Catching up
I meant to start this in November. "Better late than never" is well-used but true.
So here I'm going to try to abruptly hit the highlights of ski season this far. The second of March is as good a day as any, particularly when it brings a big snowstorm of several inches here at mid-day with no sign of letting up. It's refreshing the close-by snow and should mean skiing for at least a few more weeks without an overnight trip. Happy.
It started November 16 at Mount Snow, Vermont. The Green Mountains had gotten a run of cold air, and Mount Snow got after it with snowmaking. By the time I arrived -- in Vermont to get my daughter for her week-long Thanksgiving break from collge -- the snow had melted down a bit. It was spring-ish conditions when I arrived, and only a handful of trails were open. But what was there was mostly in good shape. I enjoyed a couple of front-side trails and then one lightly bumped-up trail on the North Face, at times the only person on the trail and lift. I timed my lunch break just right, missing a downpour, which was followed by an abrupt drop in temperatures that left the trails firming up. It was a good start.
Next up was a brief cross country outing at the nearby park. It was really too thin, but I slid around a little on the still-wet snow. I was able to actually glide back down the hill over the grassy shoulder of the park's main access road, so it did feel like skiing, though it was marginal at best.
But I was soon back in Vermont after returning the daughter and a friend to their respective residence halls. I spent the night and then went out to Underhill State Park, where I had hiked 10 days earlier. I was there on my Madshus Epochs-Alipina Alaskas-Voile Mountaineer kit, which proved just right. The cover was thin in some places,but generally enough. On the way back to the car, I spied the beginning of the Teardrop trail. I had been on it twice but both in big skis with climbing skins. I figured I could try it until it got too steep. As I climbed, though, the snow deeper. I made it to the intersection of trails, hiking up with skis on my pack the last 50 yards or so, then came down back to the park proper.
December was largely a bust, though I did get to McCauley Mountain at least once. I can't say enough about McCauley. The vertical is tiny, but so is the lift ride. And it has some fantastic terrain, steep, bumped and rocky, like some of the most rewarding trails in Vermont -- Paradise, Castlerock, Middle Earth at Sugarbush come to mind, along with all of Mad River Glen. Skyride is fun, too, particularly skier's right, and of course the glades. The lodge is comfortable yet charming, with a great fireplace. I'm proud to call it my home hill.
Then for the New Year, Mrs. Skilog and I went to Lake Placid. We skied at Cascade, a nordic version of McCauley: Low-key but well-run, economical, modest in area but just big enough, and with reliable conditions. Next day, she stayed at the hotel to relax and catch up on some professor work and sent me to Whiteface. Conditions were good. My first long run in my new alpine boots -- perhaps a topic I'll treat in its own post later -- was down from the summit. A great day all-around, followed by more XC in Lake Placid later that day and again at Cascade the next before coming home.
I'll summarize January: Gore bus with the GE Ski Club, a great time all around, though conditions were a little hardpack and groomer-oriented for my taste. Another couple visits to McCauley. Lots of cross country at Conkling Park, Val Bialas and Valley View and at BREIA. The highlight, after the Gore trip, was MLK Day, when I hit a couple spots at BREIA I've long wanted to try. One in particular is between a couple of the gullies and consists of an open slope all the way down to the creekside trail. The snow was deep and soft, and I proved to myself that I could ski it and ski it well. I enjoyed it so much I didn't stop for pictures. I hit another spot or two as well and hope to get back some. I just goes to show how good BREIA is.
February was dominated by good snow the first half of the month. The city began regularly grooming Val Bialas trails and a swath through the golf course and along the park road. It's like a cross country center right here in town. They don't lay down classic tracks, but that's probably just as well, as dog walkers, snowshoers and others would likely walk through them, setting off needless conflict. If my financial situation improves, I might invest in some low-end skate skis for next year to use here. Otherwise, skating requires going to Osceola or McCauley, a little far to use regularly.
I also finally got the hang of skiing down the steepest parts of Val Bialas in my Epochs kit. The trail beneath the chairlift is great fun in good conditions, but it's short. I immensely enjoyed the zoo trail because, while not steep, it has just enough pitch to get up some speed but is nice and long without being a slog on the way back up.
February wrapped up with two visits to the BREIA canal trail. The first was a weekday on my own on above-freezing snow to the highway crossover, about six miles round-trip. The second was a Sunday afternoon outing with Mrs. Skilogblog on some freshly fallen cold snow. She loved it. It really is a pretty route, what with Lansing Creek babbling next to the trail and the out-there feeling from the snow-covered walls of the narrow gorge above.
Mid-month saw the annual trip to Vermont with the other daughter, a snowboarder. We went first to Bolton Valley. I'd like to give the place a chance but I will never go on a Friday night again. It was swarming with school-program kids and had little open. The only viable route was on an otherwise good trail that required crossing a long, flat stretch where Junior had to completely get out of her board and walk. Live and learn. At Smuggs, we had great conditions and a good time even though it seemed like half of New England was there. More on Smuggs later. I hope to get back -- but not on a mid-winter weekend.
I also made it to Black Bear Mountain a couple of times. Cover wasn't great either time, but OK. The first was mid-month. I ran out of daylight and headed back. I had hoped to go up the mountain, but time was short, and I was frustrated by the numerous brook crossings and postholing left by inconsiderate people. The second was in a thaw. I went up toward the summit but turned back when I encountered a very ice patch I would not be able to negotiate without at least microspikes and likely full-on crampons. Some hikers coming down said they barely made it. I salvaged the day by embarking from the town lot at the former Maple Ridge, skiing to the McCauley cross country trails, up to the old slalom hill, and back down. That'll be its own post soon, perhaps after a return trip.
If ski season ended there, it would be a good one. I thought maybe it had, with a week-plus of nearly 30-degree-above-normal temperatures and r_n. But then it snowed some more ....
So here I'm going to try to abruptly hit the highlights of ski season this far. The second of March is as good a day as any, particularly when it brings a big snowstorm of several inches here at mid-day with no sign of letting up. It's refreshing the close-by snow and should mean skiing for at least a few more weeks without an overnight trip. Happy.
It started November 16 at Mount Snow, Vermont. The Green Mountains had gotten a run of cold air, and Mount Snow got after it with snowmaking. By the time I arrived -- in Vermont to get my daughter for her week-long Thanksgiving break from collge -- the snow had melted down a bit. It was spring-ish conditions when I arrived, and only a handful of trails were open. But what was there was mostly in good shape. I enjoyed a couple of front-side trails and then one lightly bumped-up trail on the North Face, at times the only person on the trail and lift. I timed my lunch break just right, missing a downpour, which was followed by an abrupt drop in temperatures that left the trails firming up. It was a good start.
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Some snowmaking landed on a tree branch at Mount Snow. |
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Fog rolled in at Mount Snow's North Side in mid-November. |
December was largely a bust, though I did get to McCauley Mountain at least once. I can't say enough about McCauley. The vertical is tiny, but so is the lift ride. And it has some fantastic terrain, steep, bumped and rocky, like some of the most rewarding trails in Vermont -- Paradise, Castlerock, Middle Earth at Sugarbush come to mind, along with all of Mad River Glen. Skyride is fun, too, particularly skier's right, and of course the glades. The lodge is comfortable yet charming, with a great fireplace. I'm proud to call it my home hill.
Then for the New Year, Mrs. Skilog and I went to Lake Placid. We skied at Cascade, a nordic version of McCauley: Low-key but well-run, economical, modest in area but just big enough, and with reliable conditions. Next day, she stayed at the hotel to relax and catch up on some professor work and sent me to Whiteface. Conditions were good. My first long run in my new alpine boots -- perhaps a topic I'll treat in its own post later -- was down from the summit. A great day all-around, followed by more XC in Lake Placid later that day and again at Cascade the next before coming home.
I'll summarize January: Gore bus with the GE Ski Club, a great time all around, though conditions were a little hardpack and groomer-oriented for my taste. Another couple visits to McCauley. Lots of cross country at Conkling Park, Val Bialas and Valley View and at BREIA. The highlight, after the Gore trip, was MLK Day, when I hit a couple spots at BREIA I've long wanted to try. One in particular is between a couple of the gullies and consists of an open slope all the way down to the creekside trail. The snow was deep and soft, and I proved to myself that I could ski it and ski it well. I enjoyed it so much I didn't stop for pictures. I hit another spot or two as well and hope to get back some. I just goes to show how good BREIA is.
February was dominated by good snow the first half of the month. The city began regularly grooming Val Bialas trails and a swath through the golf course and along the park road. It's like a cross country center right here in town. They don't lay down classic tracks, but that's probably just as well, as dog walkers, snowshoers and others would likely walk through them, setting off needless conflict. If my financial situation improves, I might invest in some low-end skate skis for next year to use here. Otherwise, skating requires going to Osceola or McCauley, a little far to use regularly.
I also finally got the hang of skiing down the steepest parts of Val Bialas in my Epochs kit. The trail beneath the chairlift is great fun in good conditions, but it's short. I immensely enjoyed the zoo trail because, while not steep, it has just enough pitch to get up some speed but is nice and long without being a slog on the way back up.
February wrapped up with two visits to the BREIA canal trail. The first was a weekday on my own on above-freezing snow to the highway crossover, about six miles round-trip. The second was a Sunday afternoon outing with Mrs. Skilogblog on some freshly fallen cold snow. She loved it. It really is a pretty route, what with Lansing Creek babbling next to the trail and the out-there feeling from the snow-covered walls of the narrow gorge above.
Mid-month saw the annual trip to Vermont with the other daughter, a snowboarder. We went first to Bolton Valley. I'd like to give the place a chance but I will never go on a Friday night again. It was swarming with school-program kids and had little open. The only viable route was on an otherwise good trail that required crossing a long, flat stretch where Junior had to completely get out of her board and walk. Live and learn. At Smuggs, we had great conditions and a good time even though it seemed like half of New England was there. More on Smuggs later. I hope to get back -- but not on a mid-winter weekend.
I also made it to Black Bear Mountain a couple of times. Cover wasn't great either time, but OK. The first was mid-month. I ran out of daylight and headed back. I had hoped to go up the mountain, but time was short, and I was frustrated by the numerous brook crossings and postholing left by inconsiderate people. The second was in a thaw. I went up toward the summit but turned back when I encountered a very ice patch I would not be able to negotiate without at least microspikes and likely full-on crampons. Some hikers coming down said they barely made it. I salvaged the day by embarking from the town lot at the former Maple Ridge, skiing to the McCauley cross country trails, up to the old slalom hill, and back down. That'll be its own post soon, perhaps after a return trip.
If ski season ended there, it would be a good one. I thought maybe it had, with a week-plus of nearly 30-degree-above-normal temperatures and r_n. But then it snowed some more ....
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