Tuckerbrook

Due to being on call for work, I needed to stay close to home. I opted for an early skin and ski of Tuckerbrook.

It was disappointing not going to Jay (given their exceptional snowfall numbers during the past week). But Jay didn’t receive any more overnight snowfall than Cannon, so I was not missing much.

Below the nordic junction, the trail is still quite thin. Occasional rock is still exposed. But above the junction, the trail is well covered (especially the upper half).

Tuckerbrook is filled in but not that deep. Occasional tree tops are still poking through the snow. The troll bridge has many rocky topographical hurdles. The L&L pitch is still lacking base and is absolutely not recommended.

Overall, it was a pleasant skin and ski.

Discretion

Coverage was excellent for early December (better than last year around the same time). Skinning and skiing the 13-turns was probably ill-advised, given the lack of base consolidation. But I knew what I was in for by continuing up the troll bridge.

I almost made it to the Taft Trail. But I decided to turn around near the top of the 13-turns when spruce trap risk became apparent. Risk of a catastrophic trap was low. But when skiing solo, discretion is often the better part of adventure.

Iterate

With each successive iteration, the process becomes easier while maintaining resilience becomes less so. Excitement and novelty no longer generate inspiration. Routine and process provide the fuel; diesel instead of dynamite.

Each successive run improved upon the last. Avalanche, Paulie’s, Zoomer. A half-foot of supportive fluff was layered upon a half-foot of condensed base. Totally rippable, if not for the waterbars.

The turns were like the perfectly filled pillow, soft and supportive, holding you up when needed, but still letting you sink in when drifting into dreamland.

MRG: Boom! Where Is Everyone?

Rabbit Holes at MRG

This feels familiar. Just like two weeks ago, a massive multi-day storm dumped a ton of snow on Vermont. Mad River was the place to be again, but not many people showed up. When I arrived, the power was out (reminiscent of the big storm last month). I came prepared for wind hold, but touring skis are also good for power outages.

I skinned up a dreamly landscape with variable surfaces. The wind was absolutely ripping at the very top of Upper Antelope. But, things were eerily quiet below the 20th hole traverse. After warming up in the Stark’s Nest, I dropped into Fall Line seeking shelter from the wind.

I considered skinning back up, but I was concerned that power could be restored and the lift could start running at any minute. So I opted for some big wide open turns on the mellow intermediate pitches of the mid-mountain, ending my run with perhaps the best run down Waterfall that I have ever had.

Paradise

Sure enough, when I arrived at the Basebox, the word was that powder would be restored within a half hour. I gear changed and got ready for the lift-serviced part of the day.

Feeling more comfortable with conditions, I wasted no time in dropping into Paradise and enjoying the super dense and heavy new snow. Some thin coverage still lurked underneath. But I did not see too much need for caution.

I started working over some of my favorite rabbit holes. The Single never had more than a five-minute wait), so I was finding untracked lines throughout the entire day. The race was still on, though. The race was not against other skiers, but rather the clock, as the temperature was turning and a misty mank could arrive at any moment.

I was spent long before that moment happened. I wish I could have gone to closing bell, but the morning ascent and heavy snow put bullets in my legs sooner than usual. Hard to believe how few people showed up for such an amazing day.

Jay: No Lifts, No Problem

Deliverance

I knew the wind would impact lift operations. So, I brought my touring gear and I fully expected to use it. Upon arrival, the wind was howling and it was bitterly cold. The lifts would never run.

Today was a rare resort touring day when I took the full measure of risks and consequences before I started skiing. Moving was required to keep the cold at bay. An injury would likely result in frostbite.

Due to the wind, conditions were variable from hard pack groomers to thigh deep bottomless untracked. It was challenging to figure out where to go, given so much of the mountain was bare ground and thin coverage before the storm. I started up Northway and decided to start with Can Am skier’s right.

Deliverance

Jackpot! Boot to knee deep untracked, and a bit of shelter from the wind. Very nice. I skinned back up via to Northway and headed to the top of the Jet. I opted to ski the Jet where I found thigh deep drifts in between groomed hard pack. It was worth dealing with the intermittent groom as the dense powder was insane when I hit a drift.

It was so nice, I decided to head back up and ski Haynes. It was very similar with a bit less drifting but more consistent powder and fewer groomer breaks. My legs were getting tired and I knew that I only had one more run left. I headed back up Northway to the top of the Bonnie and dropped into Deliverance.

As usual, the trees are the best on wind blown powder days. I rarely ski Deliverance as its narrow upper sections get skied off really quickly most days. But today, I had it all to myself and it was sensational. The last three months have been brutal, no doubt. But knee deep days don’t happen every season. This surely makes up for things, at least a little bit.

Deliverance