2002 Jan 31 - Feb 2 - Vermont Ski Weekend

We will now meet at 1:00pm on Friday for a 1:30pm departure. We have agreed that this is really necessary to avoid the NY rush hour traffic (I sat through it several weeks ago and it was brutal!!). This earlier departure will also give us an opportunity to get to Green Mountain Union High School at a decent hour, stake out a good site in the gym and have the council provided dinner. The scouts will also have time to relax before time for bed as well. Unfortunately, this will require that the boys be pulled from school early but, it is for a good reason.

Woody Priester – Brandon Jonas, Tom Niedrach, Thomas Priester and Evan Priester;

Ed will have room in his van for "overflow" gear but you must be at the church between 1:00 and 1:30 to take advantage of that. We wil NOT be caravaning but we are planning to stop and meet up approximately half way on I-84 in Waterbury, Connecticut at exit #31. There will be a Burger King restaurant there for a restroom break and a late afternoon snack to break up the ride (look for the Home Depot and signs for the Brass Mill Mall). Driver Cell Phone numbers are attached with the directions. Any questions, call me ASAP at (856) 296-9991.

Greetings Everyone,

Weather for this weekend: 30% chance of snow on Friday and 40% chance of snow on Saturday. Temps should be around the mid-20s. Sunday weather looks like partly cloudy with the temps in the mid-20s again.

For those of you coming up on Friday evening, find out the best way for you to get to Chester, Vermont. You can use any MapQuest or Yahoo Map kind of thing you choose and it should get you to the town. The school's physical address, however, comes up incorrect on all of those high-tech thing-a-ma-bobs. Soooooo. Get yourself to Chester. Green Mountain Union High School is located on Vermont Route #103 less than a mile south of the intersection with VT Route #11.

If you are coming from points West, my suggestion to all of you would be to find your way to Bennington, VT and take US Route 7 north to the Manchester VT exit (#4) and then take VT Routes 11/30 east. Stay on VT 11 after it splits from 30 and stay on 11. That will take you right into Chester. After you go through town, VT 11 makes a sharp right, but you will not take that right and instead will go straight on to Route 103. Go about a mile and the school entrance will be on your right.

If you are coming up I-91 from Mass., Take exit #6 (I believe that is the Rockingham exit) and take VT Route 103 north to Chester. The school will be on the left just before you get to Chester. Should you miss it, just turn around and follow the directions from the West.

For those of you coming on Saturday, I suppose you will be going directly to Okemo. MapQuest, etc. does provide accurate directions to Okemo. I will be in the OKEMO BASE LODGE with your tickets. I try to be there by 8am. Look for a large green council patch shaped banner somewhere in the lodge. It will read "Green Mountain Council" I will be there. I will be taking back extra tickets at 10:30am, so please try to get there before I have to temporarily depart.

I will be at the School sometime around 5:00pm. My cell phone usually works in Chester but I haven't tried it at Okemo yet. The number is 802-379-5934, should you get lost or find yourself running late, please call.

We will be providing Bag lunches on Saturday and Sunday for $5 a day. If you are interested, please let the cook, Loran, or myself know when you get there.

The Troop 26 Vermont Ski Trip is upon us this coming weekend!! We will be participating in the “We Ski Vermont” program sponsored by the GREEN MOUNTAIN COUNCIL, BSA. The trip is scheduled for this Friday through Sunday, February 25th – 27^tth.

Resort Information: Okemo Mountain is located in the town of Ludlow in southern Vermont in the heart of the Green Mountains. The resort offers snow covered slopes of all difficulty levels, allowing skiers and boarders to choose from the levels that fit them best, from beginner to expert.

Logistics: To avoid rush hour traffic around New York on Friday afternoon, we would like to get as early a start as possible. We would like to gather at the church no later than 2:00pm on Friday for a 2:30pm departure. We realize that this will require most of the boys to leave school early for this early departure. If necessary, we can have a smaller group leave later depending on when drivers are able to leave. All boys and parents should be prepared for the 2:30 departure unless alternate arrangements are made prior to Friday.

We will ski all day Saturday and for part of the day on Sunday. We would like to depart Okemo Mountain no later that 2:30 pm on Sunday, returning late Sunday evening. Due to the length of the drive, prepare for a long weekend and a fairly late arrival Sunday evening. Boys will contact parents to be picked up from the church Sunday evening when we are just a short way out; plan on roughly around 9:30 to 10:00pm.

Accommodations: Sleeping arrangements will be in the Green Mountain High School gymnasium in Chester Vermont, not too far from Okemo. We will be headed straight for the High School on Friday evening. Participants should bring their sleeping bags and pads or air mattresses. Also, most Vermont schools still use the "gang" showers. We recommend you bring sandals and swim suits for bathing Saturday evening, and a baggie for storing wet items for the trip home. Additional camping gear will not be required and we will have only limited cargo room in the cars driving up and back, so please be sure to pack as light as possible. Remember that wet items should be removed and laid out to dry as soon as possible on Saturday evening so they can be re-used again on Sunday.

Meals: Please bring spending money for meals on the way up Friday evening and for your lunches on the slopes on Saturday and Sunday. We will also stop for a fast-food meal and rest room break on the way home Sunday evening. Other meals including hot dinners and breakfasts will be prepared by Scouting volunteers and are already included in the package price. Bag lunches will also be available for purchase on Saturday and Sunday from the Green Mountain Council as desired.

Safety: Safety comes first before everything else!!! Safety Helmets are required for all boys under the age of 18 years. In addition, please be sure that all participants bring appropriate ski gear and dress in layers for warmth. It is recommended that all parents monitor the forecast for Southern Vermont and adjust the gear appropriately. Gloves, head cover, jackets and other water resistant garments are important and should be included. Sunscreen and goggles are also a good idea for the slopes. Our emergency contacts have been identified and will be used only in case of any injuries.

Please contact Mr. Priester or Mr. Martino if you have questions. (Updates will be provided before Friday as necessary). Thank you!!