C-c-c-c-c-cold!!! <BR> <BR>The overnight low in St. Johnsbury hit -27F. The elevation forecast for mid-day was -5F to -15F at 2,000 feet, and -10F to -20F at 4,000 feet. With those temps, why be in a rush to reach the hill in the morning? <BR> <BR>I accordingly changed plans. Rather than overnight in Montpelier on Friday night and arrive at Burke first thing Saturday morning, I opted to remain in Albany on Friday night and take a leisurely drive to Burke on Saturday morning, arriving for a couple of hours of afternoon skiing. It turned out to be more leisurely than I'd thought, and I didn't pull into the Mid-Burke parking lot until 1:30 pm. <BR> <BR>Bluebird skies, but the aforementioned cold pierced the psyche. Oddly, I'd put on too many layers, and I was actually breaking a slight sweat in my core. Extremities and any exposed skin were a different story. It was to the point that I couldn't link together more than two runs on the slow summit quad without heading in to thaw out fingertips and toes. Too freakin' cold to shoot pics or video. <BR> <BR>The beauty of the temps was that the place was deserted, not that Burke ever gets crowded. There were maybe 20 to 25 cars parked in the Mid-Burke lot. We'd ski entire top-to-bottom runs without spotting another foolhardy soul. <BR> <BR>The surfaces on the groomers were fast but forgiving, and nearly unblemished even at the late hour, thanks to the dearth of traffic. Nearly perfect stuff, aside from the fact that no "universal" wax works in stuff this cold. My skis totally lacked glide, sticking as if I had donned climbing skins. We dove into the Y-Knot and (closed) Dixieland glades, and both were divine thanks to a few inches of dry fluff topping the firm base underneath (Dixieland was understandably closed thanks to a couple of ski-trapping streamlets traversing the trail). <BR> <BR>Give 'em another foot, and the place will be back into A+ shape.