Anybody know if the lift ticket deals at McDonalds and Taco Bell still exist for Wisp?

I'm going tomorrow and just checked their Web site promotion section and the info has vanished.

Also, I'd love to hear about conditions from anybody who has been there recently.

MM

PS I was thinking about shacking at Comfort Inn. "El Cheapo" (that's me) would appreciate any other suggestions so I can save my Euros for Italy (NEXT WEEK!!!!!).

The lift ticket deals were still on as of two weeks ago - Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays. I believe Tuesday is BFS, Wednesday is McDonalds, and Thursday is Taco Bell....The stores that participate are mostly the Garrett, Allegheny, Preston and Tucker locations only. The McD's at Keyers Ridge or by Arrowhead should have the coupons...

That Taco Bell deal is awesome.
$15 all day lift tickets on Tuesdays.
Just had to force down a Taco Bell Value meal and feel queasy all evening.

The snow was awesome. Woke up Tuesday a-m and snow just dumping down.

There was about 4-6 inches of fresh fluffy. Hardly anyone out there.

I saw something I'd never encountered. Guides were helping blind people ski. That's totally awesome. Though it would take a tremendous amount of trust.

I wonder if it's possible for blind people to try snowboarding. With the skiers, the guides held a pole so the blind skier could hold on to it and be sure that he wasn't headed toward any obstacle.

They looked like they were having a blast.

mm

A few weeks ago we stayed at the comfort inn at Wisp, I don't know of any other off-resort hotels in the area. the Comfort Inn is in a great location and nice and spacious (especially considering the price). Go for it!

That's called ADAPTIVE my friend and there are people who dedicate themselves to adapting skiing or boarding to the handicapped.

I have a friend ski that is involved in this. He was a ski instructor for many years and ultimately found focusing on that to be more satisifying.

I think in general as the name implies, they try to adapt the sport to whatever is needed to make it work for the particular handicap.

I have seen things like "ski buckets" (mono-skis) to holding someone up and skiing backwards down a run, to acting as a seeing eye dog...

You can do this too! Just become an instructor and then move into the adaptive program!

I'm not sure about blind people snowboarding, but I did see a guy charging it on a snowboard with no legs in jackson hole. He killed it and was going faster than most anybody else on the mountain. It was definitely one of the coolest and most inspirational things i've ever seen in my life. I love it when people dont' let there handicaps hold them down.

There is a program based in Pittsburgh called, Blind Outdoor Leisure Development (BOLD) They are always looking for volunteers.

http://www.wpabold.org/

First off - I do not recommend this.

However....

A couple of years ago - a friend of mine & I would take turns skiing blind while the other one was "on guard". We did it about once a week for the entire season. Talk about an excellent Self-help session.

When we did it - first, we found a very empty easy (for us anyway) slope, always a week night when it's rather empty anyway. One person would close their eyes (or - pull their hat down over). The other one would be directly behind the "blind" skier & would remain quiet unless some general guiding was needed. It was usually something like left a little, hard left, right or hard right or STOP.

I have to say that it really made me not only realize the gift most of us have (being sight), but also was one of the biggest help to my skiing. Once we did that - I could tell you what the 3rd hair on my big toe was doing at any given point of the turn.

If you really want to feel good about yourself - work the adaptive program a little. The north pole couldn't cool down the warm feeling you get after working with a great group of people like that.

just my .02 worth.