Category: New Hampshire

2010-2011 Season, Because, Earned Turns, July, Mount Washington, Tuckerman Ravine

Tuckerman Ravine: Because It’s Still There

Steve 4

Steve 2

While hiking back up for my third run, I overheard a descending hiker mention that “you only see snow in July so many times in your life.” That is true for hikers and die hard skiers alike. Having now skied in July four times, I almost started to think of it as a regular occurrence. Something to be expected as normal and just another part of my season. Which it is. But that comment in passing reminded me that no ski day should be taken for granted, especially a July ski day.

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2010-2011 Season, Because, June, Mount Washington, Tuckerman Ravine

Tuckerman Ravine: Because It’s There

Tuckerman Ravine from the First Aid Cache

The lifts have long since stopped turning but the east coast ski season is still far from over. After two years on the late season disabled list, it is with great pleasure that I am able to extend my season through spring and into summer.

I often wonder why I do it. Why punish myself for a few short runs totaling less vertical than that hiked to and from the skiing? Some might answer for the love of skiing or the passion of earning turns. But that rings hollow to me. There is something much more primal at work in this regard.

The truth is that there is no reason nor logic. There is no concrete premeditated thought process driving me to ski to the bitter end. There is something unconscious and primal pushing me towards such things. I do it because it’s there. And because I can.

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2010-2011 Season, April, Cannon Mountain

Cannon: Jokes On Us, but We Are No Fools

Cannon Trees (Horizontal)

The joke was on skiers this April Fool’s Day. Two day out prognostications looked epic but subsequent forecasts shifted the storm further and further east. By last chair on Friday, the ten hour total for Cannon was only four inches. It was still snowing when we left, but totals will surely fall short of predicted amounts. Maine is no fooling this weekend while the rest of New England looks like chumps.

While today was not a powder day, we more than made the best of great late season conditions at Cannon and had an awesome day. Early turns were best on moderate angle groomers that had collected an inch or two of fluff over firm. Steeper pitches yielded variable patches of fluff and scraped hard pack. Bump troughs also were firm hard pack. The best snow was on open trails of gentler pitch.

In the Trees

After lunch we went exploring and found good snow in the upper mountain trees. Bumps in the trees still had firm hard pack troughs with occasional scrape but were easy to manage. Excellent tight tree skiing was had and the day began improving with every run. We explored further afield and found packed and loose powder delights.

Earlier in the day, I pondered why exactly do I love Cannon so much. What connects me so deeply to this specific mountain? I still can not put a firm finger on the reason. But by the end of the day, I was hooting and hollering with delight as I rediscovered a narrow chute that I hadn’t skied in a dozen years. The conditions were not epic but my turns flowed poetically down an aesthetic line that got me turned on to tight chute skiing years ago. It was as good of an answer as I may ever get; it is always good to come home.

2010-2011 Season, Cannon Mountain, February, Powder Day

Cannon: Thank you, sir. May I have another?

Powder in the Trees at Cannon

Cannon makes you work. Great skiers routinely get spanked in the trees at Cannon. Unlike almost any other mountains save perhaps Mansfield, you really suffer for the best turns at Cannon. That type of rigor elevated my skiing as I was developing my tree chops and skiing Cannon more than any where else. But I don’t ski Cannon much any more. And it shows whenever I return to my home mountain.

Despite a claimed twenty four hour total of eleven inches, I immediately had trouble finding snow deeper than my boot buckles. I started on Mittersill in hopes that the lift being closed yesterday would have kept traffic to a minimum. The limited fresh felt nice but my favorite slot on the mountain was already well bumped and deeply troughed from yesterday. It was time to go into the woods in earnest and employ noontime plans just after the opening bell.

Epic descents were had and up to eight inches of fresh was slayed. I worked. I sweated. I fell on the hard pack outside the Tram Summit Station and busted the toe piece on one of my bindings. Oops. I made it work. Just like the mountain was making me work.

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2010-2011 Season, Earned Turns, January, Powder Day, Tenney Mountain

Meadow Skipping at Tenney

Skinning up Venus Fly Trap at Tenney

Hair of the Dog style leg rehabilitation continued today at Tenney. While ski areas were fully tracked out and busy with the holiday crowds, there was still uncrowded slopes and untracked powder to be found. I began skinning under a bluebird sky hot on the track of the only other soul on the mountain.

The skin track was just as flat and meandering as most of Tenney’s trails. The snow was fluffy in nature with no base to speak of. Snow depths were significantly less than at my house just a few miles away as the crow flies. Lack of trail mowing was evident but no worse than could be expected.

My original plan called for inspection and subsequent descent of Snap Dragon: Tenney’s steepest trail. But base depths and snow density clearly suggested meadow skipping would be the safest and most enjoyable option. On the descent, I scratched up my boards skiing a trail used as an access road. Low angle grassy trails were best!

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