Category: Trip Reports

2006-2007 Season, Earned Turns, November, Stowe

Early October Earned Turns on Mount Mansfield

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“Damn, I wish it was still October.” Not often are these words spoken in New England by skiers. But based on short and long term forecasts, there is a distinct possibility that October will have been a better month to ski New England than November. Which is not to say that the skiing on Mount Mansfield on November fifth was not more than satisfactory and excellent for November. But it sure was no October 2006.

Austin, Marc, and I all arrived at the Gondola lot early Sunday morning for some skiing on Mount Mansfield. Snow Guns were firing hard on Upper Nose Dive and on the other side of the mountain. We opted to ascend via Nose Dive and make plans for the descent once we were higher up. A short hike up Nose Dive was required before we could put skins to the snow and beginning skinning. Snow coverage was still substantial and wall to wall after a short hundred vertical feet of dry land. It is still hard to believe how much snow has stuck around for so long considering the date!

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2006-2007 Season, Earned Turns, Jay Peak, November

Early November Tree Skiing Madness!!

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On Friday November 3rd, Jay Peak fired up the snow guns on The Jet and Haynes as unseasonably low temperatures continued throughout New England. Jay Peak plans on bumping up their opening to the weekend before the Thanksgiving Holiday and will have plenty of snow to do so, even with the pending warm up next week. All the major players let loose their guns this week to capitalize on a rare shot at prolonged early November snow making. The masses also descended on Jay Peak to capitalize on a chance to ski and ride early season man made snow before the lifts start moving. Where were all these people the past two weeks when Jay had epic late October snow? I have no idea.

While I had prepared myself for Jay to have substantially less snow and worse conditions than my first four days in October, I had not prepared myself for the massive disappearance of snow. Approaching the mountain, Can Am and Power Line (which were both socked with snow last week) bore huge brown spots and disastrously thin cover. The lower slopes at Stateside were no longer skiable nor skinable, so I carried my skis on my pack and began hoofing up Derick Hot Shot.

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2006-2007 Season, Earned Turns, Jay Peak, October

October Dusk Patrol at Jay Peak

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To conclude October with my personal best record of four days of skiing, I left work early to Dusk Patrol Jay Peak. My birthday present was sweet indeed as on the eve of the anniversary of my birth, nature offered up excellent turns on a beautiful late afternoon. I could not have asked for a better present than to be on my fourth day of turn earning before October ends. The myriad shades of color spreading across the valley from behind Jay Peak as the sun set was the proverbial icing on the cake.

With the 30th in the books, I have passed my October total for last year and without hesitation can confirm this early season has been and continues to be way better than last year’s early season. While I have not had as much powder depth this year, the lack of consistently deep powder has been more than made up for by the consistently good base, consistently good conditions, and consistently cool weather. I will take consistently great over once in a while superior.

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2006-2007 Season, Earned Turns, Jay Peak, October, Powder Day, Video

Skiing Valhalla at Jay in October

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With two more days left in October and snow still falling at Jay, I ventured out for day number three of the season with plans for a fourth before October was in the books. Despite a decent snow storm the night before, Jay’s open trails were picked clean and wind blown. No worries though as it was still snowing around the summit and as per usual at Jay Peak, the goods were to be found in between the trees. Tree skiing in October? Heck yea!

Austin and I joined up for the drive up to Jay Peak from my house in St. Johnsbury. Occasional flurries near the high point of I-91 got us jonesing but we knew the best was yet to come. Climbing up Route 242, there was a very definitive line between the rain and the snow. Although Jay probably got all rain at one point, they had a sweet change over Sunday morning. Not much snow was to be found in the parking lot, but it was starting to come down when we arrived. By the time we reached the summit, it was puking!

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2006-2007 Season, Earned Turns, October, Stowe

An October to Beat All Octobers: Day Two at Stowe

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An October to beat all Octobers keeps pumping snow into New England. Upslope snowfall has been pilling up at The Stake on Mount Mansfield. With seventeen inches reported as of last night with more snow constantly falling, I made my way up the access road to Mount Mansfield for my second day of skiing this season. If the weather outlook for this weekend holds, I will be skiing into November already having skied four days.

Planning the work schedule around skiing is quickly becoming my MO for scoring powder days and great skiing. Especially in the early season when one or two days means the difference between a few inches of fresh versus grass. With the unseasonably cold temperatures and week long never ending small snow blasts in the mountains, I hardly had to worry about skiing grass! This morning found me in Northfield, Vermont, a small town just a short drive south east from the state Capitol Montpelier. After finishing up work around 1:30 P.M., I made haste to Mount Mansfield. No signs of snow fall were to be seen along the Access Road. The snow began at the ski area and got progressively deeper as the vertical increased.

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