Gulf of Slides contained stellar late season snow and yielded many fine runs. Evidence of massive slides was evident crossing the run out paths on the Gulf of Slides trail en route to Main Gully. Austin and a friend were also skiing the gully and we shared some fine turns.
Another sensational day on the rock pile. Due to a later start than planned, I paid the price as the lots were full by my arrival at PNVC around eight o’clock. Route 16 became a parking lot as cars angled into spots up and down the road. While gearing up at my car, I received a few odd comments from less knowledgable and experienced skiers regarding wearing shorts and putting on my boots. “You gonna hike up in those?”. Nah, I’m gonna skin up!
Snow conditions allowed for skinning from the Sherburne/Avalanche Brook Trail connection to a quarter mile up the Gulf of Slides Trail. Then I hiked for about 20 minutes and skinned the rest of the way with two or three portages. Much better coverage on the Gulf of Slides Ski Trail than I had expected. Though I will admit on the ski down, I really pushed the definition of skiable coverage to the breaking point. Avalanche damage where the first major gully crosses the Gulf of Slides Ski Trail is stunning. During the ascent, a heel blister issue began was of concern. The uncomfortability, and later pain, would get worse throughout the day but I didn’t let it stop me.
After gearing up above the First Aid Cache, I started with the Main Gully which had seen the most traffic so I figured I would hit it first. The gully was somewhat bumpy and choppy but a really great ski. Not quite mashed potatoes but beyond perfect corn. The Intuitiv Bigs have seen very little action lately but skied wonderfully today in the gullies. These skis are sensational for this type of skiing. After climbing back up the excellent boot pack lookers’ left in the Main Gully, I had a snack above the snow pack (which is creeping down quickly) and relaxed to a great view up and down Pinkham Notch. After my break, I hiked over to the next gully skiers’ left and dropped in to more sensational turns. My heel was really giving me problems at this point and skiing was somewhat uncomfortable. But the heck with pain, I had time to be sore when I got done skiing.
What a productive day I was having at work! Really busy week and I finally felt like I was making some head way and clearing off my to do list. The original plan was to leave around three o’clock and head up to Cannon for some turns. Though I was honestly thinking about working right through my normal departure time. And then I stepped outside for a moment and knew my day behind the desk was officially over.
Due to dilly dallying at work, I got a later start than expected. I also neglected to pack up the car in the morning so needed to do the seven minute door to door commute home to pick up my gear and grab a snack. Within a few moments, I was back on the road heading up to Cannon forty minutes door to outdoor. Life doesn’t suck.
Due to the late start, I hesitated as I pulled into the Peabody lot. The time was five o’clock and I said I would be home by seven. Unsure if I could pull off two thousand verts of skinning in about an hour, I decided to head Tramside and lap Avalanche a few times. I booted up Avalanche which was covered wall to wall and stumbled upon more wall to wall coverage on Extension. Well, sure glad I brought my skins just in case! In short time, I was at the top of Extension and “oh yell, why not” I was skinning up Middle Cannon to the unload station of the Peabody Quad. And then “jeez, the summit is right there…. oh hell, why not!”
I made good time but was definitely going to be running a little late. Oops. The air was electrifyingly perfect with a very slight breeze near the summit blowing cool over the snow. I was heating up something fierce and the temperature and wind were perfect despite my short sleeve. I soon had the summit all to myself. Had I stuck around, I would have witnessed a stunningly sensational sunset. But alas, a lot of snow was already in the shade and I was already delayed by fifteen minutes thanks to making good time on the skin up.
For the second week in a row, weather forecasts showed sensational blue bird days during the week and colder rainy weather for the weekend. Not to be skunked two weekends in a row during some of the best skiing conditions of the season, I requested Wednesday off from work and hooked up with the Sledhauler for an epic day in Tuckerman Ravine.
We got a late start arriving at Pinkham shortly before nine o’clock. Temperatures were warmer than expected which meant the long slog up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail to HoJo’s would be a sweaty affair which proved to be true. Touring with new boots for the first time, Sled had some discomfort on the skin up but fought through the pain. Views upon arriving at HoJo’s were stellar with gullies (both with and without names) filled in sensationally for this late in the season. We watched on as a boarder and skier slip slided and butt slided their way down Dodge’s Drop.
After a bit to eat and some quick refreshment, we were ascending towards the Bowl on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. Sled opted to hike but I decided to continue skinning as long as possible. I skinned the entire trail to the bowl and only removed my skis once for a rock crossing. Coverage was simply sensational on the trail.
After sitting at home yesterday watching the biggest botched forecast of the season play out to the tune of great corn skiing in the mountains, I was anxious to ski. I timidly checked forecasts again this morning and did not like what I saw. I decided to lay low and check back later in the morning. Temps in Ashland, NH still had not come close to breaking 40 and snow banks next to my house were still crusty and firm. Hardly good skiing conditions or weather in my estimation. Austin and I had been debating hitting Mad River, but it did not look like the weather forecasters were going to wiff twice in a row. I suspected firm conditions along the spine of the Greens. The idea of Cardigan came up but Austin bailed and I decided even skiing terrible conditions was better than farting around at home two days in a row.
Just under an hour later, I was clicking in at the AMC Cardigan Lodge as a few flakes meandered through the air. The snow was surprisingly soft without being completely rotted through. No sooner had I started skinning than Zeke and his friend went flying past me. Not sure they recognized me but they were flying past before I could say hello. Can’t blame them for not slowing down, that run out is a pain.
Snow base was fantastic with snow starting right at the trail head. There was an average of at least a foot on the flatter sections of the Manning and Holt trails and slightly deeper still on the Clark trail above Grand Junction. I made decent time and soon enough was at the ledge above Alexandria when two skiers and a snow boarder came whacking their way down the Clark trail from above having come over from Firescrew (sounded like an arduous journey). After a brief conversation, I decided the limited amount of snowfields on the summit cone of Cardigan were probably not worth the effort, especially as the temperature was starting to drop and the snow was a tad more firm than on the ski trail.
Setting off down Alexandria for my first ski of Cardigan, I began making survival turns at their finest. The snow alternated from frozen crust to wet sloppy mush. This classic trail ended far too quickly. I left a few sitzmarks due to being unadjusted to my sloppy soft G-Rides that need replacement. Base depths were considerable. Even with the pending warm weather this coming week, Alexandria should ski well at least through next weekend. A very narrow snow bridge allowed dry passage at the end of the ski trail before the intersection with Clark, but crossing was difficult and it will surely be washed away within a day or two leaving a stream crossing at the end of the run. The ski out was uneventful. Upon reaching my car, the sky opened up and started puking white pellets. A nice final glimpse of snow fall as we leave winter behind.