Stowe Vermont, a cold Sunday night before ski Days #7 & 8.

The ride to Stowe is spectacular and getting familiar.

Driving in Vermont feels like you’re riding with an ADD GPS:50 mph, No 40 no 35 no 50….bump, curve, “narrow shoulders”….but I kept LLLY between the ditches and arrived safely in Stowe shortly after most skiers are getting to bed.

It’s cold, -6 for a low.

I cruised past the pay lot at Spruce base, and hastily parked and got coffee and clothes ready for MLK Jr. Day at the best snow in the East.

Although it’s lonely, with my gear ready there’s not much room for even my best amigos.

Skiing Monday was magical. The glades/woods still held plenty of untracked precious eastern pow.

Of course, there were sheets of boiler-pate ice, and tree sprouts (no grass). But if you like big moguls on steep trails with a side of pow, today was perfect.

Not for the faint of heart. The mountain gets little sun in the afternoon, but hey, Stowe has snow and steeps!

Tuesday January 21

Cold and grey morning, but a few seconds of sunshine made the finely groomed corduroy look just like in the ski commercials.

Had not realized it was busy yesterday because of MLK Jr day.

With mountain to myself Tuesday, my heart sang while my ears rang and I zoomed down the empty perfect terrain. I did stop to rest and take some pictures…..

The afternoon was sunnier. Four Tele runs and I was ready for a long bath at home.

While the ski clothes are getting clean and dry, LLLY still has a chunk of ice near the fresh water tank.

Whicked fun!

Sticks and stones won’t hurt you (much)….

Organginder was my favorite run. Spillsville, and the woods off it were great too. Must return when Castlerock opens!

The propane ran out, must have been just a matter of time before I started Dry Camping anyway. 9 Fahrenheit cold.

No big harm, just retightened the hot water water, all is well!

Any chance this could work?

Last time three of us camped, I was unaware that the table dis-assembles into two pieces. I got it out of the camper the only way I saw: slide the whole thing up the track.

As Rex Willett said, it’s easy to separate the vertical aluminum piece from the horizontal aluminum at the center pivot. Today, I did it!

Now I can easily stow the table in the bunk!

After a blissful Thanksgiving and a humble Black Friday (from the couch) Saturday I discovered my heat had failed.

Fridge and stove were fine, I discovered after changing the propane can.

I started winterizing immediately after coming from Walmart with a $75 heater and pink antifreeze.

My other camper is in storage 30 minutes away, and I could not find my 1 &1/16 socket. Drove to a friends, and the heater was on.

Not out of the woods….it was off by the time I got home. I took every socket out of 3 kits, found my socket and drained the Hot Water heater. I drove around the neighborhood a few times

Several emails later, I have a work around thanks to Ryan at TCW.

Remove the drawer over the heater and tap while the fan is running.

Next spring I’ll need to fix the spigot. It froze

Washed the filth off the back of LLLY.

Shoveled my long driveway, and skied on my BC backcountry skis around the house

My son is on Instagram, otherwise I might not have known that my “home mountain” the Olympic site, was to open Friday November 15th!

So I bought propane, loaded up 6 gallons of water, topped off the tank, dumped the thetford at a secret spot, ate the best Spirals and meatballs dinner ever, and set off to find out about truck camping at Whiteface.

God saved me, how else did I end up with a 4 wheel drive truck. I am thrilled we avoided buying anything but this rig! Snow packed parking lots are easy enough in the “Automatic” aka all wheel drive. I did imagine navigating a bus or class a, b and c. So glad I opted for none of the above.

How to wash my rig occupied a lot of my Internet time while at home last night. It turns out, the closest truck wash is about 40 minutes away, Delanson or Schodack.

8:30 sharp did not happen, but by a little after 9 I was skiing Whiteface

2 telemark, and two downhill runs, and I made it to Queensbury to pick up #2 son at ACC!