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Bolton Valley 12/18/2013

Solitude67

New member
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
42
Points
0
Location
Stamford, CT
http://www.mapmyride.com/workout/447948069

Date(s) Skied: 12/18/2013
Resort or Ski Area: Bolton Valley
Conditions: Packed Powder, Powder, Some Icy Spots, Thin Cover
Trip Report

Link Above to MapMyRide will show you the morning runs in Actual Detail on Map My Ride a decent android application worth checking out but a huge battery killer..All I can say is that it says I burned 956 calories so I can have an extra beer or two tonight!!!!!.. :flame:

Arrived at 10:00AM. Boton Valley had maybe 100 cars in the lot. Its the first day of night skiing at Bolton for the season so I knew I had to get in and get out before the busloads of kids from Burlington and the surrounding towns arrived at 4:00PM

Temps: Cold but no breeze early in the day with Partly Sunny skies. Degraded significantly by 12:00PM became overcast gray flat skies switched from Native Sunglasses to Uvo Yellow Lens Goggles to see bumps and terrain. By 2:00PM temps dropped nearly 5 degrees and I realized I'd have a few more runs and get out by 3PM. Perfect time to hit the hot tub.

Sole Lift Open was the Vista Quad until 3:00PM when they were to open the mid mountain lift. As soon as I saw that lift spin I knew it was time to leave: Note: The Vista Quad is not a high speed quad by any stretch of the imagination but it gets you to the summit in 15 minutes. Runs under this lift were generally open today but not much else. Wilderness and Timberline peaks are still not open for the season.

Photos. I posted an album see: Bolton Valley 12/18/2013 or see attached.

Off the Summit Choices were Alta Vista or Hard Luck Lane or Spillway Lane. Alta Vista was in great shape. Covered with 1-3 inches of packed powder skied well. Take to Schuss which is in decent shape with some protruding sticks and rocks but easily skied down to Bull Run into Glades. Glades was best of the day. Fresh Powder throughout and plenty of freshies to ski. Beech Seal is also open and a fast race trail that is in great condition. Really other than this can take few cutovers: Mousehole to Fanny Hill to the Abenaki Trail (essentially the cross over down). Was on Piste pretty much all day only point I got off piste was off of fanny Hill into Lower Wilderness and exactly how I got there I wasn't sure, through some of the woods... While TNT was closed (see rope photo) it looked like i was in way better shape that Schuss or Vermont 200 both of which were ski-able but not incredible. Parts were easy but there were several parts of the steeps where you had narrow clearance.

Tip: Hard Luck was pounded with the fanguns running all day so if it opens tomorrow or Friday that should be first tracks.:fangun:

Tip: Drop your skis off before parking. Its a bear to get from the lot to the lodge not distance but hill wise.

The food service is not great better off going upstairs to the pub but the South American girl working this season has a fantastic body. I went back for more crackers for my clam chowder twice. If you speak Spanish: :stirpot:

Staying in Waterbury VT at the Best Western which is a huge tip :slap: There's a Shaw's Supermarket open late till 11PM across the street and several convenience store/gas stations. Its great clean lodging on a steep hill no less within 20 minutes of Bolton, 1 hour from Smuggs (tomorrow) and a little less to Sugarbush on Friday. If we get more snow I may consider Q Burke or Cannon Mountain on Saturday. Its also night that less than 1 mile from 3 craft beer and food restaurants that are astounding (Prohibition Pig, The Reservoir, Avads and then even a new one this year that makes amazing artisan pizza: The Blue Stone) All serve The Alchemist :beer:, Hill Farmstead :beer: and :beer: Lawson's Finest Liquids. :beer:
Find me on Untappd for those reviews @infoman411

My early season boards got torn up as expected. I am looking for a reasonably priced place to get a ski tune (maybe p-tex) in the Waterbury to Stowe area. Any suggestions?
 

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John W

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2010
Messages
125
Points
16
Location
NYC
Nicely done Jeff!!! Glad to see you got out. I went to Elk for a day trip last week... Similar early season conditions.. Was going to go back this weekend but the rain is going to change and RUIN those plans........ Unfortunately. Glad to see you are well.
 
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