Torch light parades

[bvibert]

Did anyone else ring in the new year with a torch light parade at a ski area? Sundown has been doing them for a while now, but I've never had the chance to be there. It was pretty cool to see. I would have been part of it if I wasn't working.


IMG_8436 by Brian Vibert, on Flickr


IMG_8452 by Brian Vibert, on Flickr


IMG_8454 by Brian Vibert, on Flickr

 

[gmcunni]

are they just fancy flashlights or really burning torches?

 

[Stache]

Winters 1986-1988 (at least) it was an eveery Thursday night thing at Jay Peak.
Followed by the "End of Ski Week Party" where the Instructors gave out awards and the students gave the instructors thank you notes with numbers and pictures of dead presidents on them.

 

[Nick]

Do they do this at Wachusett? I know they were skiing until midnight

 

[Glenn]

Mount Snow does a number each year and they're always cool to watch. It's neat to see it from the base....then, for a different view, to see it from up on the hill across the road at drjeff's PBR Bar..... :lol:

 

[Hawkshot99]

I did it last night at Jiminy Peak, and for many years prior. There is no chance of ruining your clothes, unless you held the torch to a person on purpose. We use 8 foot bamboo sticks with a road flare taped to the end. It is alot of fun to do.

 

[Newpylong]

What trail do you run down at Jiminy? 360?

 

[bvibert]

are they just fancy flashlights or really burning torches?

Real burning torches.

 

[drjeff]

Mount Snow does a number each year and they're always cool to watch. It's neat to see it from the base....then, for a different view, to see it from up on the hill across the road at drjeff's PBR Bar..... :lol:

Yup, the view looking across the valley and almost slightly down at the torch light parades at Mount Snow isn't 1/2 bad Somehow though by the end of the evening, I think that we almost have as many empty bottles as they have burnt out torches :lol:

 

[Hawkshot99]

What trail do you run down at Jiminy? 360?

We light up at the bottom of North Glade(were the light switch for that section is) and s-pattern down 360 to 180.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

The Bush does a Torchlight Parade and Fireworks NYE and Feb holiday. This year due to poor trail conditions on the trail used the parade was cancelled but the fireworks were awesome. Traditionally it's a slow snake winding down the slope. Usually takes about 20 minutes. It's been alittle wierd the last few years since snowboarders seem to have trouble going as slow as the snowplowing skiers. No offense intended.

 

[crank]

Had the opportunity to ski with one while shooting it on video at Crested Butte. Had a full sized betacam, the big shoulder mount ones you see news guys with. I held it between my legs, had the lens all the way wide and actually got some pretty cool video. It was eerie riding up the lift into a completely dark mountain and was a hell of a lot of fun.

 

[catskillman]

Hunter has at least 2 a season followed by Fireworks. New Years Eve the last couple of years they have also had a kid's one which they love prior to the main one. The kids have lightsticks as opposed to the road flairs they hand the adults.

I started my mittens on fire on year with the road flair (they are not attached to sticks, they just hand you the flair to light.

It is pretty weird. You do not see anything except the other skiers. As you approach the base you can hear the crowd but are not able to see anything until you get right to the bottom.

Most people have spent some time at the bar prior to doing this, and there always was something up top while you were waiting. They would throw road flairs in the snow under the lift so you would be riding in this red glare which was interesting.

Oh - and it usually was incrediable cold!!!!!!!!!

 

[jrmagic]

Magic only does fireworks for New Year's Eve but has a parade at the end of February break that is a lot of fun and has gotten very big the last couple of years. Last year there were well over 100 people and it looked great.

 

[SIKSKIER]

Not really a fan of torchlights but I was at Cannon this Sat. under really gloomy foggy conditions.I thought they might cancel it but they didn't.One of the best I've ever seen.The low clouds made for the most red glow I've ever witnessed.They fireworks were also pretty cool in the clouds.