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Twenty-nine members of the Top of the Hill Gang gathered at The Black Bear Lodge for four days of skiing. Our time together started the first evening with a welcome dinner served in the living room which was also available every evening for après ski. A hot breakfast was served each morning at the Table 43.1 restaurant in our lodge.
We appreciated the convenient, dedicated shuttle service provided by the lodge which transported us to and from the lifts. The wide variety of terrainat Stratton Mountain, from beginner to expert, ensured enjoyable skiing for all. Some members chose x-country skiing or snowshoeing for their daily activity. No matter what we did during the day, there were plenty of lively conversations in the evening with new and longtime friends.
Robert R
Despite the hometown team losing a close one 1-0, eight members of the 128 North Mystery Group had fun rooting them on! Believe it or not, some TOHG members had never heard of women’s college hockey. The group met up at the iconic Red’s Sandwich Shop in Salem, MA before heading over to the O’Keefe Center at Salem State University for the face-off between the home team, Vikings and UMass Boston, Beacons. Our group wishes to thank Beverly C for her past service as our coordinator and to welcome Lisa S as she takes over the helm. Many more mysteries await.
Kimm S
Eleven members tackled the “Beast of the East” (a.k.a. Killington) the first week of the new year. The Mountain Inn welcomed us back for the five-night stay, with breakfast each morning, a warm pool for soaking the aches, a common room for après ski and an inviting restaurant. If anyone had made food-related New Year resolutions, it wasn’t evident! Chips and chocolate were abundant.
Although the Inn runs a convenient shuttle, there were enough Subaru owners in the gang to take advantage of the first row parking privilege at the base lodge, reserved just for Subarus, and without fail we were on the first chairs. Several days we were joined by Nancy B and Margaret K who were staying at Okemo. Our blue TOHG flags were prevalent flying down the slopes!
Trip leader Anne D is happy to report there were no injuries, no one got (too far) lost in the fog we encountered, and all agreed we enjoyed superb January east coast skiing.
Anne D
Although it was a miserable windy and rainy day, six brave souls met at the Vintage Tea and Cake House in Lexington for our December mystery event. In attendance were Camilla, Joy, Gayle, Patricia, Linda and Nancy. The Tea House was charming, with lovely place settings and china teapots for each of us with our individually chosen teas. The treats were varied and delectable, the conversation flowed, and a good time was had by all.
Camilla M
The week started off for those who arrived on Sunday in a state of blissful anticipation at the sight of several inches of newly fallen snow. The next day, however, any thoughts of outdoor activities soon gave way to warnings of dangerous subzero temps and wind chills. So we hunkered down at or close to the lodge, where we had the entire place to ourselves to enjoy warm drinks, quiet conversations, favorite books, games and challenging puzzles. And yes, naps.
Our patience paid off on Tuesday, which brought balmy temperature of 20 degrees and clear sunny skies. Perfect for cross country, downhill and hiking alike. By dinner we had a full complement of 18 members, many of them new to the club, others new to the Highland Center experience. The week continued to provide excellent opportunities to get better acquainted with each other and all that the Crawford Notch area has to offer. The list included a couple of visits to the beautifully decorated Mt. Washington Hotel for food, holiday drinks and more of the camaraderie we've all come to know and love at TOHG events.
All said and done, it was a great way to bid adieu to 2025 and cheer on more adventures to come in the new year. Tina
The hike up Middle Sugarloaf was perfect. We had a clear view of the Presidential Range from the summit. The road to the trailhead was closed so the hike included a snowy uphill road walk bringing the climb to just over 5 miles round trip with about 1100 feet of elevation gain. This was Brian’s first event with The Gang. Quite an initiation! Kimm
Four TOHG members went on a 2.5 mile 2 hour snowshoe hike around the Annalusic Lake and up to the Red Bench. Perfect weather for the hike.
Meredith P
The Annual Jingle Bell Brunch, everyone’s favorite dress up event, was held at Pleasant Valley Country Club again this year. It was another great success with eighty-five members celebrating the holidays and enjoying a full brunch buffet and cash bar. Although Santa was not spotted, there were plenty of smiles and jolly greetings to go around. Quite a few folks showed off their holiday wear with brightly decorated sweaters and even a holiday themed sport coat (Alan !). It was a wonderful event to see old friends, meet some new ones, and celebrate the holiday season.
Nora M
On a cold December evening fourteen TOHG members met at the Boston Common Park Street Visitors Center. We walked through the Common and stopped a moment to watch the skaters on the Frog Pond. Crossing into The Public Garden we visited with Mrs Quack and the ducklings statues from the book Make Way for Ducklings.
After wandering by the Swan Pond, which was frozen with people walking on the surface, we crossed the bridge stopped by the George Washington statue and proceeded to cross over to Commonwealth Avenue. The center walkway was well lit with white lights. We turned around at the Firemen’s Memorial for the victims of the Vendome fire; retracing our steps back through the Public Garden and Common. We stopped at the beautifully lit Nova Scotia tree then proceeded to our dinner at the Ned Devine's restaurant in the Faneuil Hall area.
Despite the cold and sometimes windy weather it was an enjoyable evening.
Six members of the West Non-Mystery Group met at the Gallery Twist on Mass Ave. in Lexington. As always the exhibit featured over 200 pieces by New England artists representing an array of styles and subject matter. We spent quite a while going through the various rooms.
Afterwards four of us walked to the center of town and had a pleasant lunch at Fiorella’s on Waltham Street. And did a bit of browsing In various stores on the way back to our cars.
In the photo behind the group is one of TOHG’s Beverly's fabric art pieces.
Eight TOHG members and two dogs set off for a walk in the snowy woods. We kept a leisurely pace and covered about 3-1/2 miles in just over 2 hours. That was enough to warrant a nice lunch at Tavern in the Square.
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