The morning dawned with bright sun shine, blue skies, and very comfortable temperatures. Weather forecasts were calling for a ninety percent chance of rain showers during the afternoon, but the morning was shaping up to be every skier’s wet snow dream. I boarded the Single Chair at 9:15 A.M. with a big grin on my face that continued throughout the day. It was no April Fool’s joke that today would be Mad River Glen’s last day of operation for the season and I planned on going out with a bang.
I began with a groomer run down Upper Antelope which held out well despite the recent high temperatures. Only one major bare patch existed near the top of the run with about five feet of snow on either side. The snow was wet and frozen gran with lots occasional thin spots with an occasional spot featuring Mashed Potatoes. Ice flows were amazingly edgable!
Back up the Single I went for a run down Chute which still had decent cover. The cliff area near the top was very thin and careful turns needed to be made down lower on Chute where ice flows and dirt presented fun obstacles to contend with. Fall Line sported some incredible snow! Some thin cover but mostly a hoot. Hoping Lynx remained open, I ventured down Upper Antelope again only to find Lynx roped, so I headed back to the Single. Just before entering onto Catamount, none other than Patrick from the FirstTracks!! Online Forum blows right past me! We had previously discussed meeting at 9 A.M., but various conflicts ensured that we would not connect in the morning at the Base Box. I figured we would eventually bump into each other. It is always great to meet and ski with another accomplished skier and share some turns.
We tracked down Chute for more bumps then back up the Single for another shot at Fall Line which was still holding up well. The top part of Fall Line before the Paradise split had a few folks side stepping for dear life! We missed the Single Chair cut back and were dumped into Creamery which was fun requiring careful turns to avoid the thin cover and the regeneration zones. The run out on Bunny was not half as bad as I had expected based on the “be prepared to walk” warnings. In reality, only one section was particularly nasty. Walking was not required so long as you were willing to link a few random patches of snow/ice and/or ski over some moss. Approaching the bottom of Bunny, Patrick and I spotted a patroller. The thought had occurred to me to ask around and see if Mark Renson was on duty today. Patrick indicated he thought the patroller might be mark and sure enough it was! We made quick introductions before heading back up the Single Chair.
I suspected the next run up the Single would be my last for the day. The clouds were getting darker and more ominous and I expected rain storms to pay General Stark Mountain a visit sooner rather than latter. Just as we were approaching the mid-station, I felt one drop of rain. “Here it comes!!!” An instant down poor with no warning. I was completely soaked by the time we reached Stark’s Nest, my jacket had soaked through and it was a miserable feeling. My last run of the season at Mad River Glen was definitely at hand and I really wanted to give Paradise one last rip. Despite the rain and nastiness of being completely drenched, I found Paradise to be awesome! The most technical run i have skied this season also was the wettest! Route finding skills were at a premium as we carefully picked our way down some ridiculously thin cover with occasional goodies and nice lines. Nearing the bottom, the snow was running out and lines were tough to find. Open water ran everywhere! The snow was undermined in many areas and starting to open up. I love this technical thin cover route finding stuff. Sometimes we picked wisely, other times we were placed in situations that required some creativity. Despite the conditions and the weather, we had a great run.
Despite having so much fun, I was soaked and cold without a change of clothes. I was definitely done for the day. After another run out on Bunny, we headed back to the Base Box and hung out for a while partaking in some lunch and conversation. Patrick stuck around for a few more runs and the share holders meeting while I decided to hit the road.
Mad River Glen is closed for the season now. I was very happy to have been able to utilize all three of my mad cards, although last Sunday’s attempt only saw one run due to soreness and fatigue in my elbow. Some days, one run up the Single is enough to satisfy. Even though today was less than three hours of skiing, it satisfied quite well.
