After about 24 hours of rain, slush and ice, the sun finally reappeared in the Upper Valley. I'd assumed I wouldn't be able to ski so had other plans for my day. Starting very early, I did some reading, relaxing and prepping before leaving the condo (0835). I first drove to West Lebanon, where I stopped at Shaws for a free donut (0855). Next, I then drove across the Connecticut River on I-89 and used US-4 to reach Quechee, where I ate a delicious breakfast ("Noah's Ark": two scrambled egg, two pieces of sausage, two frumpled cinnamon sugar sweet crepes with a side of maple syrup) at The Skinny Pancake. I was there between 0910 and 0935 (had to hurry so I wouldn't be late) and then drove to Woodstock so I could volunteer at the Billings Farm & Museum (arrived at 0945). Unlike my usual sessions there (during special events), today was tailor-made for me by the wonderful staff: they know how much I like giving away cheese samples and set up the table just because I was available! I spent three hours (between 0950 and 1305) watching faces light up as guests sampled our Butter Cheddar and Reserve Cheddar. Along the way, I shared “fun facts” with them - this actually led to confirmed sales of cheese to go from the gift shop! Overall, this was an uplifting experience. Once my shift was finished, I grabbed my skis and logged two hours (1315 to 1515, 4 miles) on the trails in the back of the farm property. Not surprisingly, I was the only person out there... The sheep and draft horses were very curious about my presence in “their” area. Slushy conditions abounded and it was so warm (mid 30s) I didn’t even wear a coat. Made my way towards Hanover again via Eastern Mountain Sports (getting help with hiking boot selections) and Sacred Heart (Mass at 1600). Afterwards, I drove home (arrived at 1700) and spent some time resting, reading and relaxing. At 1835, I drove into Hanover to attend the Dartmouth hockey game. There were a lot of people there for some reason so I had trouble parking. Eventually, I managed to find a spot (near the High School) and walked back to the Thompson Arena (arrived at 1900). I had a free ticket (for Military Appreciation Night) for the hockey game between Cornell Big Red and Dartmouth Big Green! Since both teams were Ivy League (even though they play in the ECAC), the action was much more intense than I’d seen during my previous game. There was definitely some serious bad blood between the teams, bands and fans - lots of penalties, insult chants (funniest was “Where’s Waldo?”) and rowdy fan behavior. The action was great, with thrilling goals and celebration. Reminded me of ND vs. Michigan (football). I think Cornell is having a much better year but Dartmouth was fighting hard. This appears to be a long running (since 1909) rivalry and the fans definitely loved what they saw. I got some dinner (buffalo chicken burrito, chips and guac) at the Boloco stand and a drink from Dartmouth Dining. Score was tied when I left in the third period (2045) - it was anyone’s game (I learned later that Dartmouth won in a tie/shootout)! I walked back to my car and as in my condo again by 2100. Thoroughly enjoyed myself all day - it was definitely not boring!
