-3PO were staying in the same hotel as me and I think they recognized me in the breakfast room one morning and welcomed me into their carpool. Later, i awkwardly attended the group party at these small cabins near our hotel. It was so awkward not knowing anyone. Then a loud zany man, @Near Nyquist and a super friendly woman @Rainbow Jenny started to talk to me and I felt a little better....Thanks to all of the above especially, for getting me into skiing and this community!
I've met many more of you over the years, after my skiing improved. Due to life, I haven't been able to ski as much these past few years, but I really want to make up for it next season and plan to attend the Taos Gathering.
And while I am at it, here are my thoughts on the Gathering:
• Can Taos be brought into the mix for national Gatherings? I feel like everyone who would make an effort to attend the gathering presumably wants to improve or maintain their skiing form. A Ski Week is perfect for that. I don't think it would make the Gathering less social - if you want to mix up groups, that's what the after lunch hours are for. Also, I think being in a ski week with non forum members is a great way to recruit new members.
• Big Sky - I just looked at housing and air bnb costs in the area. I think deals can still be found. I personally loved the Gathering we had here and would love to explore the place more. Is there another reason why this place seems banned off the rotation? It seems like it would be comparable to a trip to Snowmass
• Colorado - Copper/A-Basin Combo - I would be up for this! Never been to Copper. Seems like it would be the most economical and easiest to get to.
• Lake Louise/Sunshine - I am all for this. We've been once and tacked on a trip to Revelstoke. Kicking Horse is also in between Lake Louise and Revelstoke. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, plus for the Americans we get the dollar advantage. If one wanted to go to Revelstoke or KH, you would have to plan on flying out of a different airport. For those coming from the east, we landed in Calgary and flew out of Kelowna....A week between Sunshine and Lake Louise would probably be plenty though.
• Jackson Hole - I know people love this place, but it never grew on me. Maybe it's all the bro energy and the spread out layout. And also I'm probably not advanced enough to enjoy it's treasures? However, one of the local guides/forum members found a group of us last gathering and took us on a magical mystery tour....So yeah, I think you really have to know this mountain in order to get the most out of it. None of us in that lucky group would ever be able to retrace our steps to recreate the experience.
• And wildcard - I propose a semi-regular mini-European Gathering! I have yet to post my trip report from the Dolomites...but this is a great option for East Coasters. If you want to have a luxurious-feeling vacation that involves skiing, mind blowing scenery, culture, and quality food - all at the fraction of the price of a western trip - this is for you! It would be best for families/couples/groups including non-skiers or ambivalent skiers. I know @Cheizz has wanted to get a European Gathering going for some time...I am down for it next year!
+1
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I was there then but not the whole week. Personally, I think Grand Targhee saved Jackson.
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I've been out of this thread, and have not kept up. That said,
Official Gathering or not, if people pick a week or portion thereof next season for Whitefish, I'll cheerfully ski you all over our "Almost Destination Area".
I'm reliably up there Monday through Friday.
I remember that evening. It was also my first time at Jackson, though my second Gathering.
I like both of these ideas. Maybe a Colorado - Copper/A Basin Gathering, followed by a Big Sky Gathering the next year, then Aspen the following year (because people may object somehow to Colorado two years ion a row).
I've organized a Banff Gathering once, and it'd make a great Gathering ideally, but in reality it probably wouldn't be as well attended as the other locations mentioned. Banff is great later in March and even into April. I think it could be a great annual trip in April, maybe alternating with Mammoth, when other places aren't as reliable.
+2
ooooh, now we're cooking!
Why not make it a trio and add in Blue Hills. It's on the way from the airport, and some local college race teams practice there, so it has to be good, right?
You're not factoring in Boston rush hour on the commute. You'll need to step up your game if you ever want to be a Gathermeister!
Very much in favor of Taos. For those of us with limited vacation time, it makes it possible for us to do ski week while still having the opportunity to attend a national Gathering. I just don’t know how I would otherwise fit a national Gathering into my winter schedule.
Not the first time that has happened.
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Absolutely nothing in the world better than an 8" day at JH when Targhee gets double that.
Short lines FTW!!!!
I think I was remembering the 2009 Gathering when JH was a boneyard - Snow King had better snow
Obviously some people in life generally, besides what they do on ski days, will get to wherever as a group when they do, sometimes on time, sometimes not. So generally don't want to be held to an expectation of arriving by some early exact set time, though if later like mid morning, won't probably care. Like it's not like a medical appointment. Well except on fresh snow days, you snooz, you looz. So are fine with others in group event coming early if they choose to. But don't expect some others to be moving at that speed. As a career high tech corporation peon hardware electronic engineering support person, I was always very timely, others, especially engineers could trust to be there at scheduled work meeting appointments. But that is just me as a highly structured tech person from earliest era personally.
One needs to understand too, how skiing attitudes at specific times of day are different between most of us, for example the few skiing most everyday most all winter and are in no hurry even at new resorts. But now, add the gathering aspect to skiing and the more fun gregarious among us may be adding a potential whole more fun social facet to one's life. And many of us are not getting any younger haha. Especially of value in this amazing technology age we all just seem to take for granted are extensions in this era as photos, videos, and web discussions. So as a matter of group cooperation in order to be more socially involved, there is certainly value in members purposely trying to be more cohesive as a group with simple intelligent communication like times of whatever and when.
Our Milky Way Galaxy has billions of stars and now with exoplanet science know most have planets. Modest numbers per the total, yet still enormous numbers are like are own rocky planet Earth in a liquid water Goldilocks orbit. And our galaxy is just one of billions in our universe among potential infinite universes in infinite 3D space. Thus mr dave thinks there are other races of intelligent organic bipedal creature life though somewhat different evolutionary paths versus we Earth mammal monkeys. I expect DNA life is universal in the universe due to panspermia. And those creature brothers and sisters are SKIING their snowy mountains with a similar fun and exhilaration. Probably evolving through ski technologies like ours as their material science grows.
The following is my favorite Youtube video 6:40 minutes long. Audio background is especially inspiring full screen on a good HD display with a hifi headphones on LOUD. Think about our alien friends and how, who knows, next year some of them could arrive and having natural skiing fun too at our gathering.
One needs to understand too, how skiing attitudes at specific times of day are different between most of us, for example the few skiing most everyday most all winter and are in no hurry even at new resorts. But now, add the gathering aspect to skiing and the more fun gregarious among us may be adding a potential whole more fun social facet to one's life. And many of us are not getting any younger haha. Especially of value in this amazing technology age we all just seem to take for granted are extensions in this era as photos, videos, and web discussions. So as a matter of group cooperation in order to be more socially involved, there is certainly value in members purposely trying to be more cohesive as a group with simple intelligent communication like times of whatever and when.
Our Milky Way Galaxy has billions of stars and now with exoplanet science know most have planets. Modest numbers per the total, yet still enormous numbers are like are own rocky planet Earth in a liquid water Goldilocks orbit. And our galaxy is just one of billions in our universe among potential infinite universes in infinite 3D space. Thus mr dave thinks there are other races of intelligent organic bipedal creature life though somewhat different evolutionary paths versus we Earth mammal monkeys. I expect DNA life is universal in the universe due to panspermia. And those creature brothers and sisters are SKIING their snowy mountains with a similar fun and exhilaration. Probably evolving through ski technologies like ours as their material science grows.
The following is my favorite Youtube video 6:40 minutes long. Audio background is especially inspiring full screen on a good HD display with a hifi headphones on LOUD. Think about our alien friends and how, who knows, next year some of them could arrive and having natural skiing fun too at our gathering.
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