This past week’s storm really helped with base building in Northern Vermont. But I was as much concerned with my own personal base building. I hit Mad River Glen in an effort to continue working towards mid-season form. With the trip just two weeks away, I decided top to bottom thin coverage at Mad River Glen would help.
Yesterday at Jay was nice. Today at Mad River was better. Three days ago, Mad River announced that it would not open this weekend. But the forecast turned in favor of General Stark Mountain and opening day was set. A foot of dense fresh setup perfectly on the limited but existing base. All trails were open on occasionally thin but ample coverage. Bottomless it was not but cheers and shouts of joy rang out across the mountain, nonetheless.
I was heading to Mad River Glen for the Annual Shareholders Meeting regardless of snow conditions so I might as well bring the skis and have at it. Snow conditions alone would not have justified the drive. While I was very happy to see Mad River make it into April with ample coverage, the lack of good spring skiing conditions have been disappointing. Mad River Glen is a great mountain for spring skiing since most trails are left natural and bumpy. But today was a poor day to sample even the groomers, let alone the bumps, at Mad River.
I got a late start but not late enough. I skied Fox to Bunny and then Antelope to Bunny before deciding that it was time for a lunch. After grabbing a bite to eat, I met up with MadPat and went up for a rerun of the groomers from each chair. I may have skied more top to bottom groomers today than I’ve ever skied at Mad River Glen in total. Not much had changed. But from the Single, MadPat and I both spied one of the Quackys lit up by sunshine. While the bumps were a touch abnormal, the snow condition was prime spring corn and the only bit of it on the mountain.
Does the above picture look familiar? It is one of my favorite spots on the mountain, within bounds no less. The above photo was captured during my second lap through this area. The first lap was mostly untracked and there was no slowing down to stop for pictures.
But I am getting ahead of myself. East winds are no good for Mad River Glen so it was decision time when I arrived. I delayed purchasing a ticket but also did not return to my car for my touring gear. The winds were forecast to shift and soon they did. After an hour delay, it was game on and line up for first run was the longest line of the day.
Late season powder days are almost always the best of the year. While I am fond of early season powder days due to reserved trails, options are limited due to non-existent base. Whereas late season powder often falls over a decent base. And for whatever reason, many skiers (even dedicated powder hounds) are AWOL for the best days of the season. Maybe people have other obligations or perhaps thoughts are drifting towards “spring” outdoor recreation (as if skiing wasn’t at its best in the spring!). But for whatever reason, the masses abandon the season by mid-March.
Such was the case on Saturday at Mad River Glen. The summits of the Mad River Valley scored the jackpot with a foot of fluff at the summit. That was followed by 4-6″ Friday night setting up what would be a mid-season perfect storm: a well publicized localized jackpot followed by another half a foot of fresh heading into a weekend. Any other time of the season, Mad River Glen would have 40 minute lines with skinners claiming a hundred tracks before the Single even opened.