Toshi's thread
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How Many Cheaters Ride RTD’s Trains For Free? Not That Many, Turns Out
RTD estimates it lost about $850,000 to rail system fare evasion in 2018.
www.cpr.org
Relevant re Florida and drug testing aid recipients, perhaps, when enforcement cost >> gain.
interesting (but i don't think really relatable for me, as an art history major) - mine goes from 1774th at 10 years to 231st at 15 years to consistent 130s at 20 years, although continuing to decrease into the 90s after through 30+ years
A First Try at ROI: Ranking 4,500 Colleges - CEW Georgetown
Ranking ROI Of 4,500 US Colleges And Universities uses data from the expanded College Scorecard and finds that bachelor’s degrees from private colleges, on average, have higher ROI than degrees from public colleges 40 years after enrollment. It also explores the value of liberal arts colleges...cew.georgetown.edu
Interesting things there re value of education (both type of college and major).
A downside of the wife’s minivan’s convenience: I can lock the skis to the Yakima ski racks. In doing so I can lock the ski racks to the crossbars.
But the crossbars are designed for ease of stowing, so ultimately all that’d be needed to liberate them (and the racks and the skis) is four thumbscrews.
A few skiing-related thoughts:
1) I left the boot bags (mine and that of the kids) in the car overnight at Silverthorne, as my hands were full literally getting them in the hotel door. The 4 year old wanted to be carried since it was cold, namely. Thus the boots cold-soaked overnight, and the meager 15 minute time on low 12V heat from my boot bag on the next morning's 1 Freedom Unit drive from Silverthorne to Copper didn't do anything.
With this as background I found out how much the heated bag affects things, as compared to my usual setting of driving up day of with the bag on 12V power for the preceding 1.5 hours or so... and it is a tremendous effect.
I had to sit on the ground and wrangle the shells open with both hands to get the boots on. Normally it's a pretty easy task but I could barely get the things on at all yesterday morning with the shells so cold and stiff!
The Transpack heated bag is on sale at the moment at REI for $150 down from $200, for the record. I may get a second one for wife + me toastiness as the minivan, at least has a 120V outlet in addition to the 12V typical plug--will mull this over for the day.
2) When there's less than, say, 6" powder I genuinely would prefer carve big turns down a smooth corduroy run as compared to skiing most else on the mountain. Consistent bite is the key: I want to either float through everything or carve everything, but not go between grippy snow, malleable soft snow, and patches of windblown bare areas as is often the case in lower-snow conditions where they didn't groom overnight.
I am an old man, in other words.
3) After my ill-advised infidelity to them last year with those too-soft Moment Bibbys I am quite happy again with my Volkl Mantras. I still want to demo the K2 Mindbender 108 Ti for kicks (got a free demo day via my pass at a Central Village shop so will browse there some day) but the Mantras are holding up well, albeit with the expected no-camber instability when going perfectly straight on slightly bumpy snow underfoot. Solution is to always be turning a little bit.
1) I left the boot bags (mine and that of the kids) in the car overnight at Silverthorne, as my hands were full literally getting them in the hotel door. The 4 year old wanted to be carried since it was cold, namely. Thus the boots cold-soaked overnight, and the meager 15 minute time on low 12V heat from my boot bag on the next morning's 1 Freedom Unit drive from Silverthorne to Copper didn't do anything.
With this as background I found out how much the heated bag affects things, as compared to my usual setting of driving up day of with the bag on 12V power for the preceding 1.5 hours or so... and it is a tremendous effect.
I had to sit on the ground and wrangle the shells open with both hands to get the boots on. Normally it's a pretty easy task but I could barely get the things on at all yesterday morning with the shells so cold and stiff!
The Transpack heated bag is on sale at the moment at REI for $150 down from $200, for the record. I may get a second one for wife + me toastiness as the minivan, at least has a 120V outlet in addition to the 12V typical plug--will mull this over for the day.
2) When there's less than, say, 6" powder I genuinely would prefer carve big turns down a smooth corduroy run as compared to skiing most else on the mountain. Consistent bite is the key: I want to either float through everything or carve everything, but not go between grippy snow, malleable soft snow, and patches of windblown bare areas as is often the case in lower-snow conditions where they didn't groom overnight.
I am an old man, in other words.
3) After my ill-advised infidelity to them last year with those too-soft Moment Bibbys I am quite happy again with my Volkl Mantras. I still want to demo the K2 Mindbender 108 Ti for kicks (got a free demo day via my pass at a Central Village shop so will browse there some day) but the Mantras are holding up well, albeit with the expected no-camber instability when going perfectly straight on slightly bumpy snow underfoot. Solution is to always be turning a little bit.
Mariko and Yuna both had great lessons yesterday.
Yuna's day: http://sports.flaik.com/reliveyourday?reliveyourday=1080207
All greens save for 9 seconds logged as being on Main Vein, a blue. But 8918 vert for a 4 year old in a group lesson where they stopped for food? Not bad, Obama. The instructor said she's reliably stopping and turning, following his tracks down the greens.
Mariko's day: http://sports.flaik.com/reliveyourday?reliveyourday=1080163
Amusingly she logged almost the same vert as Yuna, at 8992. Greens and some blues--she was in a nominally green group having been demoted from the green-blue last time as per the quoted post for too much wedging. This was the right choice for her, as her instructor said that she wasn't wedge christieing most of the day... but rather skiing parallel!
Both kids had fun, most importantly. They'll have 2 days in a row of group lessons on our Copper trip in a few days (Monday and Tuesday) and then on Wednesday they'll ski freely with the wife and me for a half day before we jet home. The next time I take them up after that I think I'll spring for a private lesson for each, to try to kick their skiing up another gear yet.
A downside of the wife’s minivan’s convenience: I can lock the skis to the Yakima ski racks. In doing so I can lock the ski racks to the crossbars.
But the crossbars are designed for ease of stowing, so ultimately all that’d be needed to liberate them (and the racks and the skis) is four thumbscrews.
Depending on the final index angle of said thumb screw one could easily drill a hole through the screw and the cross bars and run a bolt through it with a keyed fastener. Or fuck the angle and a tiny cable lock.
it’s just an M6 screw anyway. Could pop a Torx head screw on there. Or just assume thieves are dumb and won’t look at how the crossbars are affixed.
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news.google.com
I would like a train to the mountains. The once per day Winter Park train is ok but to other resorts and with more timing options would make it much more attractive. (As it is it really is cutting it close for kids lessons.)
:monocle:
www.scmp.com
Why so many Chinese are flocking to these top 5 ski resorts
Those who want to rent their properties part time in Switzerland and in the US are attracting a new type of paying guest: one that rarely ventures onto the slopes
www.scmp.com
During a section of rest during my concert tonight (with the Colorado Wind Ensemble as usual) I felt an overall sense of contentment, inclusive of the group's performance, my performance, my family, my work, and even my Tesla.
Sometimes I really do stop scheming, when in the midst of something engaging and rewarding to me, like music.
Sometimes I really do stop scheming, when in the midst of something engaging and rewarding to me, like music.
Keep dreamin', Doc.Google News
Comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by Google News.
I would like a train to the mountains. The once per day Winter Park train is ok but to other resorts and with more timing options would make it much more attractive. (As it is it really is cutting it close for kids lessons.)
The paywall is strong with Denver Post.
Here's the condo we're renting through Wednesday:
www.zillow.com
$959k. HOA is $1,338/mo but includes roof, all utilities, and snow removal, the latter huge. On-mountain, 2 minutes from West Village. This is a 3 bedroom, 3 bath one: the 2 bdr/2 bath ones go for about $600k.
I still would like a housing crash but perhaps in 5 years or so…
12 Union Creek Trl #3-204, Copper Mountain, CO 80443 | MLS #S1017272 | Zillow
For sale: $959,000. Ski slope & Ten Mile Range views! Location, high-end finishes, huge wraparound balcony for slope watching & dining al fresco PLUS a private garage! Located in Copper's new West Village just steps from TWO new lifts: Union Creek & Kokomo! The Cache 3-204 gives you EASY access...
www.zillow.com
$959k. HOA is $1,338/mo but includes roof, all utilities, and snow removal, the latter huge. On-mountain, 2 minutes from West Village. This is a 3 bedroom, 3 bath one: the 2 bdr/2 bath ones go for about $600k.
I still would like a housing crash but perhaps in 5 years or so…
Here's the condo we're renting through Wednesday:
12 Union Creek Trl #3-204, Copper Mountain, CO 80443 | MLS #S1017272 | Zillow
For sale: $959,000. Ski slope & Ten Mile Range views! Location, high-end finishes, huge wraparound balcony for slope watching & dining al fresco PLUS a private garage! Located in Copper's new West Village just steps from TWO new lifts: Union Creek & Kokomo! The Cache 3-204 gives you EASY access...
$959k. HOA is $1,338/mo but includes roof, all utilities, and snow removal, the latter huge. On-mountain, 2 minutes from West Village. This is a 3 bedroom, 3 bath one: the 2 bdr/2 bath ones go for about $600k.
I still would like a housing crash but perhaps in 5 years or so…
Housing crashes tend to royally screw a lot of people. Sounds fun to profit off of it.
Only the poor people
Meh. They made their bet on the upside potential and reaped that in good years.
Poor people aren't buying mountain houses.Only the poor people
On a practical note, perhaps this condo's location isn't the best. Overnight I heard a ton of big rigs engine braking down the (slightly sloped) nearby section of I-70. That was not very pleasant.
Perhaps Silverthorne, Dillon, or Frisco in town proper instead in a few years? Cheaper, just drive in the short haul in the morning and park, and the potential to be much further from I-70?
Getting stuck in traffic for an hour (or more) on I-70 when you *have* a mountain condo sucks. If you have the means, get a condo AT the mountain. 'Cause traffic ain't gonna get better...
Maybe Zephyr on-mountain at Winter Park is the way to go. Avoid the tunnel completely, and the express lanes from Idaho Springs terminate/begin at Empire/40… The train is an option, too, albeit an often-not-on-time and right-during-dinnertime option.
Did I post in the GMT thread last night about the traffic? Because I meant to if I didn't. It was backed up all the way from the Silverthorne exit up to the tunnel (with their usual ramp metering there with the 1-3/2-4 light split).
Fairly horrendous, that.
If you can tolerate WP as basically your only mountain, that could work.
I don't think I could do it.
Then again, I have a short attention span.
That's assuming it continues to operate... which may be a bit of a stretch, all things considered.We could ski at Granby Ranch as well!
Mercedes-Benz Unimog Climbs Chilean Volcano to Set High-Altitude World Record
Two Unimogs were sent on the mission, and one traveled higher than four miles above sea level.
www.thedrive.com
Coolest bit in that article was about "a variable center of gravity balancing system".
edit: that system appears to be cantilevering that huge spare off the front with a variable angle mounting system.
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Jesus....
I mean, after a weekend of skiing I hurt like a MO-FO, but I don't want Skynet all up in mah bidness.
I mean, after a weekend of skiing I hurt like a MO-FO, but I don't want Skynet all up in mah bidness.
Mariko is totally rocking out skiing this season! On moderate greens (as we took the 4 year old as well—that’s as steep as she can handle) she is fully parallel and getting junior racer edge angle with both feet.
I’ll shoot a video of her tomorrow. @stoney : totally going to do the Devo program with her next year given her current level. So Ikon it shall be for all of us, maybe with Epic Local for me as well? I do like Breck midweek...
I’ll shoot a video of her tomorrow. @stoney : totally going to do the Devo program with her next year given her current level. So Ikon it shall be for all of us, maybe with Epic Local for me as well? I do like Breck midweek...
You get a discounted WP pass through Devo. Call them and ask about it before you buy your household Ikon passes because the px difference is supposedly pretty substantial.
I am actually going to try and rent a Pacifica for an MTB road trip in March. Hoping it can comfortably fit a bike, perhaps two, my dog and room to layout and sleep in for overnights while traveling. Obviously with all rear passenger seats folded down and still drive fast highway speeds comfortably and maintain decent fuel mileage.
My VW manages to carry all that stuff but mileage suffers when dangling bikes off the back and cannot be comfortably slept in.
My VW manages to carry all that stuff but mileage suffers when dangling bikes off the back and cannot be comfortably slept in.
I would think this is a case of lack of investment in electrification by the big manufacturers.
This year we are really seeing a lot of good supply of EVs to many different segments but not enough investment in the charging infrastructure to support the EV owners both in the big cities and even more the rest of the country. Like we have to drive cross country this weekend East to West and there is simply no charging facilities to support it if we had an EV.
Here's Why The Porsche Taycan Turbo's EPA Range Is So Bad
This week, we learned the EPA rated the new 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo’s range at just 201 miles on a charge. That’s worse than almost every other electric car on sale today, and far worse than the 300 miles Porsche teased a couple of years ago, so what made the EPA figure so low?
jalopnik.com
I am hopeful and I still have 2 years left on the lease of the Volvo so I am sure a lot will change until then. I am sure 90% of our driving or more would be covered by home charging.
Have you looked into Tesla's coverage, Claus?
Find Us | Tesla
Use the interactive Find Us map to locate Tesla charging stations, service centers, galleries and stores on the go.
www.tesla.com
Seems better, and since that west coast doesn't look too far from the eastern travel lanes...
It only when we have to visit the wife's sister who lives as west as you can get littleraly in the bluffs of the west coast and as far away from charging as you can get that it would be a big hassle and we have to then travel to friends after that again along a route with no good charging and no Tesla Super Chargers.Have you looked into Tesla's coverage, Claus?
Find Us | Tesla
Use the interactive Find Us map to locate Tesla charging stations, service centers, galleries and stores on the go.
Seems better, and since that west coast doesn't look too far from the eastern travel lanes...
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media.gmc.com
What is this "big game" thing, though?
I should go skiing at such a time as to have less crowds, yes.