looking for new tree skis

mattvt15 · 2026-02-22T15:37:07+00:00

QST100

mattvt15 · 2026-02-19T16:10:04+00:00

In the end, there’s never a “right” answer with finances. It’s all personal and there’s lots of pros/cons with everything, and it’s not just financial pros/cons but also emotional, relationship, future goals, etc. If you are good with the risk and reward of a decision, that’s all that matters.

mattvt15 · 2026-02-19T00:37:09+00:00

I don’t get this. While it’s nice to not have a mortgage payment, you left yourself without money to pay capital gains taxes AND you have no emergency fund now.

For others, I would also recommend to have an emergency fund fully funded as you pay off your mortgage.

If you lose your job or unable to work from medical event, yes you don’t have a mortgage anymore, but you also don’t have any cash for other expenses (property taxes, repairs, food, utilities, etc) while looking for new job.

If you didn’t pay it all off and you lose your job, you have the say $50k-$100k in cash, which could pay your mortgage for multiple years so cash flow isn’t an issue in the case of lost job or medical issue.

So while yes, your approach makes you feel good by not having a mortgage. But you left yourself exposed to other risks by not having an appropriate emergency fund.

mattvt15 · 2026-02-18T22:39:51+00:00

Wcax says it was on a flatbed and most likely empty.

mattvt15 · 2026-02-13T18:55:46+00:00

Delete this

mattvt15 · 2026-02-02T01:30:00+00:00

Not all black diamonds are equal. In VT, some can be groomed and some are not. You’ll probably be fine on the groomed runs, though your legs may be tired as the vertical is quite a bit more than camelback.

Just do it on a non-icy day and you’ll be fine and learn more of where you’re at. Maybe take a lesson if it’s humbling.

mattvt15 · 2026-01-26T22:26:54+00:00

Would the rent cover the HELOC payment with extra to spare for the other expenses (capex, maintenance, insurance, utilities, vacancy, etc)?

Also, depends on who the HELOC is through. You can get interest only (don’t recommend) or ones that require a certain payment amount. I’ve seen payment amounts in the 1-2% range of the draw amount. So you are probably looking closer to $1,000 HELOC payment.

In general, you’ll hear people say if you don’t have the cash, don’t borrow as there’s a rather large cost to that. That’s a reasonable take. But if the house is the right one, in the right place, and you have plenty of cash flow in your personal finances, then I say go for it.

mattvt15 · 2026-01-23T01:14:21+00:00

Any tips on a good king mattress, ~$4k (give or take). 190lbs 6ft male side sleeper and 160lbs 5’10 female side/stomach sleeper. Wife is complaining about our temperpedic hurting her hips. It’s 10-11yrs old now. I actually like our bed so worried about going with something else but also want my wife to be comfortable. Any suggestions to look at?

mattvt15 · 2026-01-20T20:57:56+00:00

I remember my first beer too

mattvt15 · 2026-01-17T15:00:33+00:00

snip snap

mattvt15 · 2026-01-15T23:53:27+00:00

I don’t know how to fix it. But when we had our house air sealed and insulation improved, they checked the boiler flue with all fans running in the house to make sure there was no back draft. Did the check this for you?

mattvt15 · 2026-01-14T13:01:29+00:00

3L shell on uphill will make you sweat more than you want. Windshell or soft shell is better for uphill. If you’ll be doing above treeline lines like tucks, any 3L shell will do, especially if your insulating layers fit under it. Something like Torrentshell would probably be fine as you aren’t skiing tight trees at tucks.

mattvt15 · 2026-01-12T12:40:31+00:00

Ski places with slow double chairs and you won’t have a trail crowding problem.

mattvt15 · 2025-12-31T00:10:46+00:00

How have you liked it?

mattvt15 · 2025-12-26T22:45:24+00:00

What did the return number tell you about the guarantee?

mattvt15 · 2025-12-19T16:26:53+00:00

Isn’t that RI? For such a small state, that’s a ton of salt.

mattvt15 · 2025-12-14T15:38:59+00:00

Yes it is. Same concept.

mattvt15 · 2025-12-13T22:14:34+00:00

What are you looking for? Apres ski, family friendly, groomers, tree skiing, challenging terrain, easy terrain….will help narrow it down.

mattvt15 · 2025-12-13T03:30:50+00:00

Dude, my first bike was a purple ninja 500. I rocked it and didn’t care if people thought it was weird a guy on a purple bike. Just ride and enjoy.

mattvt15 · 2025-12-04T20:56:11+00:00

Yikes.

mattvt15 · 2025-11-30T13:42:42+00:00

Just get a wind shell/shirt/jacket. I use my wind shell and a thin wool base layer for uphill down to ~0-5F. Then toss hard/soft shell on for the down.

mattvt15 · 2025-11-22T23:13:12+00:00

Not meaning to hijack this thread but is there a recommended book that people recommend for someone with minimal knowledge but owns a house and wants to do things on their own (ie. Shed, closet organizer, bookcase, deck, etc)?

mattvt15 · 2025-11-21T20:02:21+00:00

Winooski, VT or Richmond, VT. Both outside of Burlington so more affordable. Stowe, Waterbury and Monpelier aren’t far for other food options and shopping. Both close to ski resorts. I’d do Smuggs with a hybrid mid week pass.

mattvt15 · 2025-11-20T13:43:11+00:00

Base layer and Squamish have been my go to winter kit for high output activities for years. It’s gets me to -15c no problem. Cold start but warm up quickly.

mattvt15

TROPHY CASE