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Skiing has been a big part of my family for about 23 years. It all started with my kids. I guess, like a lot of parents, you get involved with a sport because your kids get interested in it and you get dragged along behind them. So it was at our house. My youngest, now 26 and residing in Jackson Hole, got the ski bug somehow as a 3 year old; an idea planted by friends I suspect. A quick synopsis of his (and my wife and my) ski career to date includes countless sets of skis and ski boots, untold hours a free skiing , a few broken bones, highschool and USSA junior racing all over the northeast and my wife and I getting totally bitten by the ski bug. It was during his junior racing years that we first skied Loon Mountain; probably 9 or 10 years ago. Boy has it ever changed...all for the good! The area has grown to include 3 peaks, 55 trails and 12 lifts. The most recent improvement is the South Peak expansion. It has added more trails to the mountain, but perhaps most significant is the opening this season of Rip Saw, Loon's first double black diamond trail. How does 70% pitch in a couple places strike you? This thing is for real and will challenge the best of you. Looking from the top of it, you'll swear you're going to land in Lincoln village, and once you get started you'll think you're going to fly right past the village. If you are a "no kidding expert," you need to take a run down Rip Saw. If you are not an expert, stay off of it! Another aspect of Loon that I've seen major change is the quantity and quality of it's terrain parks; they are plentiful and they are fabulous! 5 parks, a superpipe, 62 rails, jibs and jumps and something for all abilities. I'm not then only one who recognized how great the terrain parks had become; the readers of Transworld Snowboarding magazine voted Loon #1 in the East for Parks, Pipes and Overall Resort. Add tubing, ice skating, and other activities to the menu and I for one can't think of a better place to spend a winter day, weekend or vacation. Well, Hawaii might come to mind but I can't really snow ski there. After all these years, my return to Loon has been very pleasant and I look forward to a lot of runs from the 3 peaks this winter. Have a good one - I'll see you on the hill. Bud
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