admafw
New member
Last day of a 6 day trip - seems like I'd saved the best for last. (planned - Ski & Ride with the Point day - 1/2 price lift ticket.) Driving up I95 from Magic the day before I could see Mt. Mansfield shrouded in snow in the distance. Stayed on the road close to the mountain (Northern Lights Lodge - excellent value/super friendly) - snow started there around 4 pm and got heavier overnight. Still snowing steady in the morning - report from the hill said 7-12" and I'll vouch for that!
Got to the hill late (8:30) and parked up by the gondola lodge as the main lot looked 2/3rds full. Turns out the gondola was on wind hold. Skated over to the main (Liftline) quad - first run was down a pretty crudded up Nosedive. Near the bottom I noticed a lineup starting at the gondola base - took a chance and decided to join the line. Sometimes the ski gods smile as in <5 minutes they allowed the line to start loading. Every car packed - even more so as they were forcing all the boards & super fat skis into the cabins due to wind gust worries. Lots of planning talk on the way up - the proper routes to link untracked honey holes. Since I was on mid-fats and skiing alone I was looking for untracked on-piste. 1st run - Gondolier - untracked up top - groomed up the middle but lots of fresh on either side. Really light & powdery snow. (3-5 " @Magic the day before had been wet & heavy.) Got fresh! Yee Hah!
2nd run down Chin Clip - tracked with some fresh lines in places - enough snow blown in that some of the big moguls turned out to be 2 small ones with drifts in between. Mid run vow to work harder on cardio for next season...
Amazing day - snow and wind filling in lines on the lower angled runs. The groomed steep stuff bumped up with soft bumps & crud over the existing base. Had planned to leave by 2pm to haul back home - worked out as the braced up knee started to stiffen each time up. Possibly the best conditions I've ever skied at Stowe with more snow called for in the next week - looks like it'll be a long spring season in North/Central Vermont!
Got to the hill late (8:30) and parked up by the gondola lodge as the main lot looked 2/3rds full. Turns out the gondola was on wind hold. Skated over to the main (Liftline) quad - first run was down a pretty crudded up Nosedive. Near the bottom I noticed a lineup starting at the gondola base - took a chance and decided to join the line. Sometimes the ski gods smile as in <5 minutes they allowed the line to start loading. Every car packed - even more so as they were forcing all the boards & super fat skis into the cabins due to wind gust worries. Lots of planning talk on the way up - the proper routes to link untracked honey holes. Since I was on mid-fats and skiing alone I was looking for untracked on-piste. 1st run - Gondolier - untracked up top - groomed up the middle but lots of fresh on either side. Really light & powdery snow. (3-5 " @Magic the day before had been wet & heavy.) Got fresh! Yee Hah!
2nd run down Chin Clip - tracked with some fresh lines in places - enough snow blown in that some of the big moguls turned out to be 2 small ones with drifts in between. Mid run vow to work harder on cardio for next season...
Amazing day - snow and wind filling in lines on the lower angled runs. The groomed steep stuff bumped up with soft bumps & crud over the existing base. Had planned to leave by 2pm to haul back home - worked out as the braced up knee started to stiffen each time up. Possibly the best conditions I've ever skied at Stowe with more snow called for in the next week - looks like it'll be a long spring season in North/Central Vermont!