Category: Powder Day

2006-2007 Season, Earned Turns, Jay Peak, October, Powder Day

October 21st First Tracks at Jay Peak!

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The 2006-2007 installment of the “One run for the Price of None Tour” has begun! One week after a freak snow storm buried Buffalo under a few feet of snow during mid-October, an unrelated storm system slammed into New England bringing heavy rains and cold temperatures. I found myself scrambling to get to the ski shop to pick up my skis and boots Friday night as thunder, lightning, high winds, and heavy rains began. The Northern Greens were about to hit an October jackpot.

Reports coming in the previous night indicated most areas between Mansfield and Jay likely had received a similar amount of snow. Jay Peak was the closest and most accessible option and thus my destination. Friday night, I walked through my “night before” ritual as if the past four months off season had never happened.

The drive to Jay was much as I had expected. Almost no snow with exception of the high point of I-91 North which provided excellent visual stimulation with trace snow and caked trees. Even Troy, VT was completely without snow cover. But sure enough, the snow began just after turning onto Route 242 and increasing steadily as I ascended to the Stateside Lot of Jay Peak.

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2005-2006 Season, April, Powder Day, Saddleback, Video

Amazing Day at Saddleback, ME

Steve on Muleskinner

I have said it many times this season: any one who thinks this season has sucked has not been paying attention and getting out when it counts. You simply CAN NOT put work above skiing when there is fresh snow in the mountains. I have had Saddleback on my radar for three or four years now and finally everything lined up to get over there following 12″ of fresh earlier this week. I think Saddleback is perhaps even more over looked than Burke as a great ski area no one skis and is certainly one of my favorites now that i have made some turns there.

Drivers approaching Saddleback from Vermont should be wary of a few things regarding the directions Saddleback suggests on their web site. Route 16 in NH has frost heaves that will launch your car completely air born if you do the speed limit for a fifteen mile stretch north of Berlin, NH. The road is only slightly better in Maine, but at least in NH Route 16 is consistently a rodeo whereas Route 16 in Maine you do not have any warning before preparing for lift off. The bigger issue is that the directions say to take Route 16 through Rangeley; but what they don’t tell you is that you need to go straight on Route 4 when Route 16 turns left. Fifteen minutes later, I noticed Saddleback in my rear view mirror. Oops.

A better alternative for those folks driving to Saddleback from western New England is to utilize Route 2 West to Route 17 East To Route 4 to Saddleback. Frost Heaves are less of an issue on Route 17 though still in existence and despite the longer mileage drive on Route 2, the excellent road conditions and high speed limits make up for the extra mileage in the end.

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2005-2006 Season, April, Burke, Earned Turns, Powder Day

Thick Powder Earned Turns at Burke

Burke!

In hind sight, I should have Dawn Patrolled this tour. But the storm went by faster than I had anticipated which resulted in no snow during the morning or afternoon. My timing was all out of whack. I left work early to go earn some turns down the road at closed Burke Mountain. I arrived to find a snow covered Burke Mountain begging for turns to be made on any untracked line I desired.

The untracked was not exactly powdery due to a warm afternoon baking under the sun. I was in a race against the time of consolidation when I first began skinning. But I slowly shook off my haste as untracked is untracked regardless of consistency. The snow was moist but not completely wet and packed down, but rather wet with a little fluff which is an odd combination. It looked like fun as it proved to be.

I tracked up Lower Warren’s Way to Bear Den to Willoughby on the skin up. As I approached mid-mountain, I noticed the wet snow was slightly slabbed on the surface of open slopes with a more powdery and lighter consistency on skier’s left under the trees. Duly noted for the descent! Four inches of the thick consistency stuff was the rule with deeper pockets occasionally. I suspect Burke picked up six inches at mid-mountain before the snow began consolidating.

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2005-2006 Season, Jay Peak, March, Powder Day

Lots of Untracked at Jay

Austin Skis Kitz

SICK SICK SICK! If anyone thinks that this season has sucked, they have not been paying attention! Reports of this season’s premature ending have been greatly exaggerated. Thanks to orographic lift and a great location, The Jay Cloud continues to churn out massive amounts of snow on an almost daily basis refreshing lines with six inches of snow throughout the weekend. Though snow fall totals from the night before were only six inches, up to twelve inches of untracked could easily be found in addition to the occasional shot of knee deep. Despite only having a moderate amount of new snow in that magical 6-12″ range, Monday was my best lift serviced day of skiing this year. With exception of skiing a few groomed trails in between the trees, I essentially skied nearly untracked powder all day long.

Forgetting that powder hounds would still be out en mass even though it was a Monday, I took my time getting ready at home. As a result, despite getting into line for the Tram at 8:45 A.M., I still waited for the third Tram Car to ascend to the Summit of Jay Peak. My delay could not have been more fortunate! Despite not being able to make first tracks down Valhalla, my delay resulted in an even better occurrence. As I departed the Sky Haus, I heard my name being called out. When I turned around, I saw none other than Austin who posts on AlpineZone and FirstTracks!! Online. Austin said he would be running late and hopefully we could meet up later in the day. Turns out I was the one running late and Austin arrived earlier than planned. The unexpected run in provided great company and a skiing partner for the afternoon romp through Jay Peak’s extensive glade network.

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2005-2006 Season, Jay Peak, March, Powder Day

Powder Left Overs at Jay Peak

With the Jay Cloud in full effect thanks to Orographic Lift, Jay Peak along with most of the Northern Green Mountains picked up over two feet of snow in three days. Most of that snow fell mid-week from Wednesday through Friday, so knee deep untracked was impossible to find by the weekend. However, the new powder falling overnight was more than enough to refreshen the glades and make skiing primo for Saturday. Jay Peak may exaggerate their snow totals occasionally, but no one can exaggerate the fact that Jay Peak gets a ton of snow when most other New England Ski Areas come up empty.

Arriving at the Stateside Lodge at 8 A.M., I noticed that the parking lot attendants were already packing the cars in like sardines. Despite the parking situation, due to Jay Peak’s far northern location, the majority of skiers did not arrive until late morning leaving fresh lines for the early birds. However, by 10 A.M. all the lots were full and the Jet Chair was averaging more than a ten minute wait.

Jay Peak had reported in on Thursday morning with two feet of fresh snow. By Saturday the best I could find on the mountain was the occasional one foot of untracked which was a rare find indeed. The rest of the snow was either tracked up, packed down, or blown away by the high winds. Due to those high winds, the Groomer Trails were a pathetic mix of wind blown hard pack, frozen granular, and the occasional legit icy patch. Not that any one skiing Jay Peak would want to ski the Groomers… they only reason to ski at Jay Peak is heading into the trees.

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