Category: Reports by Month

2005-2006 Season, Cannon Mountain, Earned Turns, October, Powder Day, Video

Like It Was Done Seventy Years Ago: 14″ at Cannon

Ascending Banshee

Skinning up a foot and a half of fresh on Middle Cannon, I realized I was skiing Cannon the way it was originally done. Ski trails were cut long before the Tram began whisking skiers to the wind blown summit of Cannon Mountain. The truly devout skiers of the early 1930’s would make two or three ascents of Cannon on a good day following a big storm earning untracked fresh every run. I followed in their footsteps, earning turns on the best snow possible where ever and when ever it falls.

The development of Cannon as a ski area increased the mountain’s trail count and eventually widened many of its narrow and twisty classics. But the character and feel of the mountain still lingers including the dedication of its skiers. Nearly 70 years after the original Tram was constructed at Cannon, the die hards are still earning turns and being rewarded for their efforts. Our skin tracks paid silent homage to those early skiers who earned their runs without the benefits of short fatties, wicking clothing, and high tech touring gear.

An early season Nor easter materialized suddenly from the remnants of passing Hurricane Wilma. Weathermen scrambled to predict an erratic storm with unreliable models. The consensus developed that upper elevation terrain was going to be slammed by heavy snow. I canceled my Wednesday 2:30PM car appointment and changed plans to include dropping into a foot and a half of fresh. Tuesday evening the reports began boasting of snow fall measured in feet, not inches. The second major snow storm of October roared into New England much to the glee and delight of turn earners across the region.

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2005-2006 Season, Bolton Valley, Earned Turns, October

First Significant Snowfall at Bolton Valley, VT

Steve at Vista Peak

The amazing thing about backcountry gear is it allows a skier or rider to over rule ski area management about how long the season will be. The operation of lifts no longer dictate when I can or can not ski. So when it snows at elevation in Vermont during October and half a foot of White Gold coats the mountain tops, I can head up and get some. My last day on skis was 113 days ago during early July in Tuckerman Ravine. My latest season to date has been followed up by my earliest season to date and my shortest off season.

Reports of potential snow in higher elevations of Vermont began filtering through the NWS reports and subsequently many Northeastern Ski Forums. The weather forecasters totally missed the call on this crazy snow storm. Slowly the reports came trickling in Sunday Morning. An inch in the Mad River Valley soon became half a foot. Claims of a foot of fresh were posted from Killington. A report of 3-6″ on the lower slopes of Bolton Valley caught my eye and had my car wheels rolling within the hour.

Early in September, I made a call in a most joking manner that October 23rd would be the first big snow storm for my area. With humorous bravado, I went one step further and claimed that I would be skiing on the 23rd as well. I am still amazed that my off the wall guess was accurate.

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2004-2005 Season, Because, Earned Turns, July, Mount Washington, Tuckerman Ravine

July Turns in Tuckerman Ravine

Glorious July Sliding in Tuckerman Ravine

“Yes, there really is snow up there.” “No, I am not carrying my skis to train for next season.” “Yes, I really am going skiing today!” At one point while hiking down the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, I was so sick of answering questions that I told the next hikers I saw “yes, I really just skied” before they could ask. It was funny answering all the questions at first but it got old pretty quick.

Nearly a month after making my first ever turns in June, I returned to Tuckerman Ravine to make my first ever July turns. Recent reports online had very impressive amounts of snow remaining in the Ravine. Recent rains and high temperatures had washed much of the snow away but more than enough was left for July turns!

Chute sported a small patch of snow remaining below the choke but was hardly worth the effort for the four or five possible turns. Two other skiers decided to try the Chute snow patch and had great difficulty ascending the patch. At one point, one of the slides fell and took a slide but managed to recover before falling off the patch.

The preferred option with the most vertical was the long but narrow snow patch under the waterfall. The run paralleled the Tuckerman Ravine Trail for approximately 150 vertical feet. Up to twenty turns could be had if you really milked the run and even less if you opened things up a bit. Those twenty or so turns were heaven! Wow!

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2004-2005 Season, Because, Earned Turns, June, Mount Washington, Tuckerman Ravine

Tuckerman Ravine, NH

Tuckerman Ravine from the Cache

My first ever June turns were had at Tuckerman Ravine. The big news in the Ravine today was a car sized rock falling off the headwall and nearly decapitating a skier. I was just clicking into my skis in Left Gully when a commotion of yelling and screaming could be heard from the Ravine proper. I could not see the action due to the gully, but when I reached Lunch Rocks, I was told that a car sized rock fell off the headwall and split into two pieces. The two pieces tracked in various directions with one hunk gunning for a person climbing up Chute. The rock looked to be heading straight down at first, but then started turning towards the bottom of the chute. word was the guy jumped at the last second and saved his life by two feet! The ravine cleared out pretty fast after that humbling experience was witnessed by most of the people up there.

The heat today was oppressive. The hike up to the bowl was easy enough. But once in the bowl, the sun came out and started baking everyone and everything. Even with minimal acceptable clothing for skiing the ravine for my standards, I was over heating. Having decided a warm up on the bottom part of Chute was in order first, I booted up below Lunch Rocks and began my ascent. While hiking up, a “river of snow” started sliding down the bowl next to me. How weird, cool, and concerning all at the same time! I only hiked up to the chock of the Chute as I wanted to conserve my energy for the hike up Left Gully. I clicked in and began making turns on the ridiculously wet snow. Making turns and stopping became a minor issue because the ski edges were cutting and sliding rather than digging in. It was okay skiing but left something to be desired.

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2004-2005 Season, Earned Turns, Killington, May

Late May Earned Turns at Killington

Late May at Killington

Saturday May 29th found me running all over New England for Memorial Day Weekend festivities and moving errands. At 10 P.M., I found myself in my old apartment in Salem, Massachusetts cleaning the place up and dropping off the keys to the landlord. I was looking at a late night three hour drive home to Vermont which was not very appealing. Also, I was planning a run at Killington’s Superstar the following day. Killington being two hours away from St. Johnsbury had me doing over 12 hours of driving in a 24 hour window which was very unappealing. Fortunately, I had planned for the dilemma by already packing my gear and sleeping bag in my car. I saved a four hour round trip from St. Johnsbury by driving straight up to Killington that night and doing some car camping at Hotel Mobil.

Says the cashier when I walk into the store the next morning looking for breakfast: “Was that you sleeping in the car?” Says I: “Yes it was!”

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