Pico, VT 02/26/12

jamesdeluxe

Administrator
On my way up to New Hampshire for five days, I wanted to break up the seven-hour drive with a ski day somewhere in Vermont. Originally, I thought about rolling the dice with Magic to support the cause (I bought the t-shirt), but it sounded like southern VT got walloped with the NCP stick, so I decided to go to Pico for the first time in many moons. They were claiming 15 inches since Friday, so how could I argue with that.

Picture 019a.jpg


There was very little snow on the ground in and around Rutland, but it got noticeably more wintry the closer I got to Pico. The parking lot was filled, but as is always the case at this mountain, there were little to no lift lines. The longest I waited all day was 90 seconds. There were also concerns about the summit chair, which derailed yesterday followed by a full evac of everyone on it; however, it ran fine and was ski-on all day.

I love the old Yan's teardrop-shaped chairs:
Picture 014a.jpg


Within a couple runs, I figured out what the deal was. The new snow was the driest pixie dust imaginable -- exactly what everyone claims that we never get back east. The blues and green trails were like velvet, but on the upper mountain, you had to shop for turns on anything steep or you'd have a close encounter with a hideous bottom from before the storm.

By 10 am, I headed over to the Outback chair, which hasn't run all season. All you needed to do was herring-bone or walk about two minutes up a groomed trail:
Picture 004a.jpg


Wrangler was completely tracked out. Still, very fun to ski:
Picture 005a.jpg


Under the chair was better:
Picture 008.jpg


All of the trees to the skier's left of the lift were completely untouched. No one had gone in (how's that possible?). Never touched bottom once on seven laps.
Picture 009a.jpg


You gotta love Pico: the anti-Killington (that's what some guy on the chair called it).

Oh yeah, here's something for Admin -- my mother found this old Thermos in our basement. I've been using it this season to carry hot tea on the drive to the mountains. It's amazing; ten hours later and the tea is still scalding hot. Since your father was a Thermos big shot, maybe you can tell me which year it's from? I'm guessing late 60s?

Picture 003.jpg
 
I remember seeing that bottle on the test bench, so no later than the mid-70s or so.
 
Unexpected local event at Stowe in the same time frame - storm just hung there all Fri/Sat
I will attest the 30-40in Stowe claimed over the weekend was for real -- and Sunday was a bluebird powder day (sorry no pics to back up)
But check out the crazy rise at the Mt Mansfield Stake - Fri/Sat
http://www.uvm.edu/skivt-l/?Page=depths.php

Conditions at Stowe very good at the moment - with some snow in the forecast the rest of the week - guessing Bolton/Smuggs also got similar amounts

dparz
 
Back
Top