Category: December

2004-2005 Season, Cannon Mountain, December

Cannon Mountain, NH

Mount Lafayette

Driving up to the notch, I was amazed how beautiful the day was beginning. Bright blue skies without a cloud to be seen on the whole drive up Interstate 93. The Franconia Ridge was as majestic as I have ever seen it with its white capped peaks fronting a sky of bright blue. Visibility from the top of the quad was about as far and clear as I’ve ever seen it from cannon. everything was perfect about the weather except one thing: the wind.

Cannon opened with Middle and Lower Cannon and Ravine, Big and Short link, and Spookie on the Peabody Slopes with Zoomer Triple Chair turning for Gary’s on the Front Face. The Tube Park was replaced by a handle tow beginners area (great call!) and the Tuckerbrook Quad was spinning, but I did not get over there.

The HSQ was essentially only useful for uploading to ski down to the Zoomer chair. The wind was ferocious, just about as bad as cannon can get and still have that lift turning. The brutal wind made the ride on the Peabody Quad extremely uncomfortable and it was avoided by everyone as much as possible. Conditions off all trails from the quad were boiler plate. By 11ish, Big/Short link and Ravine got roped and a sign was placed at the loading area of the quad stating the lift serviced terrain for experts only. To bad the Eaglecliff Triple wasn’t turning as Lower Cannon had okay snow in between the blown off sections and would have been a more enjoyable ride getting over to Gary’s.

Gary’s was not at it’s best but had it’s moments. Skier’s right featured a few inches of man made pow that blew over from Rocket where the guns were going like crazy. During the morning it was kinda tough to ski, but once it got broken up it was really nice. The rest of the trail was hard pack with moth ball frozen granular.

Not the best day at cannon today, but they should have some more trails opening hopefully tomorrow, definitely by next weekend. It is definitely not Cannon’s fault the wind took all the snow off the trails and dumped it into the woods. I am sure the groomers will fix it up for tomorrow, but it just shows how bad most ski areas are hurting for some natural snow.

2004-2005 Season, December, Killington

Killington, VT

Having one more free pass to blow by December 20th, I hit up the formerly “Mighty-K” for my third time this season. I normally crap on Killington rather viciously. I still feel that Killington deserves such rants but after three tries at Killington during an awful early season, I have a little more respect for the mountain. Having as much terrain open considering the conditions is very impressive. I was expecting much less open terrain than they managed to open. Also impressive were the snow guns covering Lower Superstar and the Canyons area. I would guess Superstar through Ramshead may likely be fully open by next weekend except for the trees.

Wet spring like conditions were reported on Saturday which could not have been more different from today. I arrived at the Killington Access Road with tires spinning over a blanket of white. The fresh snow fall got me excited.

I began the morning on Snowdon and I ended the day on Snowdon. Sheets of scraped snow were everywhere by the end of the day. The North Ridge Triple offered natural snow on Ridge Run which sucked but it was completely natural snow so I could not complain! I was amazed that Killington had natural terrain open. They also had Upper Chute and Great Bear open with natural snow conditions but they looked too nasty and thin for even my tastes (which is saying something!).

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2004-2005 Season, Cannon Mountain, December

Demo Day at Cannon

Peabody Quad

Today was Cannon’s demo day: sample all the skis you want for only an Andrew Jackson. It was an incredible deal that I could not pass up. The big winner of the day was the Dynastar Legend 8000 178cm which I have since purchased.

Originally, I planned to ski Cannon on Friday and stay overnight at the ‘Dice in Gorham. When leaving Cannon, I did not believe the hype regarding potential snow fall overnight. So I decided to head home and research the skis online after wrapping the day up at Cannon.

Middle/Lower Ravine with Big/Short Link provided the only route just like the previous weekend. Snow conditions were much better overall this weekend. The conditions were similar: pushed around loose powder on the trail edges and hard pack in the middle. Most of the route yielded mini-bumps and loose snow. I established a standard route down the trails to keep my testing conditions essentially the same for every ski. While the conditions were boring, they allowed for excellent comparisons for the demo.

Regarding other non-opened trails, the groomers and ski patrol were busy on Middle/Lower Cannon today and that is a lot to open for this coming weekend. All other trails had less snow and coverage than last week, especially the Front Five which would need a solid one foot dump to open without snow making at this point, and that is not happening any time soon.

The weather was fair with patchy fog and cloudiness. I wish I had gotten some pictures of the fog in the valleys making an under cast near the lower surrounding hills, but I was too busy pushing the skis to pull out my camera. The mountain saw a small amount of sleet or freezing rain around noon time and just a touch of light snow when I left at three–hardly a prelude to an incoming dump. By the time I got to Plymouth, the sky opened up and started raining. Cannon will definitely benefit from the system moving in this weekend but don’t expect any additional terrain to open other than Middle/Lower Cannon.

2004-2005 Season, Cannon Mountain, December, Earned Turns, Powder Day

Possessed by Powder at Cannon Mountain!

Lafayette from Tramway

Opening day at Cannon Mountain. Regardless of trail count or conditions, there is no place I would rather be. While en route to Cannon, I noticed a familiar pattern: the further north I drove, the more snow I saw. Coming around a corner on I-93 just past the Lakes Region, I spied the four major peaks of the Franconia Ridge caked in white, sparkling in a near cloudless blue sky. A rare perfect day at Cannon: blue bird skies following a major storm.

After breaking the pre-season legs in at Killington twice during November, I thought Cannon might be a disappointment. Despite operating one lift with only one route, Cannon did not disappoint due to mother nature’s bounty and a whole lot of thigh burn. Big Link, Middle Ravine, and Lower Ravine were open, the rest would have to be earned. I eagerly bought my $25 reduced price lift ticket and ascended Cannon’s Peabody slopes.

Guns were blazing everywhere with special attention being paid to a small stretch of Lower Ravine that was closed and Upper Cannon. Guns would be turned off on Lower Ravine and Upper Cannon later in the day as snow making moved down towards Middle Cannon. With a decent base already provided by mother nature, it is not going to take much snow making to get more slopes online.

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2003-2004 Season, Cannon Mountain, December

Weekend at Cannon (Day Two: Powder Less Day)

Owl's Head Highway, Route 115
Owl's Head Highway, Route 115

Day Two at dawned with much pain due to epic powder turns on Saturday. The soreness started at my back and went all the way through my hamstrings. For a moment, I debated going home and calling it a weekend. But thoughts of Taft Slalom and Upper/Middle Hard danced in my head. It was on.

For the morning, I slowly nursed my legs back into condition by sticking mostly to the groomers. I ducked into the bumps on Gary’s and Rocket which were rather nice for this time of year. Props to Cannon for letting the bumps build up on the side of these trails! Lower Cannon/Toss Up had sweet packed powder that warranted several runs! Rarely do I afford that distinction to a run classified as a green circle. With the front face closed, and my body warming to the task… I ventured up the tram for a final shot at the best snow on the mountain. The snow you gotta duck a rope to get to. For the third time, Taft Slalom provided awesome turns with some small bumps developing. And despite gradually thinning cover, Upper and Middle Hard delivered on the goods yet again.

I packed it in around noon time, deciding my body had taken a beating and needed me to relent. My bases are utterly destroyed as I mostly skied the natural snow trails all weekend; which although had a foot of powder, had no base whatsoever. These two days cap a December for the record books. With a fourth epic day of turns this month, all of which rivals some of my best days in February, I will happy pay the piper to repair my skis for the delight of earning those powdery turns. The turns ski dreams are made of.