Angus

The IRS and any state department of revenue is a government bureaucracy by definition but I think we need to differentiate between 'incompetence' and purposely underfunded by Congress. Not something I follow closely but I believe the IRS software is still programmed in Fortran or Cobalt and I'd estimate the average age of a programmer with competency in those languages to be be in late 60's. I did a quick search and found this article - https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-tax/congress-needs-to-take-two-steps-to-fund-the-irs-for-the-short-and-long-term this is similar to the PPP programs and the underfunded unemployment benefit software most if not all states run. Note: believe a few states that have tried to update have had failures due to project management. I have had some recent dealings with the IRS and although not fast, the outcome was satisfactory and the people I dealt with were very professional and competent. Here is a quick excerpt from another article I found via a search The IRS manages IT systems running hundreds of thousands of lines of code written in a programming language few developers bother to learn anymore: COBOL. In response to unspecified “national security demands,” the agency is looking for cybersecurity tools designed to work with these aged systems. The federal tax collector runs some of the oldest IT systems in government, including the 60-plus-year-old Individual Master File system that intakes and processes individual tax returns. While that system runs on Assembly, many of IRS’ other systems run on a slightly younger programming language: the common business-oriented language, or COBOL.

What a great day at Saddleback. Rain the entire way from Portland to the parking lot this morning. My friend who'd agreed to com along last night was very skeptical of my 'snow all day' guarantee - and so was I! Booted up in a lodge for the first time since covid and walking outside, rain turned to snow! It pounded snow all day and after lunch ski patrol started dropping ropes to closed runs and glades. Estimating 10" had fallen in the parking lot when we left just past 4. Just a ton of fun all day.

2nd or 3rd season opened. purchased by ... community development fund. hearing good things and on my Indy Pass. My prior two visits before they closed, I really enjoyed but like lots of other folks when driving that far, I take a right to SLoaf rather than left to Saddleback.

really would like to ski saddleback tomorrow but not 100% sold on this thing...

Drove up to Waterville Valley yesterday, they reported 2-4" new, not sure about that but it really improved the conditions according to folks who had skied Wednesday. First time since the new tbar at top of mountain - big win as well as the new ski pod - ho hum. WV is first big mountain I skied as a kid in mid-70s, I rarely go back. When I do, I am always so disappointed that True Grit is not top to bottom VW bug sized bumps like I remember! Good day, lots of vertical.

just got back from a nice ski under the lights and falling snow at the weston ski track...maybe 3" in the 01742 but I haven't really been paying careful attention.

So for some preliminary planning Bolton or Saddleback or Sugarloaf on Saturday?

That's funny because I have the opposite reaction, it's too steep and wide - too much speed and the crowd it attracts. Much prefer Bubblecuffer, Winter's Way or even White Nitro (and the terrain in between them)to Gondi Line. I think I still have nightmares of hitting the now dismantled mid-station. I still have my 5 ticket pack to Boyne's three NE ski areas that I'm planning to use at SLoaf over the next 5-6 weeks.

Cochran's website says they aren't doing rentals this season.

Hiked the Hancock Loop today off the Kancamagus today. The entire length of ridge between north (`4,400') and south (`4,300') Hancock is above 4K. The snow depths are really low even at these elevations but as @#NoPolessaid, the foot of fluff that fell this week made things very picturesque and the weather was spectacular.

Skied Pat's Peak Saturday and Bromley Sunday, a couple of observations...not sure about the before but after last Thursday's rainstorm... there is very little natural snow in soVT. Between the resiliency of man-made snow, ability to turn guns on and modern grooming equipment/techniques; these ski areas can get a hill back into shape within 24 hours of temperatures falling below freezing after a deluge. The skiing wasn't great, and on a few occasions I was just skidding across boilerplate on steeper terrain but it wasn't bad...flip side is the skiing business in NE is capital intensive.

total speculation (but that's what we like to do!) but suspect this means less snowmaking late season - I don't know the structure of these electrical contracts from the perspective the generator guaranteeing some amount of electricity back into the grid versus what they consume from the grid, et cetera but would think if they need to buy from the grid on the spot market(??) they are going to curtail any unnecessary consumption - assume they use electric pumps for snowmaking. the day I was up there over MLK weekend, the turbine was not spinning. I think I read that catamount has had snowmaking infrastructure problems this season. Plus securing that turbine so there is no risk to skiers is surely going to be a big undertaking. running a ski area is like being a farmer!

I have my niece's 11 year old flying up from DC on Friday night. It was going to be an introduction to western Maine ski weekend with a visit to Saddleback and Sugarloaf - was looking forward to taking him top of Gondi Line and watching his knees shake! Now planning on skiing Pat's Peak in Henniker and Bromley in SoVT - they are forecast to get less rain and will recover quicker. Oh well, I'm onto March!

say about 2 maybe 3" here in Concord MA. Light snow falling at the moment.

woke up early this AM and drove up to WV and hiked Welch Dickey and then drove up to the ski area and found a spot in the first parking spot. Getting out of my car, I spotted a woman walking down from the hill and asked her how the mountain was skiing. Her response was 'a sheet of ice.' She'd taken one run and decided she was done - season passholder she said who'd been skiing since Thursday. I got back in my car and went down to the lake house and spent a couple of hours walking on the lake. Should have been smart and brought the xc gear.

Skied those trees with my lower intermediate nephew and perfect for that age/skiing ability. Say what you want about BW but they know what their customers want in their ski experience and do a great job delivering. Looked like fun.

had a great day skate skiing in Carlisle today - this whole area has 4" of frozen cement with a dusting on top - great surface for skate skiing. Hoping this weather system doesn't mess it up. I'm playing catch up with my xc skiing.

I have skied at BW on days like today and mountain in places doesn't have enough pitch to push your way through the ungroomed snow. I notice Sugarloaf opened Bracket Basin and Saddleback is 100% open which means they are now between 3-4' of snow depth finally.

He is correct. Skied both too. Was just discussing wanting to get back to Taos.

You ski wildcat in Dec, Jan and Feb to get in shape to enjoy it in March and April. Sugarloaf is the same way. Sitting at SLC airport after 5 hours of skiing today at Powder Mountain. Ten days straight, 7 on the Indy Pass. Skied ID, MT, WY and UT. Frankly the "little guys" won out over the big guys on this trip, great days at Brundage, Missoula Snow Bowl, Lost Trail and Beaver.

Wildcat on Sunday will be a mad house I'm betting if folks in Mass can get out there house and Wildcat gets reasonable amount of snow. @J.Spinskied Lost Trail today - wow, outstanding. Lapped chair 4 all morning. Between that, chutes off chair 1 and Hollywood Bowl area - just tremendous terrain.

I never ski on that side but I'm pretty sure adjacent/parallel to the cog rails is a primary route up for skinners/ski touring seeking access to the upper snowfields on the west side of mt.washington.

this is the week which marks my first visit to Sugarloaf 40 years ago in what I believe was and remains record cold day time highs. Maybe 6 runs with severe frostbite on my face after each run which required going into the lodge to 'warm up'...stopped skiing until 83-84 season it was so horrible! The nice thing is that next Sunday at Jackson Hole, I will be skiing with my buddy who was with me that day.

My take on kids versus adults - setting aside weather, is adults are more particular about snow conditions b/c a) it hurts a lot more when they fall and bad outcomes like injury are more likely and b) many kids bear no cost relative to their equipment so they don't seem to mind skiing across rocks and stumps and ruining their bases. I hate skiing steep, tight NE glades without adequate snow because besides the normal obstacles, you are also trying to navigate around season ending stumps and lots of exposed rocks and ledge.

@GCWarriorI was impressed by the # of skiers skinning yesterday. Had a nice conversation with a guy on the summit about AT equipment while I ate my lunch.