Boston in Winter & Skiing experience

Boston or any place on the east coast is probably best if avoided during winter unless you enjoy the snow and cold weather or if you are like me on business travel and cannot avoid it anyways. I came into Boston airport to be welcomed by snow as I drew from airport to the hotel.. There were new flurries of snow falling and I was trying to slow down on the freeway, but didn’t seem like a problem to others.. probably they don’t care until it is like more than 5 inches… But driving it MA seemed a little different compared to my other states experience.. signs were odd, and there were no turns at the end of each exit and you would see “Do Not Enter” or Wrong Way signs as you are getting out of the exit but it is for the other side.. which you have no way of getting to due to the road median.. Exits on freeways are not paced one for each mile.. But it was a different experience driving, plus you have the white cover with ponds or lakes all frozen or covered with snow.. all the trees around you with no leaves.. or are mostly those typical trees you would see in Kashmir..

January 27^th 2007: Trip to Harvard

Got the tips from office / colleagues that best way to go is by train.. Figured driving plus parking around Harvard or this central downtown area is way tooooooo difficult and expensive.. So dumped the car at Alewife train station and took the Red line (train) to Harvard which was just 3 stops.. Got out of the train and as I came out of the station.. I was right out at the Harvard square. There was the information center.. but as I got out, I realized it was again a cold day.. though it was not snowing… with the wind blowing it made it even colder.. Went to the information center.. but for my bad luck.. it was closed, though they are open every Saturday.. this Saturday they were closed, maybe they knew I was comingJ Still got some maps / typical information charts.. plus stayed inside to get warmer for sometime.. Then got out and went to Harvard Yard.. place for pictures.. Then went to Peabody museum and Harvard museum of Natural History.

February 4^th 2007: Trip to Mt Wachusett for Skiing..

Some new knowledge for me.. though they might be trivia..

Snow in this ski resort is artificially made with the help of blowers which blow make snow and blow it out.. So all you need is the below zero or cold temperatures to keep the snow from melting.. You need to buy tickets to access the lifts.. Basically these lifts take you up and then you ski down.. get back to the lift..

My collegue at Juniper came in by 8:30 AM to my hotel to pick me up. I had reserved for one day ski lessons online which included rental equipment and some passes to the lifts (basic lifts). It was about 45 minutes drive to the resort.. Then we had buses from the parking lot to the main entrance.. Trust me the buses are very much needed given that it was cold (7 degree F) with cold wind blowing.. probably (0 or below in F). We got in and rented the boots, ski boards and the sticks or handles.. Those boots are so heavy.. you really need both hands.. You need your height, weight apart from the foot length to setup with the right equipment..

Once you are set with your gear.. you report to the training area.. I walked up to the first time skier place.. there were 12 kids and 7 adults.. I also felt like a kid.. but guess not.. First lesson is to the walk up sideways.. which in itself is very tricky because major problem is you keep slipping down.. you need to take tiny steps sideways ofcourse and keep going up.. Once you are up a little slope.. instructor asked each one of us to ski down.. My first was a straight down.. took a straight line.. easiest and fastest way down and I was also down.. Next trick is to get up.. which I realized wasn’t possible with the ski board on.. Instructor then told me to remove one of the ski board.. then getup and then put the other one on.. Ok.. I was back up again.. Now the next lesson I learnt was to make ‘S’ marks.. that is turn making those S marks.. Smaller the S.. faster you are coming down.. my first was a straight line.. So.. But to make these S marks.. you need to learn how to turn.. To turn right.. tilt your left knee and the ski board and control or slow down.. then again another S and you keep doing that.. To slow down or stop you have to get both your legs / ski boards together I guess..

Biggest of the lessons is.. remember car driving.. You are driving with your front wheels.. Similarly, you need to keep your knees bent and lean forward and not backward.. But, as your instincts and gravity has so far taught you to lean backwards as soon as you gain some speed and feel that you might fall with your head on.. you lean backwards and fall or slide.. which I did couple of time.. Ya.. many times..

Okay.. enough of lessons now.. some more pictures of me skiing.. I was exhausted and tired and dehydrated.. though it was cold.. was too much gear.. activity than I was ever used to probably.. but it was fun:)-

Other tourist places or places of interest are:

1. Boston duck tour
2. Freedom trail (walk)
3. Six Flags in New England, Springfield

I couldn’t do these since these are seasonal and cannot be done during winter