So you think you got snow eh?

[RIROCKHOUND]

B-Dub...
you suck man... Those pics look sweet...
I just got back from NH... snow was so~so at the 'cat... loose granular that was skiied off by 11... frozen hardpack and ice under it...
going up the quad... never saw that much ice on a ski mt before april.....
Took the gf (she's just starting) to black mtn for a day... it looked like Yagoo... no snow ~1/2 open... actually perfect conditions for her; slow snow and well groomed....
Probably done for the year...
Working this weekend... travel to Va for a conference next weekend...
Then get ready to fish.....

[Mr. Sandman]

I'm done for this year but I need to make a trip out west...maybe next season...that looks amazing BW. My kids are now good enough to handle any NE resort even if the conditions are nasty. I would like to take the clan out there for a week of deep stuff. It is so rare we get conditions like that here...even at places like Jay. You have to live there to nab the real good days. Planning trips (no matter how many ) is a hit or miss (mostly miss) deal in NE. I still enjoy it though...a 3-5 hr drive ain't that bad for us. Likwid is there, when it snows he has his skis on already and I have to make all kinds of reservations.

[GaryK2]

Nice shots Beach. Absolutely awesome.

We are thinking of making a trip to MT Hood next August to get the daughter ready for next year's race season. We're looking at one of the many race camps there. But by the looks of your pics, I should hold off till March. Man what I would give to be out there right now.

We'll be at Stowe next Thursday, Cannon Friday, Loon Saturday & Sunday. I hope they get plenty of snow out of this storm.

[GaryK2]

oh, and the last shot....


steep, but not too steep.

[likwid]

Probably moving to Aspen next season...

This season was a bummer (except for the random dumps we got but all in all it was an "eh" season).

Tucks hasn't been as spectacular as it was last year (esp. shelburne ice skating trail)

The 189's are solely for big powder days, definitely a quiver ski.

I got the 169's but there's no point in them since I have the Public Enemies. Prolly trade em for 179's. Also gonna move my 165 Work Stinx probably for bindings for the pistol 179's.

Can smell the snow coming.

and PM sent bw

[beachwalker]

Gary,

there are bunch of good camps in the summer up there over at Timberline on the Palmer snowfield.

The entire season is a planning game out there. It all comes down to snow and freezing air levels. Mt Hood Meadows (pictured) base is at 5,200 ft and the top is 7,500. Then there is another 1,500 of vert to climb if you dare. Upper areas are frequently closed due to snow and wind. After they dig out is when you want to be there. It can rain in january but it isn't likely.
They get more snow between now and May than the east sees in an entire season.

I am up somewhere this weekend. work is smooth and my legs are all jazzed up now that I got a couple of days in. Still, not having rode much this winter I will have a hard time keeping up with someone like Likwid who's been there all year.

Aspen is big moolah.......

[beachwalker]

and that extra 1,500 ft is leaving out the next 2,000 which goes to the top. That is off limits without full climbing gear and the NE face (in the photo) is MAJOR avalanche danger. If you look at the mountain photo I posted follow the left ridge up to the end of the spine. That is about 9,200 ft and the bowl that you drop into is appropriately named Super Bowl. It is awesome. Anything above that and you had better make sure the life insurance policy is current.

Scott Schmidt rappelled into that massive hourglass a few years back and made it. Barely...........

[GaryK2]

BW - Thanks for the info. I believe we were looking at a camp that trains on Timberline. The camp is being offered through our Tri-State (CT, RI, MA) USSA race program.

Do ya mind if I use your Mt Hood pic as a sreen saver? That is truley the closest thing to heaven (at least in the lower 48).

Lik, sounds like you got a great choice of boards to select from. Those wide glides like the pow, but I can't imagine you'll get a chance to really put them to the test this year up at the river.
If you head west, you gonna be able to fish for stripas from out there? Maybe we'll have to do a fishing fling in the summer to get you back here, and then a ski fling in the winter that you will host out there.

I admire your all's passion for skiing.

Snow report: I can feel it, but not much happening here in Mid-Ct yet.

[likwid]

snow report?

my left index finger hurts
which means snow
(i smashed it between the climbing bails and the heel lever on my O2's with the xtra stiff cartridges about 2mo's ago... hasn't been right since)

And Aspen? Who cares about stripers when there's many feet of fresh to ride during the season.

I'm a seasonal bum, I'll head to Aspen in November for the winter and take advantage of the employee meat market, i mean housing. Or possibly go live with a buddy just outside of Aspen (big inherited house... plenty of room to host you people who smell like fish)

But I'll migrate back, just like the stripers do every year.

As far as the pistols are concerned, I break em out for first runs on the fresh courdoroy (the 179's or 169's) then switch to the Public Enemies when stuff starts getting chopped up hard.
I'm sure the Enemies will spend alot of time by my bed next year.

If I didn't have the Enemies I'd probably ski the Pistol 169's on everything, they're huge, but incredibly stable and handle ice spots just fine.

But we all know there's no ice.
Its just HARD PACKED GRANULAR

[beachwalker]

No problemo there Gary. No copywrite, no worries

To be specific concerning that photo:

The lower canyons are named Heather Canyon (to the left) and Clark Canyon (to the right).

I took the photo about a hundred yards from the bottom of heather chair which gets you out. There are so many bowls up there it makes one head spin and when you get lower down you can drop into chutes through a fir forest that will be bottomless powder after a good dump. It just keeps sluffing off the trees and wind grooming itself all winter.

[beachwalker]

The above photo is in lower Heather Canyon.

The next photo is the same chute looking back up. The snow is bottomless in there. Easily 15 feet underneath and not a piece of ice.

But once again it can warm up out there and force you out of the trees and onto groomers and into the Canyons (big bummer, eh ?). That is what it was when I was there. 1 day of this and then a warming trend and 3 days of the canyons and groomers. It wasn't so bad

[GaryK2]

BW thanks alot, I just made a mess all over my key board looking at those.

I'm a bit upset that this storm was once again a disappointment. Got maybe three inches in Northern CT.

Lik....please give us a good snow report from the North Country!

[likwid]

3" last night.

was AWESOME riding today

lovin it...

about 5 weeks left or so

[beachwalker]

Sweet

just got back from Stowe. 12" since Thursday. 6" today.

found some nice old wood while up.

here comes spring

[likwid]

not so awesome today

spring?
what?
17 degrees outside and windy.

[GaryK2]

Heading to Stowe tomorrow night to ski Thursday, then New Hampshire (Cannon Friday, Loon Saturdy & Sunday). Maybe take a poke around Pinkam Notch on Sunday????

[Maine-beacher]

grew up in the bethel area great skiing lived in gilead beautiful country

[beachwalker]

Just gonna mis you Gary. Head up again tomorrow for some work on Friday and then Sat/Sun on the snow. maybe Friday afternoon

[likwid]

Skied Bretton Woods on a comp ticket yesterday, I'm thinking if I stay east coast next season im buying a midweek pass there.

Just was too much fun.
Trees are great, views are great (not as good as Wildcat but thats ok) and midweek the place is a ghost town.

I just can't justify $52 while I'm working at another resort.
Time to meander over to Attitrash.

Mt Washington from Bretton Woods - West Mountain. (Starr King actually)





And now a trail review of Bretton Woods:

Rosebrook:
awesome huge cruisers...
Some tight east coast style trails (which would equate to Sunday Bigger blues)
Mach G speeds possible even in this mush
Some trails made me go "that was a black? nawww... but ok!"


Rosebrook Canyon:
Broke out the rock skis and went to work.
Had to hike down a stupidly steep incline on McIntyre's Run (jesus christ... TREES in the middle? i'd be scared to ski that early season/late season when there's still snow)
Played stop and chase in the woods and found cover here and there... lots of dirt gapping necessary and some hiking

West Mountain:
Damn.
I spent nearly 2 1/2 hours here on 3 trails and some woods hopping with a grin.
I'd love to play here if we get a dumping instead of r**n this week.
Little Tuckerman lets you play superstar in the mush if you just point them from the top of the lift (and let the 3 people ridng the lift oooh and aaah)
Joseph's Run... let me say... if you wanna practice your hop turns?
Play right here.
Black listed as a blue.
I wish Wild West was open, I was eyeballing it from the lift and from Jacob's Ladder... crazy ass glade that reminds me of west coast stuff.
Jacob's Ladder... blue with booters EVERYWHERE
This trail is fun and reasonably tight... more of a blue/green, but with the width, its a blue.

More later!

[beachwalker]

Awesome report !

I spent this past weekend (2 in a row) at Stowe and it was sweet.

You know you got it. 50 degrees, no wind and sunny !

I will be up again and will certainly try and hook up.

later

[GaryK2]

As I posted we did Stowe Thursday. It rained in the afternoon but was sunny up till about 11:00 a.m. Great spring skiing in the a.m. Only managed to run National, Goat and Liftline one time each as I was with a group who wanted to ride the gondola. I kept looking up at the top on Mansfield thinking about making the hike up, but when it started to rain at around noon I scrapped those plans.

On Thursday after Stowe we drove to Lincoln, NH and stayed at Indian Head resort. Skied Cannon on Friday and it was great. Beautiful day, great spring conditions. It's getting a bit skinny there this time of year. Saturday brought us to Loon where my wife, me and the kids (as well as half the ski team I coach) participated in the Mountain Dew Vertical Challenge. Not a very competitive race, but a good lite/fun way to end the season for the race team kids.

This is about the 8th year we've done this trip. To think that my 13 year old first made this trip with me 8 years ago at the age of 5. And now my 7 year old is following down the same trail, a trail that was groomed by her older sister. Time flys when you're having fun! This year, the ol man of the mountain has fallen from his perch. A reminder that nothing in life, even something as solid as a rock, is permanent, and that we should cherish all we are fortunate to have... especially the freedom of catching some g- forces down the steeps.

Driving home on route 118 over to I-91 on Sunday a tear came to my eye (as it does every season on this exact route home) as I realize another season has come to an end....but the tradition will continue.

Lik & BW...I hope you guys enjoy the rest of the season. I have enjoyed this thread, and I hope everyone is at it again next season.

Now its time to start thinking fishing.

[likwid]

So i kicked the fat lady in the head and it dumped A FOOT OF POW on Bretton Woods Mon/Tues morning.

Yes, I was there for it and poached EVERYTHING.

6" coreshot in one of my Hippy Stinx, off to K2 for a new pair through various ways and means

So freaking worth it.

I'd be happy with my season being over now.

I'm done at the River on Sunday, probably headed back to MA on Tuesday or Wednesday and time to clean fishing gear after a few end of season runs and beers with some friends on Monday.

Those of you who came up to the River this winter or any ASC resort, thanks for helping pay my paycheck, the real ski bums up here do appreciate you all.

[likwid]

Who would have thought my last day riding of the season would turn out to be the 2nd best day of the season?

Why?

We hiked the Heat.

Josh (one of the Perfect Turn instructors) and I chilling in the chair after hiking over from the top of Barker.



Josh ripping up that fresh perfect Heat corn.



Bump and burn, me killin it



Tools of the trade back up top.



What a great way to REALLY end the season.