Ski Butternut - 12/29/03

**Greg** · Dec 30, 2003, 8:34 AM

Date(s) Skied: 12/29/03, 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Resort or Ski Area: Ski Butternut, Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Conditions: Hard pack, some ice, loose granular, some packed powder. Sunny and warm, no wind.

Trip Report: My father-inlaw, Dan, showed up at my house around 10 AM and we headed down to the local shop to pick up my skis which were being tuned. We were on the road towards Mass by 10:20. Got to the mountain shortly before 11:30 and was on the Top Flight Quad soon thereafter.

The first run down was Pied Piper to Fiddler and the Lower Downspout Terrain Park (no features yet). The conditions were variable. Hardpack, some ice, and a lot of piles of frozen granular. It made for some challenging skiing. The weather with temps in the 40's , bright sun, and no wind made up for any lack in conditions. We then rode the Overbrook Triple up with an "interesting" fellow that told us about a young girl earlier in the morning that got hung up on the lift towards the top! Apparently her legs cleared the stop gate and the attendant only stopped the lift after she had made the turn and cleared the ramp. I guess they somehow got her to jump down. We were a little suspsicious, but a ski patrol thanked the guy again when we got off.

Next run was Downsput for another ride up the Triple. Downspout is Butternut's only run that gets bumped, but this day it had much of the same terrain as the rest of the mountain - hard pack and frozen granular piles. We then skied over to the Quad and rode that for the rest of the day. The lines were tolerable and the staff kept thing moving quickly. Of course there was the holiday "clueless" crowd so the lift got stopped often. We still got a great amount of skiing in. We skied most every run that was open except Dipsy. They all had the same variable conditions, except one. Whip/Nut Hatch/Chute was in great shape with lots of powder and packed powder. Judging by the snow clinging to the trees, it seems this run was the one they've been concentrating on this week.

All in all, a great ski day. We pulled out of the lot around 3:30 for the hour ride home.

Click HERE for images.

skijay · Dec 30, 2003, 9:46 AM

My home mountain! Thanks for the report. The crummy weather forecast for this weekend makes me want to hit the slopes on New Year's Day.

Dec 30, 2003, 8:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
Greg Nassahegan, CT: 9/20 Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Thomaston, CT Posts: 21,135	Ski Butternut - 12/29/03 Date(s) Skied: 12/29/03, 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM Resort or Ski Area: Ski Butternut, Great Barrington, Massachusetts Conditions: Hard pack, some ice, loose granular, some packed powder. Sunny and warm, no wind. Trip Report: My father-inlaw, Dan, showed up at my house around 10 AM and we headed down to the local shop to pick up my skis which were being tuned. We were on the road towards Mass by 10:20. Got to the mountain shortly before 11:30 and was on the Top Flight Quad soon thereafter. The first run down was Pied Piper to Fiddler and the Lower Downspout Terrain Park (no features yet). The conditions were variable. Hardpack, some ice, and a lot of piles of frozen granular. It made for some challenging skiing. The weather with temps in the 40's , bright sun, and no wind made up for any lack in conditions. We then rode the Overbrook Triple up with an "interesting" fellow that told us about a young girl earlier in the morning that got hung up on the lift towards the top! Apparently her legs cleared the stop gate and the attendant only stopped the lift after she had made the turn and cleared the ramp. I guess they somehow got her to jump down. We were a little suspsicious, but a ski patrol thanked the guy again when we got off. Next run was Downsput for another ride up the Triple. Downspout is Butternut's only run that gets bumped, but this day it had much of the same terrain as the rest of the mountain - hard pack and frozen granular piles. We then skied over to the Quad and rode that for the rest of the day. The lines were tolerable and the staff kept thing moving quickly. Of course there was the holiday "clueless" crowd so the lift got stopped often. We still got a great amount of skiing in. We skied most every run that was open except Dipsy. They all had the same variable conditions, except one. Whip/Nut Hatch/Chute was in great shape with lots of powder and packed powder. Judging by the snow clinging to the trees, it seems this run was the one they've been concentrating on this week. All in all, a great ski day. We pulled out of the lot around 3:30 for the hour ride home. Click HERE for images. __________________ Greg 2007-08, 2006-07, 2005-06, 2004-05 Life's too short for warm up runs.

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Dec 30, 2003, 9:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
skijay Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: CT Avatar: T-bar @ Mont Shefford Posts: 689	My home mountain! Thanks for the report. The crummy weather forecast for this weekend makes me want to hit the slopes on New Year's Day.