Jay Silveira
New member
<I>(Note from the Administrator: This report was originally posted on 12/15/99. Due to our move to new servers, the date and time attributed to this post is incorrect.)</I> <BR> <BR>Another storm visited Northern New England on Friday into Saturday, <BR>dropping over a foot of snow on many areas in the Green Mountains. The <BR>latest reports I heard included 16" at Stowe, and 14" in Waitsfield. <BR>Sugarbush was reporting 12"+, and Killington was reporting 13". The <BR>measurements were probably difficult due to the intense wind that blew <BR>Friday night and much of the day Saturday. In Burlington, we got our <BR>usual dusting, while 20 minutes away, the mountains were getting <BR>loaded. The Weather Channel was covering the storm in almost every <BR>segment, showing radar images of northern New England and updating storm <BR>totals. <BR>Sunday was calling for sunny skies in the morning, followed by <BR>increasing clouds. The wind had died down, but we knew yesterday’s snow <BR>would be drifted and packed. As we pulled into the parking lot at <BR>Lincoln Peak (8:04 A.M.), there were already about 80 cars there, and <BR>the lineup at the Super Bravo looked to be about 40 people. We missed <BR>the lineup for the Super Bravo, and with the amount of terrain open <BR>(basically Jester and Organgrinder to Downspout), we weren’t optimistic <BR>about catching any fresh snow left on the sides of the trails. This was <BR>the first chance for E to try out her midfats in powder, and luckily, a <BR>stash of untouched snow remained on the skier’s right as we go off the <BR>lift. A roller coaster series of bumps with fresh snow made for a fun <BR>ride. Once we were on Downspout, the surface was firm groomed with some <BR>loose snow on it. It had really been groomed wall to wall, so there <BR>were no strips of powder on the sides, but at least the surface was <BR>looses enough to bite into. <BR>When we arrived at the Heaven’s Gate lift, we found that it hadn’t been <BR>loaded yet, so we hopped in line and waited for our turn. Within a <BR>couple minutes, they began to load and we headed up. The early morning <BR>sun was hitting Lincoln and the surrounding peaks with an <BR>orangish-yellow glow, while the lower elevations were still darkened by <BR>clouds and undercast. It made for an incredible scene, and once off the <BR>lift, we hiked up to the top of the peak to take in the views as well as <BR>catch the additional strip of untracked snow that fed down to Jester. <BR>The area below the observation deck was wind scoured down to rock, but <BR>the trail to Jester was nice. The snow had drifted to over two feet in <BR>some areas, and there was barely enough slope to keep us going. The <BR>snow was certainly wind-packed, but varied in density from time to time <BR>so we had to stay on our toes to keep the turns flowing. E took first <BR>tracks making so-so turns in the pow, and then flailed miserably just <BR>before completing the segment. I followed suit and wound up crashing <BR>about half way down. Chris took the conservative approach, <BR>straight-lining the segment and coming out unscathed. Easing onto <BR>Jester, we found nice groomed conditions, with untracked snow on the <BR>sides and many of the corners. Making nice long carves along the <BR>corners and swinging to outside in the untracked was nice. Guns were <BR>running on about half the trail, but weren’t too annoying. The blown <BR>snow did change the consistency of the untracked area at times, working <BR>in some of the heavier manmade. <BR>After a really fun run down Jester, E was grinning like a nut and we <BR>were ready to hit it again. Downspout had already begun to change with <BR>the traffic. The snow was being pushed around, icier sections were <BR>appearing, and people were getting too close for comfort. The softer <BR>snow was beginning to build up on the edges, but it wasn’t quite there <BR>yet, and we were a bit dismayed to think that we’d have to hit Downspout <BR>on each run, no matter what we did (due to the available trails). As it <BR>turns out, that was not quite the case and none of us knew what we would <BR>be in for as the day wore on. 
We did the Jester Downspout route <BR>again, trying to better our lines in the snow off the summit section. <BR>It was another great run down Jester, with untracked still remaining on <BR>some of the corners and in between the snow gun hoses. Downspout had <BR>continued its downward trend, even more ice exposed than the previous <BR>run. When we arrived again at the base of the Heaven’s Gate lift, we <BR>ran into Mango as we had tentatively planned. He was raring to go, and <BR>also commented on the icy conditions on Downspout. I theorized that if <BR>we followed the trail out to the base, we could hit untapped regions of <BR>untracked. Granted, this route is green, but most people were more <BR>concerned with maintaining their speed than grabbing the snow on the <BR>edges, so we were in the money. The sides yielded a good 4-6" of <BR>powder, and Mango managed to dive off the edge of the trail into the <BR>gully on the skier’s right more than once. We finished the run, and the <BR>excitement level of the group had risen a notch. We wanted more! We <BR>loaded on the Super Bravo for another run down Downspout. Now that it <BR>was around 10:00, the traffic was getting even thicker, and the surface <BR>even scratchier. We loaded again on Heaven’s Gate, and when we got off, <BR>a somewhat strange turn of events found us… <BR> <BR>…hiking north along the Long Trail in search of the type of snow that we <BR>all dreamed about; the softer, quieter, gentler type of snow know as <BR>powder. Following the tracks of a few other powderhounds, we worked our <BR>way along the trail. The hiking trail conditions were fluff and rock, <BR>no base. Although there were a couple of segments that suggested <BR>sliding on one’s skis, even Mango on his $15 yard sale special’s <BR>couldn’t justify the damage that incurred when if you tried to slide <BR>every downhill segment of the L.T. This lengthened the hike to probably <BR>twice what it usually is when a good base is present on the trail, but <BR>who could complain when the scene was just so good. Blue skies, <BR>temperatures in the 20s, no wind, and a winter wonderland of trees just <BR>plastered with new snow. And of course, the added anticipation of what <BR>lay at the end of our trek. We stopped a couple of times along the way, <BR>Mango provided the food "Fruit AND Nut" as I like to call it, and Chris <BR>provided the drink. Before long, we popped out of the woods and found <BR>ourselves atop Castlerock Peak, on a wind-scoured, grassy, nearly <BR>snow-free surface. We had been lucky with Middle Earth before, and the <BR>plan was to try it this time as well. The upper flat section was <BR>scoured clean in many areas, but wind protected areas had snow drifted <BR>to thigh-deep. After Mango did some brief surgery on one of his boots <BR>(supplied as usual by Chris our equipment specialist) we were on our <BR>way. We stuck to the drifts on the skier’s left, and even had to go <BR>over some frozen grass at times before we got to the where the trail <BR>started to dive down into the valley. Any concerns about enough snow <BR>evaporated at this point. Mango jumped in first, working his way down <BR>around the first corner, and testing out the potential for rocks with <BR>his yard sale specials. The test revealed no problems with rocks, and E <BR>dove in next using midfat power to link a nice series of turns. Next, <BR>it was my turn, and I found the snow to be fairly consistent, wind <BR>packed, but evening out to around a feeling of maybe 10% H2O. It was a <BR>snow that was fun to play in, but if you didn’t stay in good balance, it <BR>loved to suck you under too far and try to wreck you. Snow depths <BR>ranged from around 8 inches on the low end, to about 30 inches where it <BR>had drifted (often the skier’s left of the trail). Chris finished off <BR>the first section, and we then moved down into what I believe is know as <BR>the "Jaws" of Middle Earth, where it narrows a bit before banging a left <BR>turn and straightening out. Mango probed for rocks, and directed us to <BR>the best coverage. We did encounter a couple of rocks, but later <BR>inspection of skis revealed only minor damage. The next section <BR>featured moderate slope, and everyone took their time and made some nice <BR>tracks. The advantages of midfats were evident as we watched E, <BR>certainly not a veteran to skiing all types of powder conditions, <BR>linking nice turns in even tough spots. The rest of us struggled to <BR>maintain form, with Mango skiing on one ski, with the other up near his <BR>head (as he somehow does) at times. As we slid into the lower <BR>elevations with their more moderate pitch, everyone was primed from the <BR>steeper sections above and many a nice line was laid down. I’m always <BR>amazed at how long the trails seem to go on before getting back to the <BR>Castlerock lift, the slope just seems to last and last. As we hit the <BR>runout below Castlerock, and finally merged back into reality with the <BR>other skiers, it was like coming back to civilization. Not necessarily <BR>bad, but certainly different. Mango had to leave, E and I hit the <BR>lodge, and Chris went up for a final run to check out Organgrinder. He <BR>reported somewhat icy conditions, with a bit of coverage lost around the <BR>middle section. I was happy enough to end the day when I had, there’s a <BR>certain satisfaction that comes from saving the best for last.
We did the Jester Downspout route <BR>again, trying to better our lines in the snow off the summit section. <BR>It was another great run down Jester, with untracked still remaining on <BR>some of the corners and in between the snow gun hoses. Downspout had <BR>continued its downward trend, even more ice exposed than the previous <BR>run. When we arrived again at the base of the Heaven’s Gate lift, we <BR>ran into Mango as we had tentatively planned. He was raring to go, and <BR>also commented on the icy conditions on Downspout. I theorized that if <BR>we followed the trail out to the base, we could hit untapped regions of <BR>untracked. Granted, this route is green, but most people were more <BR>concerned with maintaining their speed than grabbing the snow on the <BR>edges, so we were in the money. The sides yielded a good 4-6" of <BR>powder, and Mango managed to dive off the edge of the trail into the <BR>gully on the skier’s right more than once. We finished the run, and the <BR>excitement level of the group had risen a notch. We wanted more! We <BR>loaded on the Super Bravo for another run down Downspout. Now that it <BR>was around 10:00, the traffic was getting even thicker, and the surface <BR>even scratchier. We loaded again on Heaven’s Gate, and when we got off, <BR>a somewhat strange turn of events found us… <BR> <BR>…hiking north along the Long Trail in search of the type of snow that we <BR>all dreamed about; the softer, quieter, gentler type of snow know as <BR>powder. Following the tracks of a few other powderhounds, we worked our <BR>way along the trail. The hiking trail conditions were fluff and rock, <BR>no base. Although there were a couple of segments that suggested <BR>sliding on one’s skis, even Mango on his $15 yard sale special’s <BR>couldn’t justify the damage that incurred when if you tried to slide <BR>every downhill segment of the L.T. This lengthened the hike to probably <BR>twice what it usually is when a good base is present on the trail, but <BR>who could complain when the scene was just so good. Blue skies, <BR>temperatures in the 20s, no wind, and a winter wonderland of trees just <BR>plastered with new snow. And of course, the added anticipation of what <BR>lay at the end of our trek. We stopped a couple of times along the way, <BR>Mango provided the food "Fruit AND Nut" as I like to call it, and Chris <BR>provided the drink. Before long, we popped out of the woods and found <BR>ourselves atop Castlerock Peak, on a wind-scoured, grassy, nearly <BR>snow-free surface. We had been lucky with Middle Earth before, and the <BR>plan was to try it this time as well. The upper flat section was <BR>scoured clean in many areas, but wind protected areas had snow drifted <BR>to thigh-deep. After Mango did some brief surgery on one of his boots <BR>(supplied as usual by Chris our equipment specialist) we were on our <BR>way. We stuck to the drifts on the skier’s left, and even had to go <BR>over some frozen grass at times before we got to the where the trail <BR>started to dive down into the valley. Any concerns about enough snow <BR>evaporated at this point. Mango jumped in first, working his way down <BR>around the first corner, and testing out the potential for rocks with <BR>his yard sale specials. The test revealed no problems with rocks, and E <BR>dove in next using midfat power to link a nice series of turns. Next, <BR>it was my turn, and I found the snow to be fairly consistent, wind <BR>packed, but evening out to around a feeling of maybe 10% H2O. It was a <BR>snow that was fun to play in, but if you didn’t stay in good balance, it <BR>loved to suck you under too far and try to wreck you. Snow depths <BR>ranged from around 8 inches on the low end, to about 30 inches where it <BR>had drifted (often the skier’s left of the trail). Chris finished off <BR>the first section, and we then moved down into what I believe is know as <BR>the "Jaws" of Middle Earth, where it narrows a bit before banging a left <BR>turn and straightening out. Mango probed for rocks, and directed us to <BR>the best coverage. We did encounter a couple of rocks, but later <BR>inspection of skis revealed only minor damage. The next section <BR>featured moderate slope, and everyone took their time and made some nice <BR>tracks. The advantages of midfats were evident as we watched E, <BR>certainly not a veteran to skiing all types of powder conditions, <BR>linking nice turns in even tough spots. The rest of us struggled to <BR>maintain form, with Mango skiing on one ski, with the other up near his <BR>head (as he somehow does) at times. As we slid into the lower <BR>elevations with their more moderate pitch, everyone was primed from the <BR>steeper sections above and many a nice line was laid down. I’m always <BR>amazed at how long the trails seem to go on before getting back to the <BR>Castlerock lift, the slope just seems to last and last. As we hit the <BR>runout below Castlerock, and finally merged back into reality with the <BR>other skiers, it was like coming back to civilization. Not necessarily <BR>bad, but certainly different. Mango had to leave, E and I hit the <BR>lodge, and Chris went up for a final run to check out Organgrinder. He <BR>reported somewhat icy conditions, with a bit of coverage lost around the <BR>middle section. I was happy enough to end the day when I had, there’s a <BR>certain satisfaction that comes from saving the best for last.