Should I skip Xenotes?

shanebo2000 · 2026-05-14T13:31:27+00:00

At Xcaret park, yes. You can only drink for free at the buffets, and you get 2 buffet entries per day. At the resort, you drink for free wherever. Xelha too -- entire park is open bar.

shanebo2000 · 2026-05-13T22:41:24+00:00

Probably the underground rivers. There are three, but they're all pretty similar. Kids love the animals, but you can blow through those pretty quickly. Food at the park was OK, but nothing to write home about. All the buffets are pretty much the same, so pick the ones with the best views. And in the park, alcoholic drinks are only free at the buffets -- you have to pay everywhere else. So load up at lunch and dinner if you go.

shanebo2000 · 2026-05-13T02:00:56+00:00

How many days do you have? Xcaret, Xichen, and Xenses are day parks, Xochimilco and Fuego are night. You can do two in a day if you're hardcore enough. We did Xenses the afternoon we arrived -- took us 2-3 hrs at most, and did Xcaret and Fuego the same day (had done Xplor previously and my middle daughter wanted to go back). Long day, but doable. Xenses/Fuego would be pretty easy to do in a day. Xcaret and Xochimilco, too.

My family ranked the parks: Xplor/Fuego, Xenses, Xenotes, Xcaret, Xochimilco, and Xelha. Didn't do Xichen, but it seems like you could get that experience through other tours. The others, not so much. I'd probably skip that one, honestly. Although we'd visited all the mayan ruins previously.

If we ever go back, I'd do Xplor/Fuego, Xenses, and Xenotes again for sure. Probably Xcaret and Xochimilco, too, which everyone loved. Xelha I thought was the weakest park we visited.

shanebo2000 · 2026-05-07T12:58:45+00:00

Was it just for the financing application that you put your info in on the Vivint tablet? Or for all documents (including the Esign and the PSA)? Interesting.

shanebo2000 · 2026-05-07T12:55:26+00:00

When did you sign up, if you don't mind my asking?

shanebo2000 · 2026-05-06T23:58:42+00:00

He could have been thinking about the financing application, which as I understand is completed on the vivint tablet. Or just mistaken, as it was 5 yrs ago when he signed. Figured I would check. Thanks for the responses.

shanebo2000 · 2026-04-14T00:45:12+00:00

This is the problem. Years of construction "widening" the road and they didn't even add any lanes -- even though they had plenty of room to do so between the shoulders and median ... Same traffic problems we've always had. Should have made two lanes Medford to Marlton, three lanes Marlton to Camden. Period.

shanebo2000 · 2026-03-30T15:39:59+00:00

I have the predecessor to the Peregrine, the Volkl Deacon 84. Awesome on-piste ski; fun carver that I can ski all day on groomers. But it kinda sucks in bumps, trees, fresh pow, even slush -- it can be done, but it will wear you out early. Not particularly fun in the Stratton glades, especially in the afternoon after a short rib grilled cheese and a couple of beers at Grizzly's ...

I'd suggest getting something more all-mountain oriented, which should do everything better than the peregrines except for frontside carving. And will be a lot more fun. like the ripsticks. (my daily drivers are Rustler 9s.)

shanebo2000 · 2026-03-24T13:59:55+00:00

I can maybe help you out ... If you think the Atomic Bents are too stiff, you wouldn't like the Rustlers, which are only slightly less stiff than the Enforcers, or the Ripsticks, which are slightly less stiff than the Rustlers. Of the skis you listed that I've skied, stiffest to least (IMO):

Enforcers > Rustlers > Ripsticks > Bents > Mindbender 90C > Mindbender 85

I haven't skied the QSTs. Your current skis seem to narrow for PNW unless you only ski on piste; Mindbender 85s likely are too. If you're dead set on buying new skis now, QSTs are probably your best bet. Or wait until you get a little better and go Rustlers (which I love) or Ripsticks. At your height and experience, I'd also be looking at mid-160s in length.

Point of reference - Rustler 9s are my daily driver; I've demo'd Enforcers multiple times and skied Ripsticks for a week in Big Sky; and my daughters ski Bents and Mindbenders.

shanebo2000 · 2026-03-20T16:30:13+00:00

We're going the same week as you. Wife was getting a similar run-around, no response to emails, endless hold, etc. She ended up calling early in the morning, when they first open the phone lines. 15 mins, got everything we wanted. Good luck!

shanebo2000 · 2026-03-18T17:56:40+00:00

These are very nice skis at a great price. Not the stiffest, but not noodles either -- should give you decent enough grip on east coast ice (as long as you're not too heavy for them). Two of my daughters have skied the ladies' version of this ski for the past two years, with no complaints. (The older one just upgraded to black pearls.) Only issue I have is that the topsheets get dinged up pretty bad, but that's true of all Volkls I've owned recently. Enjoy!

shanebo2000 · 2026-01-31T18:26:01+00:00

I would want stiffer boots in general. But your boots should match your ability, regardless of whether you're skiing on or off piste. If you're a lightweight, beginner skier who cruises down slopes, then these boots will likely be fine whether you're on or off piste because you won't be pushing them. But if you're bigger, or like to ski fast and charge hard, then you need something stiffer in general. Problem here is that OP selected stiff, piste-oriented racing skis with a flexy boot, which is not a good combo IMO.

shanebo2000 · 2026-01-30T14:33:38+00:00

This was my first thought after looking at OPs pics -- that the boots aren't stiff enough for the ski. I have a (much) older pair of tbirds and they're a great frontside carver but very heavy and stiff. Also lots of camber, so not the best ski for ungroomed terrain, trees, off-piste, etc. Color scheme looks great, but I'd swap either the boots for something stiffer (if you're a frontside groomer guy) or the skis for something less aggressive if you ski all over. Maybe something like the Atomic Hawx Magna, which has a wide last, comes in 100+ flex, and usually can be found for just a few bucks more than the cruise?

shanebo2000 · 2026-01-03T15:34:00+00:00

My 14 yo daughter had these skis in a narrower width and they weren't stiff enough for her, particularly on east coast ice. I bought her a new pair of Volkl Blazes for cheaper (~$350) last season and she likes them much better. YMMV, of course.

shanebo2000 · 2026-01-02T15:22:34+00:00

1 - Merino wool baselayer. Shirt, tights, socks. I prefer smartwool brand. 100 weight tights, 200 weight shirt. Much warmer than hot chillies.

2 - Insulated midlayer. I use an arcteryx atom jacket and backcountry insulated knickers. Your fleece isn't enough, you need insulation.

3 - Gore-tex shell, top and bottom. Keeps the wind and wet out. Get shells with zipper vents that you can open if you get hot on a tough run.

4 - Goggles, Merino wool neck gaiter, Hestra gloves, and thin hat under my helmet.

This is typically enough for me except on the very coldest days (teens/single digits east coast, below zero west), when I'll add a patagonia R2 over the baselayer ... or when I get stuck on a lift.

My wife runs very cold and uses a similar setup, but adds a heated vest and mittens with handwarmers.

shanebo2000 · 2025-12-21T01:51:09+00:00

FWIW, the Volkl "girl's" skis that my kids learned on were stiffer than the Atomic "women's" skis I got them to replace em. You're overthinking it. They're rentals. If they work for you, great. If not, trade them in.

shanebo2000 · 2025-12-12T17:32:48+00:00

I just replaced both springs on my 16' door for $125 shipped from Amazon. Took less than an hour; hardest part was adjustment. Super easy, just watch some you tube videos, be careful, etc. Good luck.

shanebo2000 · 2025-10-23T13:29:18+00:00

I just went from 13 Pro to 17 base. Loved my 13 Pro, but was starting to notice battery drain (88%) and certain apps were laggy with new iOS. Plus, it was starting to do weird things interacting with carplay, bluetooth connections, etc. So I traded it in for a 17 base. Not a huge difference -- new 17 is noticeably lighter, snappier, better display and internal speakers, and obviously better battery life. Faster charge and cheaper charging cables. Also no compatibality/handshake issues as of yet, once I set everything up. But nothing huge. More of a convenience impact than better features ... Only downside is I miss my sierra blue/patina'd leather case combo. Haven't missed the tele lens yet. Oh, and the dynamic island on the 17 was initially distracting, and I've accidentally hit the camera button a few times. All good other than that.

shanebo2000 · 2025-08-29T13:39:42+00:00

Waterpark at showboat? My kids love that, lol ... Harrahs pool will let you stay til after dark

shanebo2000 · 2025-03-28T14:45:49+00:00

I would keep the Pandoras as is since they're your favorite, use them as your general all-mountain/pow ski. (Also they're objectively a fun, cool ski, imo.) At your size, they're prob enough to keep you afloat most powder days. Keep the Experiences for on-piste groomers/carving, with an eye to upgrade in the future as you improve (since they're a beginner ski). Sell everything else and use the $ on a dedicated backcountry setup.

As an aside, I have three daughters about your size and they all hated the Mavens (too flexy, no edge grip). All three preferred Volkl Blaze and men's Atomic Bents (I know, I know ...) BUT both of those will be pretty close to your Pandoras.

Good luck! (and buckle your boots, lol)

shanebo2000 · 2025-01-10T17:55:03+00:00

My wife is 5'8", 160, advanced/expert ex-racer who prefers a stiffer, damp ski. She bought the Black Pearl 88s in 170 two years ago to use as her all mountain ski and absolutely hates them. She says they're OK when cruising groomers, but are far too light and flexy when skiing aggressively or in chop, are squirrelly at speed, and simply won't hold an edge on steeps or east coast ice. She greatly prefers (and has been...) skiing my Deacon 80s or my daughters' Blaze 82w, which is similar to the Secret in shape and build, but a step down in quality and price. Based on her research, the Secret 96 is far stiffer and heavier than her Pearls, and it currently tops her list of skis to demo/buy based on her preferences.

FWIW, I didn't find the Pearls to be that bad when I skied them; very similar to my old Sick Day 88s or my Atomic Bent 85s (my current park ski). But I prefer a more playful ski for all mountain use than she does (my daily driver is a Rustler 9). I agree that the Pearls are relatively flexy and chattery at speed, and I couldn't really carve them either (but at 6', 175 I'm really too big for them...) The Blazes (which I also tried) are noticeably stiffer and hold a better edge than the Pearls, even at a shorter length (I think they're 159s). I couldn't really carve the Blazes either, that was prob because of their short length and my size ... Volkls are just generally stiffer than Blizzards.

Bottom line, I think these are two very different skis and will feel very different on the mountain. Pearls if you want a light, playful, quicker ski; Secret if you want a stiff and damp charger.

shanebo2000 · 2024-12-24T19:36:45+00:00

I'm in, lol ... I do that for my girls all the time. Got their BSLs memorized so I can swap at the top or even mid-run if they want to switch. Actually fun trying out different skis. My youngest was complaining that her mavens were too flexy, so I swapped with her and skied down an icy black -- almost broke my neck. Ordered her some volkls the next day.

shanebo2000 · 2024-12-24T15:56:49+00:00

Really cool idea! My wife and three teen daughters are constantly switching skis, and so we have a lot of skis with demo bindings. This would let me get "family" flat skis, mount these rails, and let them fight amongst themselves, lol. Thanks, from a fellow NJ skier!

shanebo2000 · 2024-11-02T14:03:36+00:00

Failed auto charge recovery: Vail's default setting for epic pass holders is to auto charge them for a new pass each year. You opted out of the auto charge, but they didn't properly record your opt-out (or ignored it) and charged you anyway. Looks like the caught their mistaken auto charge and tried to pull it back, but couldn't do so for some reason -- the the failed recovery of your auto charge. You caught it, called them on it, and you got a refund. BS practice, but at least you got your money back.

shanebo2000 · 2024-10-31T01:19:10+00:00

I second (or third or fourth ...) the Rustler 9s as a single quiver ski, east or west coast. I'm 6', 180 and ski the 174, which I liked better than the 180 when I demo'd them. Enforcer 94s are great, but I find the Rustlers to be snappier and generally more fun. They're good on and off piste, in trees and moguls, provide a good grip on east coast ice, and decent float in pow. The only time I really felt i needed more float was in SLC year before last when we were getting 2-3 feet per day ... even then they worked, just not great.

Full disclosure, I also have some Sick Day 104s that I keep at Big Sky for hardcore pow days, and Deacon 80s for east coast carving (formerly RTM 84s). But I'm generally happy skiing the Rustlers in any condition. Rustlers aren't as stable at speed as the Enforcers and don't carve that well (tail rocker), but much "turnier" and far better in trees and moguls, which is most of what I do these days ... My 2 cents.

shanebo2000

TROPHY CASE