Saturday the drive north to Sugarbush started in heavy rain in Cavendish and ended in sleet/mist/snow and Sugarbush. It was a $25 lift ticket for a food donation and despite the temps around freezing there was some wet natural snow. Hitting the 'bush was the right call as there was respectable conditions on the open trails and I even saw a few masochists in the woods near Bravo.
The snow was what I would call 'base snow' as it was wet, but not gloppy. Several natural snow trails were open, but didn't hold up well to the traffic. Upper FIS was open which was a pleasant surprise. FIS had some good lines, but these were hard to see in the mist and some firmer lines that let people on the lift hear you skiing even if they couldn't see you.
Stratton had a CSC day which allows the little people see what they are missing at a luxury resort for $28. It was snowing at Startton and there was some fluff over well groomed sugar and white ice chunks the diameter of strawberries. Season pass holders called these ice balls 'death cookies', but they were way too small for that name.
Stratton allows season pass holders and their guests (which I was not) a half hour of skiing before the hoi poloi. I snagged a gondola and was able to ski some left over fresh snow. It seemed like most skiers only ski the middle of these vast trails leaving long lines of sugar 10 feet wide along the trail edges. The trail centers did seem to get firm as the day went on, but the sugar piles grew to the point where moduls would have formed if more than three of us had skied the line.
The trails that were open were covered with a respectable substance resembling snow that skied well and was very consistent. The bulk of the open terrain is off the summit and is a melange of blue, black and double black trails. It was fun trying to tell the difference between the ratings which are of course relative only to other trails at Stratton. Doing laps off of high speed quads and skiing sugary lines all day is tiring. This was enjoyable early season skiing and allowed the well heeled at Stratton see what they are missing when I'm not around.
The snow was what I would call 'base snow' as it was wet, but not gloppy. Several natural snow trails were open, but didn't hold up well to the traffic. Upper FIS was open which was a pleasant surprise. FIS had some good lines, but these were hard to see in the mist and some firmer lines that let people on the lift hear you skiing even if they couldn't see you.
Stratton had a CSC day which allows the little people see what they are missing at a luxury resort for $28. It was snowing at Startton and there was some fluff over well groomed sugar and white ice chunks the diameter of strawberries. Season pass holders called these ice balls 'death cookies', but they were way too small for that name.
Stratton allows season pass holders and their guests (which I was not) a half hour of skiing before the hoi poloi. I snagged a gondola and was able to ski some left over fresh snow. It seemed like most skiers only ski the middle of these vast trails leaving long lines of sugar 10 feet wide along the trail edges. The trail centers did seem to get firm as the day went on, but the sugar piles grew to the point where moduls would have formed if more than three of us had skied the line.
The trails that were open were covered with a respectable substance resembling snow that skied well and was very consistent. The bulk of the open terrain is off the summit and is a melange of blue, black and double black trails. It was fun trying to tell the difference between the ratings which are of course relative only to other trails at Stratton. Doing laps off of high speed quads and skiing sugary lines all day is tiring. This was enjoyable early season skiing and allowed the well heeled at Stratton see what they are missing when I'm not around.