The Crash
Saturday, January 11th, 2025
Picture it! A cold, January morning at 6:00am. Gen and I planned to ski Pat's Peak that morning, one for proximity, two becuase we'd never been before, and three because it was 100% open! We were on the road. It was lightly snowing. Some snow on the roads, but nothing too bad. We drove into New Hampshire, but righ at mile marker three tragety struck! I started to drift on the snow (I think I hit a patch of ice), and unfortunately I slammed on the breaks, causing the skid to get bad. We ended up slamming into the median, which deployed the driver side and driver seat airbags, and sent us into a spin across all three lanes of US-3/Everett Turnpike. After doing at least one, possibly two full pirouettes, we landed safely in a ditch between the main highway and the Exit 4 on-ramp. While we were spinning out, Gen was an absolute beast and calmly said, mid-spinning, "you're doing great!" and "don't forget to breathe!" Gen and I were both completely fine, minus a ringing ear from the airbag. The car was stalled, and only some damage was on the outside (miraculously). We somehow didn't hit a single thing after the median, which is also a miracle. We called 911 (and then called back, because I accidentally hung up when they transferred me to the State Police, and eventually the cop arrived who must have been 21 years old. He was not pleased to be spending his morning with us, it seemed.
After exchanging pleasntries in the dark (it was still pre-sunrise), we assessed the damage. There was no damage to anything the state owns (the median, any sign posts, etc.) so he asked me if I wanted him to fill out a crash report. I told him I've never done this before, and what the benefit would be, and he didn't really give me a straight answer, aside from heavily implying that he did NOT want to fill one out. He asked me if I could move the car, and I said I would try, but what do I do about the airbag that was blocking all of my vision. His answer was to whip out a knife and cut it out machete-in-a-jungle-style (we ended up holding onto the scraps as a momento). He asked me numerous times if I hit any other cars, specifically another car that was about 300 ft. away on the shoulder with it's hazards on, but both Gen and I were sure we would have known if we collided with anyone. Eventually, he took our info, called the tow truck, and then we watched the sun rise through the snowy clouds while we waited for the tow. In this time, Gen cancelled our Pats Peak reservations, I apologized at least 1,000 times, started the online claim process, and I told her the wild saga of my New Years Eve. The great robots at GEICO said based on the claim and airbags deploying, my car was likely a total loss.
Eventually, the tow truck arrived and asked us where we were headed - we had no idea. We knew off of the highway, and eventually it needed to get back to Boston, but his rate was $4.50/mile and that was a HARD no for me - especially because I was pretty sure I had some towing coverage through insurance. He said he knew a great spot for us, so he dropped us at a shopping plaza with a Dennys, Khols, L.L. Bean Outlet, and Joanne's Fabrics... oh, and a small, local casino! We did do a quick stop at an ATM so I could pay him (which I was happy to do, he was one of the kindest tow truck drivers I've ever met - we shot the shit with him for a while about flying off the highway and not skiing), and then we were at our new headquarters for the time being - Denny's. Gen got some of the most beautiful dessert/breakfast concoctions I had ever seen, and I simply got an order of hash browns - my stomach was in knots, but I knew I needed to eat something. I eventually got on the phone with GEICO, who, after a couple transfers, was actually very helpful. They got my tow lined up, a rental order sent (although, they sent the order to Roslindale, so I had to call back to get it transferred to Nashua), and started processing my claim. The tow truck would have to bring it to the Boston area (we landed at Gen's house in Quincy, since I live on a hill) and then a second tow would have to occur on Monday to get it inspected and appraised.
Once all of that was settled, we wrapped up our breakfast (the waitresses were talking about cars flying off highways, and definitely overheard some of my phone calls), and started our long wander around the stores. The tow truck left Boston an hour later than planned, and after two more hours, I called to check on them. He said he'd call me back, but he never did. Once 11:00am hit, I had to take an Uber to Enterprise to get the rental, since they would close at noon. At this point, my dear sweet mother was online car shopping like a fiend. I was trying to not cry in the Uber when I got a phone call saying "Hi! This is Joanne from Parkway Honda. I heard you're looking for a new CRV through our Costco program! Can you come in today to test drive?" ... I could only say "Hi Joanna. Long story short, I am in an Uber on the way to get a rental car in Nashua. Can we talk later" and she said "oh. OH. Okay."
I got my Nisaan Rogue (with NJ plates, which was fun), and made my way back to Gen. Once I was back, we spent some time cleaning out the contents from the CRV, which made me VERY emotional. The kind of emotional where I would start tearing up by finding a lost flip flop. I was definitely in the mourning process. After another hour of waiting, we went to Wendy's to get lunch, but then the truck arrived! We raced back to the dead CRV to meet him, which was also a whole event (he couldn't find us - I had to text him real-time directions). Now that the CRV was taken care of, we started driving back, but naturally stopped at Taco Bell for lunch.
The drive home was slow, as it was still snowing. We did joke about still going to ski, but decided we shouldn't push our luck. The CRV got delivered to Gen's house, I delivered Gen to her car at Riverside, and I followed her back to Quincy to grab a few last things. I was so sad, but also grateful that my 2013 CRV with 240,000 miles kept us safe for so long. I made my way home, and when Ray asked how my ski day was, I held up the air bag and said "do you know what this is," and then told him the tale up to this point. I had an appointment at Parkway Honda scheduled for the next day at 11am. At this point, it was time to become my couch. Ray was a good friend and roommate that night - after my story he said calmly "...would you like to watch Wicked?" We watched the movie and did some Legos.
The next morning rolled around and I headed over to Honda to meet Sergio, who would become my salesman. The Costco program is apparently only for new cars, but he had a used 2019 with 57k miles available. I test drove it, loved it, and locked it in! I know I should have been responsible and shopped around some, but I NEEDED a car, and this fit my criteria. Per the advice of my parents, I planned to put $15k down, which hurt, but that's why I had it saved. I met with the finace guy, who was a bit insane, but very nice. He got my payment below $300/month for 5 years with a warranty, so that was good. He also told me a story about his buddy "Jay" who is a high-roller gambler, which was a wild tale. I couldn't fully purchase the car on this day (Sunday), since the banks were closed, but I did put a $2,500 deposit down on my credit card (gotta get that cash back somehow!), and I was on my way. In the meantime, I decided I'd really just do every adult task I'd been putting off. I talked to numerous of my doctors to refill prescriptions and change my pharmacy. I even found a dentist for the first time in [REDACTED] years. I ended my day by going to Walmart in the rental and getting the new Lego Botanicals Field Flowers polybag (I got three of them for a mini-bouquet).
Now it was Monday. I took the day off of school and told my bosses what happened (they were very kind and understanding - my music supervisor even offered to bring me food). I started the day by calling the tow truck service to schedule the pick-up from Quincy and getting in contact with my insruance guy, Andrew. I then sped over to the bank when it opened at 9:00am to get my $12,500 check for the rest of my down payment (they were so kind and congratulatory at the bank, which was very kind), and then I was off to Honda to drop off the money and lock in my car! I celebrated this win by going for a hike in the Blue Hills, which was much needed. Things were starting to line up.
Tuesday became the first good day I would have in a WHILE. I went to work, survived the day, and on the way home got a call from Sergio that my car would be ready for pick-up that evening - yay! Once I was home, I got a call from Andrew with the assessment value on my car. I was told at Denny's that it's usually pretty close to the Kelly Blue Book value - which for my car with it's mileage in fair condition was between $3500-$4500. GEICO would give me the value minus my $1000 deductible, so I realistically was expecting somewhere around $2,000-$2,500. I was SHOCKED when Andrew said my car was valued at a whopping $5,900! This meant I'd be getting a check for $4,900, and all I needed was to mail them the title. I was RICH!!! (not really, but let's pretend). After the call, I drove the Nisaan to the Roslindale Enterprise and learned that because of insurance, I owed $0!! Another win! I walked back home from Enterprise and waited, and waited, and waited for Sergio's call. Eventually I called, but it went to voicemail. I was getting nervous, but then I called again and he said it was all ready for me! I got in an Uber and was there in 15 minutes. He gave me the official tour of my new car, mentioned that he wanted me to bring it in to get the fender looked at in the next few weeks, and I was off! The first song I listened to was Kesha's JOYRIDE - it felt appropriate.
I mailed out the title and went to the dentist on Wednesday (I will NEVER go that long without a cleaning again - oh my god. It was brutal). Everything was coming together, until...
Thursday. 12:01am. I wake up feeling BAD. I am having to evacuate my bowels every few minutes, to the point where I'm shocked that there's anything left to come out. Oh no. Around 2:00am it was time for me to evacuate my stomach as well. Norovirus. HOW. I was already sick once this year (on 1/2 and 1/3) - I couldn't believe it. I texted my bosses again with my update - car was back, but now I was throwing up. I was BESIDE myself. I was in so much pain I couldn't sleep - I could just lay there between trips to the bathroom in the fetal position. I couldn't even enjoy my new car! I warned Ray and once he left for school, I moved to the couch, yet again put on Wicked, and finally got some sleep. I woke up just in time for Defying Gravity, which made me sob more than usual (I cry when I'm sick). This was miserable. I had saltines and white bread delivered. I started to reintroduce water around 10:00am and slowly ate my beige food. Thankfully, I was mostly done with bathroom trips once noon hit, but oh my god I felt horrible. I decided I would devote the rest of the day to watching the Twilight Saga for the first time. The first movie was boring, the second I was like "okay I'm getting into it," the third I loved because we finally got some good plot, and the fourth was WILD. At this point, it was 8:00pm, my heart rate finally went below 100bpm, and I made plans with a friend to watch the finale on MLK day.
I had already made sub plans for Friday, so I didn't set an alarm. I woke up around 7:00am feeling... great? Normal? I don't know how, but according to my watch, at 2:00am I was back to normal. I was THRILLED. Especailly because this was going to be 1) redemtion skiing weekend and 2) the baptism trip for the new car. I texted Gen, and we decided to kick things off early and head over to Saskadena 6 since we had some extra time on the way up to Emmas. This was a STUPID week, but everything came together.
Skiing Saskadena 6
Friday, January 17th, 2025
Runs: 8
Distance: 5.60 miles
Elevation: 5,164 feet
Max Speed: 26.4 mph
Avg. Speed: 12.7 mph
Moving Time: 26 minutes, 26 seconds
Total Time: 1 hour, 46 minutes, 42 seconds
Time to finally ski again! Gen and I dropped her car off at the Riverside MBTA terminal, and we were off! We had a great drive in my new-used 2019 CRV. I had the bluetooth CarPlay going, all of our skis, heated seats, and life was good. The only thing missing was WeatherTech floor liners, that I would get in a few more days. The drive from I-89 to Saskadena 6 was beautiful and meandered through Woodstock, VT. We made it to the parking area, which was a little busy due to ski racing, but we got our passes no problem. We did have to quickly sign a waver, which was no hassle. We were delighted to get sticker/wicket passes, too! I had only gotten these at Nashoba Valley and Black Mountain of Maine, so I'm glad to collect another before they're all obscelete. Gen booted up in the crowded lodge while I went back to the car in the small parking lot to take care of my chores.
Conditions:
Friday, January 17th, 9AM
New Snow 24 hours: 0"
Season Snowfall Total: 39"
Primary Suface: Machine Groomed Hard Pack
Good morning S6 skiers and riders! It's another beautiful morning up here on the hill and we're skiing and riding today on Easy Mile, Bunny's Boulevard, Skyline, Face, Mid-Face, Roadway, and Pearson's path in the learning area. The consistent cold temperatures have made for excellent grooming and conditions are great today on firm, fast, and grippy surfaces. This morning we also welcome the U14 Tri Council SL racers. The Face will still remain skiable to the general public during racing. Snowmaking operations are nearly complete on the Chair Two side and we anticipate opening additional terrain tomorrow. Lifts turn today 9am-4pm. See you out there!
Today's weather calls for mostly cloudy skies with temperatures climbing to near 30 degrees. Looking ahead to the weekend, we are expecting snow showers to develop by Sunday evening which could bring several inches of accumulation. Keep your fingers crossed for a snowy Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday!
As a reminder, Chair Two will not be in operation this year. We are working with an expert engineering team to evaluate all possible options for future replacement. All Chair Two terrain will be accessible, conditions pending, via either Gully or Duane's Drop.
Uphill Travel is currently open via Easy Mile and the Easy Mile woods route. Check out the Uphill Travel page for more information.
Runs 1-4
Run 1: Chair 1 - Easy Mile
[0.88 mi; 4:10; 663 ft; 20.9 mph max; 12.7 mph avg]
Run 2: Chair 1 - Easy Mile
[0.87 mi; 3:48; 646 ft; 20.0 mph max; 13.7 mph avg]
Run 3: Chair 1 - Skyline
[0.58 mi; 2:52; 653 ft; 20.5 mph max; 12.2 mph avg]
Run 4: Chair 1 - Skyline
[0.60 mi; 2:33; 643 ft; 19.9 mph max; 14.0 mph avg]
Saskadena 6, formerly named Suicide 6, adoringly nicknamed "Sassy 6," is a small ski hill that we enjoyed the heck out of. They have two chairs, but Chair 2 is down for the season. Lift lines moved quickly, and they only exisited becuase the second we got ready 5 school busses of children arrived. Our first two runs were down a green run called "Easy Mile," which was simply delightful! We chatted about technique a little, which is how I landed the title of "subsitute teacher" for the weekend while we were not with Emma. It's kind of fun to be at the point of my "skiing journey" where I can help Gen (we started together, but I've skied somewhere around 15 more days than her). I also fully acknowledged that I am by no means qualified to help and anything I say should be taken with a grain of salt. The second time down the trail was started to get crowded with children, so we decided to shift to one of the blue runs that was open.
Skyline was another nice trail with one steeper headwall. It was the kind of headwall that looks daunting when you approach it, but if you continue to ski perpendicular to the fall line, you realize it's completely fine. There were a few crusty spots, but overall it skied nicely, and it was fun to hit a little challenge. It was also quieter! We got two laps here before going back to Easy Mile for another skills rep.
Runs 5-8
Run 5: Chair 1 - Easy Mile
[0.82 mi; 4:30; 646 ft; 26.4 mph max; 11.0 mph avg]
Run 6: Chair 1 - Bunny's Boulevard - Skyline
[0.80 mi; 2:46; 633 ft; 20.2 mph max; 12.0 mph avg]
Run 7: Chair 1 - Bunny's Boulevard - Skyline
[0.80 mi; 2:47; 640 ft; 19.3 mph max; 12.8 mph avg]
Run 8: Chair 1 - Easy Mile
[0.89 mi; 3:53; 640 ft; 19.1 mph max; 13.4 mph avg]
Being the almost-blind leading the blind, Gen and I talked about side-slipping and J-turns back on the Easy Mile. It was helpful for me, too, to be talking about skills, becuase I had to actually think about what I was doing, which is something I hadn't actively done in a while. We realized as of now there's basically three types of skiing: leisure skiing (getting top to bottom), skills skiing (actively working on skills), and brain skiing (applying a skill/working on a fear/etc.).
Back at the lift line, the lifty was busy scolding a few kids who were being medium-jerks, which was fun to see (the scolding, not the medium-jerks). I decided I didn't want to hit the open black run since we were going to Jay the next day, so we decided to hit the other open Blue - Bunny's Boulevard. Bunny's was basically the same as Skyline, but I liked it more. A little bit more narrow (not narrow at all, though) and it had a more consistent grade (versus a steep headwall). We also got to watch a kid fly over a bump and go SPLAT on the ground (kid was cackling, no worries). We got two laps here.
Finally, it was after 3:30, and we knew we wanted to get to the gift shop before it closed. We decided "two more skip the last" on Easy Mile one last time, which was again delightful. We headed right inside after to explore the EXCELLENT gift shop (they UNDERSTAND how to make merch!). We packed up, loaded up the new 2019 CRV, and continued our drive. We hit the first dirt road this car had driven on, and then slowly made our way up to Burlington. We made a quick stop at the Outdoor Gear Exchange to get Gen her first pair of ski poles, and then up to Emma's for some pizza (they gave me a free one because they made it wrong the first time!). The night ended by watching "Hot Dog... the Movie!" (highly recommend - just an insane ski movie) before heading to bed. Back to Jay tomorrow!
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