Mad Riven Glen has gone from famine to feast with this past week’s storms. That series of storms culminated in 20″ during the weekend, which included some rain followed by a hard freeze. This created an exceptional base on which the fluff piled on top of. And just like that, Mad River went from closed to 100% open.
The week before Christmas is always uncrowded. Even when Christmas falls immediately after a weekend. Even when a foot and a half of snow falls in the past forty-eight hours. Call it the Christmas shopping effect: sleeper powder days when uninspired skiers and riders are busy prowling the malls instead of prowling for powder.
A surprise foot of fresh fell at the northern end of the Green Mountain Spine on Thursday. Friday was the powder day and I cleaned up the leftovers on Saturday. I had not skied in two weeks due to a toe injury that was still on the mend. But the powder was calling so I took a Snow Way prescription: take three vitamin I’s, wrap the toe, and pow me in the morning.
What is a Jay Day? It is one of those days when everything goes right. When you change your plans after assessing the situation and score some great turns. It doesn’t have to be the deepest day. It doesn’t have to be a foot of blower. It is one of those days at Jay that you don’t easily forget.
I left home this morning looking for more than a ski day. I was looking for perspective and I wasn’t expecting to find it. Halfway through a stay-cation intended to refresh and rejuvenate, I was feeling deep ennui. Something wasn’t right, my mind was out of sorts. Given that the previous two ski days didn’t help, I assumed this trip to Jay was just going through the motions. What else would I do all day?
Killington opened for the season today, and this time everyone was invited. This was my first early season experience since the installation of the Peak Walkway which is a game changer for Killington. With Killington’s renewed sense of identity, it will be difficult for any other mountain in the northeast to open sooner.
I took advantage of a 2 for 1 offer, taking a half dozen runs for nineteen fiddy. Uploading was provided by the K1 which unceremoniously dumped me out on the Great Northern gauntlet. Snow guns were everywhere creating an impenetrable cloud of near blindness.