TR Replies
Checked out your skintrack from chair 2, sweet!
These reports always bring out the nostalgic expats - like me. Welcome to the PNW when you make the migration we all made for near year-round good skiing. But yeah - the place and people back in NNE are top notch and I never stop feeling the pull. I was lucky enough to grow up spending large chunks of time in Western ME, and later to live in VT for 8 years and spend one year at the Eastern Bloc condos at the base village at Bolton Valley when they changed ownership and the reso...
David Goodman's series of books are a great resource for NY, ME, VT, NH, MA BC skiing. Good beta on what's to explore. At least 20 years ago! You'll see a pattern, most of the summer hiking trails can (and should!) be skied. The gems are the 1930's CCC trails scattered around NE, a large number becoming ski areas (Stowe has a bunch), while others lost to memory (but I'm sure not turns).
Western ME has some great BC skiing...
Western ME has some great BC skiing...
Thanks for this thread! With an impending move to western Maine this summer (to ~ 40 miles south of Sugarloaf, <2 hours to the Whites), it's encouraging to see some enthusiasm about east coast BC. Does anyone know terrain or have suggestions for eastern NH/western Maine?
Very cool. I remember my first experience skiing bottomless powder at Jay Peak. Butternut Mtn for life :)
author=wcurchin link=topic=38243.msg155047#msg155047 date=1491584511]
VT: Tear drop trial on backside of mansfield, once a secret, now far from it. Great skiing.
Not sure if I agree whether Teardrop was ever a secret (it's a cut ski trail!) but there are still some others around that side of Mansfield. I will say no more.
Epic! May need to get another ice axe and some boot cramps and give this a go!!
Lots of feels in this thread! I grew up in VT and lived there through college. Didn't get into touring until moving west, but have dabbled on trips and talked to friends back east.
VT: Tear drop trial on backside of mansfield, once a secret, now far from it. Great skiing. Lots of touring off the top of mt. mansfield and you can skin up under the gondola before opening as a great means of accessing the terrain above treeline that drops into the notch (read hellbrook). RASTA trail...
VT: Tear drop trial on backside of mansfield, once a secret, now far from it. Great skiing. Lots of touring off the top of mt. mansfield and you can skin up under the gondola before opening as a great means of accessing the terrain above treeline that drops into the notch (read hellbrook). RASTA trail...
author=freeski link=topic=38158.msg154943#msg154943 date=1491160332]
For those that know the skiing history of ruby mt i ask-
Would it have been a common occurance to have had 3 seperate groups stacked up in the avalanche terrain there before tay trip reports sent people out hunting for skin tracks in areas previously off the radar?
I think the Tay effect has respectfully been replaced by the Volken effect....
^^^
With the large drink. ;)
Thanks for sharing, and for the chuckle. I know I've had my share of folly.
Cool trip.
With the large drink. ;)
Thanks for sharing, and for the chuckle. I know I've had my share of folly.
Cool trip.
:). Sounds like you got the full Enchantments meal deal.
Nice Trevor! Glad to hear a veggie belay helped save the day
author=andyrew link=topic=38243.msg155004#msg155004 date=1491418059]
We are indeed far from the action, it seems. WNY has got snow (200+ inches of lake effect/year) on Tug Hill and the Chautauqua ridge, but there isn't much terrain there. That I've found. I will have to check out Jay sometime. Closest terrain is Canada is Mont Tremblant, basically equidistant to Jay, but doesn't seem nearly as appealing.
West si...
I had just got into backcountry skiing when I moved away from VT, but there were some cool spots around Mt Mansfield and Camel's Hump that I visited mid-winter. For a NY'er, I imagine the Dacks would be the most appealing. You've got the various slide paths to ski in the Keene valley area. There are some family oriented ski hills like Big Tupper as well as Whiteface (Iceface---although apparently there are some rad sidecountry slide paths there too). As for VT, I think Jay, Stowe,...
y'all took care of that day nicely! Sweet link up, and visuals too.
We are indeed far from the action, it seems. WNY has got snow (200+ inches of lake effect/year) on Tug Hill and the Chautauqua ridge, but there isn't much terrain there. That I've found. I will have to check out Jay sometime. Closest terrain is Canada is Mont Tremblant, basically equidistant to Jay, but doesn't seem nearly as appealing.
Video of the adventure with more pics at the end here: http://thesnowtroopers.com/2017/hyak-wa-silver-peak-to-zipper-chute/
Really surprisingly fun skiing off the summit of Silver Peak!
Zipper chute was a bit more type 2 fun but we were all in good spirits getting to ski an aesthetic line we'd been eyeing for a long time.
When we were booting the along the west face above Annette lake it was still pretty firm and seemed like it would be really good corn wi...
Really surprisingly fun skiing off the summit of Silver Peak!
Zipper chute was a bit more type 2 fun but we were all in good spirits getting to ski an aesthetic line we'd been eyeing for a long time.
When we were booting the along the west face above Annette lake it was still pretty firm and seemed like it would be really good corn wi...
Great 1st photo, love that hat!
...that's the one. Look very familiar.
The snow looks kinda grungy this year though!
The snow looks kinda grungy this year though!
Looks like a fantastic day on Helens! Thank you for the report!
WNY is pretty far from the action, perhaps the Canadian destinations might be closer? If you are going to make the drive, Jay Peak is about the best place on the east coast: normally lower density snow, normally significantly more volume, excellent terrain, very reasonably priced lift tickets, they even have an awesome 85-degree water park. I heard this off-season they are upgrading their tram to handle more people and to travel faster - I think it was a 3-5x increase in volume. ...
Looks good! I just moved to WNY in the fall and am still in either the denial or bargaining phases of the 12 steps ;). There's some relief around here, but snow was more miss than hit this year. The Dacs are promising but not really day-trippable. It would be just as far to drive to the Greens. Beta is appreciated.
author=freeski link=topic=38158.msg154947#msg154947 date=1491170805]
Would it be safe to say that those folks standing on that Ruby cornice combined with other recent loads (energy input), even further if down the ridge, may have provided the tipping point for the energy requiried to trigger that cornice?
I don't think it would be safe to say that.
No one was standing on the cornice when it fell. The skiers on t...
Thanks! Is this the photo you to which you are referring? http://www.turns-all-year.com/skiing_snowboarding/trip_reports/index.php?topic=35959.0
If so, (and relevant to the TR), here's a roadside view of the same slope yesterday, processed in a similar way:
If so, (and relevant to the TR), here's a roadside view of the same slope yesterday, processed in a similar way:
We did an exploratory sled trip out there on Fri to check out the conditions on Stu. I've never seen so much snow on the road this late in the season. It's going to be a long while before the road is drivable. Should be a great corn season in the range.
Still rocking the B&W! I had one of your Lichtenburg photos from last year as a screensaver for almost 12 months. My eyes were always roaming around. Thansk
Rock on Mr H
Rock on Mr H
Thanks for the TR! I'd considered heading that direction this weekend, but without a road report from the forest service (and no snowmobile), it wasn't worth the gamble.
Great to see that the sun arrived and that the snowmo was required :).
Great to see that the sun arrived and that the snowmo was required :).
That is one chill mustelid. Here is another pic for you buncha otterluvas. Especially on solo trips I find myself trying to interpret the different tracks and patterns in the snow. They tell some interesting stories of squirrels meeting death from above via owl or sometimes hints at how terrifyingly big a cat can get. This pattern had me stumped for a moment though but I think the story it tells goes like this;
The otter was in the upper pond tasting the fish and frogs there and then...
The otter was in the upper pond tasting the fish and frogs there and then...
Otter was ignoring you, haole, but you go near his/ her pond and you'd get a knuckle (paw?) sandwich.
Between the hidden animals and the writing (my favorite line is last sentence 3rd paragraph) this was like an Easter egg hunt TR. So many hidden gems. Wish I could have enjoyed the not-rain with you, Ron!
Great shot of the otter who seems to care less about your presence.
haha Locals Only, nice one. Worth it just for that. Looking way too comfortable like he's never thought about mowing the lawn... which (s)he certainly hasn't.
Wow, nice. Those are some blue skies. That place is amazing. I remember being impressed how something big like McGee just started right from the road.
author=telemack link=topic=38153.msg154918#msg154918 date=1491065196]
Watch it, bruddah runcle---in January it was a twig in the face....
I recognize the distinctive sweeping 3-pin GS turns in the photo 8)
Good eye Mack!
author=Mike Cheney link=topic=38153.msg154913#msg154913 date=149102581
I just talked to the "ranger" at the Parks visitor center and asked her what the official policy is regarding access past the locked gate.. Her reply was "If you want to walk or ski past the closed gate you are welcome to do so."
The dog training was below Sweet Little Annie's at the end of the groomed road
author=runcle link=topic=38153.msg154624#msg154624 date=1489971854]
abraded a nice chunk of skin off of my thumb. Put the gloves on stupid!
Watch it, bruddah runcle---in January it was a twig in the face....
I recognize the distinctive sweeping 3-pin GS turns in the photo 8)
author=runcle link=topic=38153.msg154635#msg154635 date=1489988669]
I asked the gate keeper this morning on the way up regarding April road access and she replied "It doesn't look good." From my experience, road access in April is intermittent and not reliable. But, having said that I have been pleasantly surprised to learn that it was open when I expected it to be closed. Not the best scenario if you aren't a local! Anyone else like to chi...
Definitely on my list. Thanks for the pics - yea, lots of elbow room in any of those runs. Good year to get there.
Looks awesome! I'm excited to get down there
Thanks for the really nice report and photos. Yes, it's fabulous terrain. I'd love to ski it for a week sometime. Given your short time there, your list of tours says you got after it!