Wachusett 12/29/04: Vickery Bowl Opening

[Zand]

Date(s) Skied: 12/29/04

Resort or Ski Area: Wachusett Mountain, MA

Conditions: Packed Powder

Trip Report:

Because the Vickery "Bowl" was finally opening after 10 years of court arguments, I decided to actually go to Wachusett on a vacation. Long lines and lots of beginners were the themes as usual for vacation.

Conifer: Nice for most of the night, but got a little icy after 8 or so. The trail was covered by beginners who should have been skiing Ralph's Run. I couldn't believe how many people were on the ground in comparison to how many people could ski it.

10th: As usual, the trail of the night. Good snow the whole way and plenty of places to get air off. The beginners on this trail were better, but they still got in the way. I just don't get why they want to learn at the summit instead of on Ralph's or Monadnock.

Smith Walton: One word: Bulletproof. Nuclear Bomb proof. Well, upper was and lower was starting to get there around closing. They never groomed it and I have no idea why. If there was any trail that needed to be groomed, it was this.

Vickery Bowl: The new lift is wicked SLOW. Slower than Monadnock. It goes about as fast as the HSQ's do in the stations. There were 2 ways in and out: hike up about 50 feet of lower Hitchcock to the lift, or ski in from lower Smith. Of course, there's upper Hitchcock, but that's not open yet.

Piece of Cake: Actually a pretty good trail for it's length. It has a few turns in it and there were a few visitor made jumps around 9.

Frannie's Folly: Very short trail, but it makes a good race trail (which it will be). It has bad lighting at the top until it meets with upper Hitchcock, but then it;s fine.

Look Mom: The only trail I skied over on that side due to the lines on Minuteman. Icy, but not bad. Lots of people on the rails at the bottom.

After going to Mount Snow yesterday, I noticed three things about Wa:

1. It actually has pretty good vert. Mount Snow only has it beat by about 700 feet.

2. Smith is actually pretty steep. Basically a short version of the North Face trails of Mount Snow.

3. It isn't the most crowded area in the east. Mount Snow and Okemo's beginner base have it beat.

The lines were pretty long, but I stayed in the singles line all night which moved along good. Only about a 1-2 minute wait in this line. Monadnock had a decent line, Minuteman was days long, and Vickery was about 10 people long at most.

I might go back up tomorrow night, but probably not. If I don't, I'll be up next Monday and Friday.