Fun With Google Earth

noreasterbackcountry · Feb 5, 2013

I've been so backcountry-repressed with this lack of snow, so I went on Google Earth last night and sniffed out a few possible spots.

http://nebackcountry.blogspot.com/2013/02/an-evening-with-google-earth.html#more

Fullscreen+capture+242013+110238+PM.bmp.jpg

Huck_It_Baby · Feb 5, 2013

I easily spend 3-4+ hours a day looking on Google Earth for back country zones. It's an amazingly useful tool.

This past weekend I toured both days in the NEK on logging roads and clearings I found from GE.

I will say that some times the sat data isn't always up to date AND what the 3D and topo lines show isn't always as detailed as it could be. I often find deep gullies and creeks beds which don't show up when browsing GE. Little surprises which make the tour challenging. I hit a creek on Saturday which wasn't frozen over, was deep and rushing. Couldn't cross. Had to re-route myself into a different zone.

Still though...I'm addicted.

Cornhead · Feb 5, 2013

Very cool, what an age we live in!

noreasterbackcountry · Feb 5, 2013

Huck_It_Baby said:
I easily spend 3-4+ hours a day looking on Google Earth for back country zones. It's an amazingly useful tool.

This past weekend I toured both days in the NEK on logging roads and clearings I found from GE.

I will say that some times the sat data isn't always up to date AND what the 3D and topo lines show isn't always as detailed as it could be. I often find deep gullies and creeks beds which don't show up when browsing GE. Little surprises which make the tour challenging. I hit a creek on Saturday which wasn't frozen over, was deep and rushing. Couldn't cross. Had to re-route myself into a different zone.

Still though...I'm addicted.

Nice. Glad to hear we're not the only ones. And you're right. There are always surprises: cliffs, ravines, impassible thickets.... that don't show up on GE. That keeps it interesting.

MadMadWorld · Feb 5, 2013

noreasterbackcountry said:
I've been so backcountry-repressed with this lack of snow, so I went on Google Earth last night and sniffed out a few possible spots.

http://nebackcountry.blogspot.com/2013/02/an-evening-with-google-earth.html#more

View attachment 7577

Have you done any of the High Peaks in ADK? If you haven't I highly recommend them to you. I think you would have a blast.

from_the_NEK · Feb 5, 2013

The only issue with "Magalloway's hot sister" is that it faces straight south.

noreasterbackcountry · Feb 5, 2013

MadMadWorld said:
Have you done any of the High Peaks in ADK? If you haven't I highly recommend them to you. I think you would have a blast.

I haven't.. but I am itching to try. It is pretty far for me so I always end up going to closer spots. One day.... one day...

NEK-

Good point. She probably doesn't hold snow for long. Maybe in the glades?

Huck_It_Baby · Feb 5, 2013

Here is one spot I hit this past Saturday. While everyone else was skiing icy groomers in the resorts I was alone out here making fresh tracks hoping not to tangle with any bobcats.

noreasterbackcountry · Feb 5, 2013

Huck_It_Baby said:
Here is one spot I hit this past Saturday. While everyone else was skiing icy groomers in the resorts I was alone out here making fresh tracks hoping not to tangle with any bobcats.

Nice. The fresh cut on the left? How was the grundlefloss?

Huck_It_Baby · Feb 5, 2013

noreasterbackcountry said:
Nice. The fresh cut on the left? How was the grundlefloss?

First I went up into the clear cut on the left and above it into the glades. Came down and veered skiers left into the forest on an AWESOME frozen creek bed! So many frozen creeks you can ride in there.

Then I put the skins back on and went up to the huge irregularly shaped clearings on the right. I think I hit better snow on the clear cut in the left side of the picture. Both spots are super cool though. You can park fairly close and then skin up to these spots in a petty short time. Not a ton of vertical and it's low angle but it's above 2,000 feet and there is snow!

Huck_It_Baby · Feb 5, 2013

The term Grundlefloss is new to me but I'm guessing it's the under growth and vegetation that tends to rape you as you climb or ski?

It wasn't bad! A little more snow and you would hardly notice.

gereddunne · Feb 5, 2013

you got it. flosses the grundle as you ski over it.

is that shot from near the powerlines cross rt 4 from kmart?

Huck_It_Baby · Feb 5, 2013

gereddunne said:
you got it. flosses the grundle as you ski over it.

is that shot from near the powerlines cross rt 4 from kmart?

Nope! It's from Northern VT in the NEK.

kingdom-tele · Feb 5, 2013

Huck_It_Baby said:
Nope! It's from Northern VT in the NEK.

East side Gilpin. Skin from 242 for a nice ski home to the car. or park on ball ground road in westfield, a quick run up the VAST to the logging cuts for acres of wonderful xc skiing. the downhill pitch is 300-400.

here's a pic from under the cliffs for those who haven't been there yet. as huck said, some fun terrain, easy laps, pack a lunch, the sun stays good until about 2:30 these days.

while we're at it, if you head in from ball ground peel in early, there is a nice old loggin road that will get you up under domey's dome, again, 300-400' downhill ski pitch, the ski out on the skin track is like a luge run

WTF. why the mystery fellas. just come out with it if your gonna paste google earth shots of all your ski experiences

Huck_It_Baby · Feb 5, 2013

kingdom-tele said:
East side Gilpin. Skin from 242 for a nice ski home to the car. or park on ball ground road in westfield, a quick run up the VAST to the logging cuts for acres of wonderful xc skiing. the downhill pitch is 300-400.

while we're at it, if you head in from ball ground peel in early, there is a nice old loggin road that will get you up under domey's dome, again, 300-400' downhill ski pitch, the ski out on the skin track is like a luge run

WTF. why the mystery fellas. just come out with it if your gonna paste google earth shots of all your ski experiences

It's not a secret but 1/2 the fun is discovery so I don't pin point unless asked.

I accessed from Ball ground but I have gone up from 242 a couple weeks ago. Way better pitch to ski down from that side.

I did go up to just under Domey's dome and had lunch before my first run.

gereddunne · Feb 5, 2013

what uncharacteristically good backcountry ski intel for AZ

thanks to you both. see you round Miss. L sometime soon.

kingdom-tele · Feb 5, 2013

Huck_It_Baby said:
It's not a secret but 1/2 the fun is discovery...

so the internet is for people looking for 1/2 fun?

Need more gered? I can leave bread crumbs. You guys just keep your eyes out, we eat anadama bread.

Is it possible to reduce it to 1/4 fun?

ScottySkis · Feb 5, 2013

I could use this for Bearpen, and Platty both of which are in Roxbury.

gereddunne · Feb 5, 2013

kingdom-tele said:
so the internet is for people looking for 1/2 fun?

Need more gered? I can leave bread crumbs. You guys just keep your eyes out, we eat anadama bread.

Is it possible to reduce it to 1/4 fun?

don't be silly. you know i don't eat french bread.

Huck_It_Baby · Feb 5, 2013

kingdom-tele said:
so the internet is for people looking for 1/2 fun?

Need more gered? I can leave bread crumbs. You guys just keep your eyes out, we eat anadama bread.

Is it possible to reduce it to 1/4 fun?

Since you're so adamant about busting my balls I'll say YES 1/2 the fun for me is researching on the internet, looking at google earth, topo maps, reading forums and figuring out new places I have never skied.

Fun With Google Earth

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