2007-2008 Season, Earned Turns, November, Sunday River

Earned Turns at Sunday River

Steve at the Top of Locke

When American Ski Company dissolved and sold off its assets, no one could have predicted how many great things the new ownership would do in such a short period of time. Boyne USA Resorts stepped right up to the plate and began transforming its new Maine Resorts, Sunday River and Sugarloaf, from the neglected bastard childs of ASC to the impressive resorts they have the potential to be. Both Sunday River and Sugarloaf fired up snow making during the last week of October and Sunday River managed to open T2 on Halloween via uploading on Chair 4, thumbing its nose at the tight pockets of the former owners.

After this past Tuesday’s effort at Attitash, I was eager for some quality turns to make up for the desperate display of stupidity earlier in the week. With a planned opening date of November 9th and the snow making capability to do it, Sunday River is currently the early season leader to beat. The combination of less hiking and nearly enough snow to ski back to my car made Sunday River the obvious choice for turn earning instead of Killington.

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2007-2008 Season, Attitash, Earned Turns, October

First Turns of the Season at Attitash??

Steve Doing Early Season Patch Skiing at Attitash

Already four days behind last season’s epic start, I had resigned myself to no October turns for the first time in three seasons. After a massive snow making push by seven New England ski resorts this past weekend, I was chomping at the bit to boot up and make some turns. Attitash posted some impressive pictures and video of their snow making efforts using their new line up of SMI Polecat Fan Guns. Unfortunately, the man made white gold fell on unfrozen ground which quickly melted out the snow and any chance for top to bottom turns.

On this day before my twenty-ninth birthday, I find myself one year older but no less the wiser when it comes to pursuing skiing adventures and the pursuit of turns the hard way. After jetting out of work an hour early, I pointed my car north and drove up through Franconia Notch and the down through Crawford Notch. Driving past Bretton Woods en route to Attitash, I was dumb founded by the lack of snow. While I figured Bretton Woods used the snow making more for publicity than anything substantial, I held out hope that Attitash would have the real deal. Stepping out of my car and gazing upon Roland’s Run was disheartening but I was not about to let any amount of grass between snow patches get in the way of my first turns of the season!

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Big Jay Coverage

BC Ski Community Rallies, GMC Sub-Committee Formed

Backcountry skiers have rallied behind restoration efforts for Big Jay. A Green Mountain Club Press Release specifies that the Backcountry population has voiced their disdain concerning the illegal cut on Big Jay. The community has incorporated educational and fund raising efforts into four events including three ski movie premiers. Backcountry ski volunteers assisted with a restoration project held on October 14th to install waterbars and other errosion prevention measures on the cut under the guidance of supervising ecologist Jeff Parsons.

The Green Mountain Club has formed a sub-committee of the GMC Stewardship Committee to address and advise on the issue. This latest Press Release from the Green Mountain Club suggests that the cut was done using chainsaws and the width of the cut ranges from 20 to 60 feet throughout the entire length. The Green Mountain Club is calling the cut the “worst easement violation in the history of GMC’s Land Protection Program.”

Green Mountain Club Press Release: Trees Illegally Cut on Public Land at Big Jay

Book Reviews

Falling Season by Hal Clifford

Falling SeasonFalling Season is the term Aspen’s Mountain Rescue team uses to denote the time of year when mountain activity and associated injuries increase substantially. Numerous climbers and hikers, both prepared and unprepared alike, begin venturing into the mountains during late Spring. When accidents occur and rescues are needed, volunteer driven teams such as Aspen’s Mountain Rescue put themselves in harms way to save lives.

As a member of Aspen’s Mountain Rescue team, Hal Clifford has an insider’s view of Aspen Mountain Rescue specifically and Search and Rescue in general. Clifford acknowledges his biases by stating up front that he is a member of the Mountain Rescue team first and an author second. The author manages that balance well by utilizing quotes from everyone involved and painting a balanced story.

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News

Snowmaking Begins in New England

Snowmaking crews fired up the guns at seven New England ski areas Sunday night to commence preparations for opening the 2007-2008 season. Only time will tell which one of these front runners will open first but suffice to say no bull wheels will likely be turning for at least another two weeks. TheSnowWay.com will be reporting first tracks and first hand reports and pictures very soon! But for now, sit back and enjoy some pictures taken at each of the following mountains:

Maine:
Sugarloaf/USA
Sunday River

New Hampshire:
Attitash
Bretton Woods

Vermont:
Killington
Mount Snow
Sugarbush (No Cam Shot but snowmaking has been verified)