Date: May 12, 2007
2007 Trip Report #: 60
Resort: Burke
Conditions: Limited cover on Dippers, patches at best.
Weather: Clouds, r^&n, and sublimating snow. Temps in the high 70's.
Trip Report: This is it. The End. Last report for 2006-2007 and the 60th day on the slopes. An all time record, and coming in close for the latest ski day for me. I decided to drive up north based on reports that snow was still holding at Burke. Seeing that next season up there is in the air for me (due to pass price restructuring :roll: ), I decided one last shindig was in order. I had my other skis in the car...ready to be put in the parent's house for storage. My shortskis and bag were ready to go.
I arrived at MidBurke at 10:30 and found that there was barely any snow left. Warren's and Willoughby are grass. Dippers are now for sure....some limited snow was there at the time. Had to get in Day 60. Started hiking up the liftline and then cut over across to Doug's and to the cut off road for Mountain Marsh/Lower Doug's. On this stretch, I scared a good-sized moose, who ran off in front of me. She did not have her skis or boots.
At the Toll Road, I began the ascent, noting that the snow patches were short, the longest being maybe 150-200 feet or so in length. As I swung around the corner where Toll Road intersects Lower Powderhorn (below Upper Dipper) I heard a truck coming down the road. Turns out it was AJ from the ski shop and another employee getting ready to open the road the next day to the public. They slowed down...grinning and doing a :blink: at me with my skis on my back.
"Going to enjoy the rest of the snow...what little is left!" AJ recognized me. We talked about Killington and the warm weather. They then headed down the road.
I pressed onward...noting that the sky was getting darker and darker and the wind was shifting directions. Humidity was on the increase as well. Carriage Road and Doug's Drop were both bare. I did see that there was a junction on the snowmaking line on Toll Road for Doug's Drop...or at least to hook up lines someday.
As I came to the top of the Poma, I cut across to the Quad liftline and went up Shoot. Found two old footings for the old summit Poma and an old watercloset/shed on the trail. Cut over to Upper Fox's and then hit the summit. All was quiet.
Ra%^ was imminent now...had to get moving....in case there was any thunder. I feared that this was the cold front coming in...because it was so dark, but it was not moving as fast as the typical Canadian Cold Fronts we usually get. Maybe it would miss us.
As I hustled down past East Bowl, there was only grass, dirt, and pavement. I did not hit snow until just past the entrance to Wilderness. I changed my boots...appropriately, the heavens began to cry. This was the end. Last run. Last day for the season. A season that started out so slow and so warm was now ending six months later with some snow clinging to the side of a trail.
In the mist, I made my first turns...taking very long traverses to make the most of the limited snow. Between here and the Toll Road, there were three or four small patches of snow that required mounting and dismounting the skis. I struggled down some of the steeper parts in the rough scrub and rocks. Below the Toll Road, I found a good patch on the far left that required a bit of tricky stepping to get to. I stepped over the road again and then carefully stepped onto the next patch. There were maybe four or five patches between here and the final road crossing. On Big Dipper proper there were three long patches...the last one running maybe 200 feet or so and ending ight above the Fireroad. I stepped out of the skis, damp, smelly, muddy, and happy. The r&*n had stopped and it was just cloudy. The snow was sublimating in front of me...turning into a fine mist that hovered just above the ground. Spooky.
I came down the Fireroad to Open Slope where I saw an excavator at work grading a work road to the POMA. Just above that road was one pile of snow from the jump. It was rotten, but made for some final three or four turns. I waved to the familiar face running the excavator and then headed to the car.
That was it.
Some pics:
The Gallery.
2007 Trip Report #: 60
Resort: Burke
Conditions: Limited cover on Dippers, patches at best.
Weather: Clouds, r^&n, and sublimating snow. Temps in the high 70's.
Trip Report: This is it. The End. Last report for 2006-2007 and the 60th day on the slopes. An all time record, and coming in close for the latest ski day for me. I decided to drive up north based on reports that snow was still holding at Burke. Seeing that next season up there is in the air for me (due to pass price restructuring :roll: ), I decided one last shindig was in order. I had my other skis in the car...ready to be put in the parent's house for storage. My shortskis and bag were ready to go.
I arrived at MidBurke at 10:30 and found that there was barely any snow left. Warren's and Willoughby are grass. Dippers are now for sure....some limited snow was there at the time. Had to get in Day 60. Started hiking up the liftline and then cut over across to Doug's and to the cut off road for Mountain Marsh/Lower Doug's. On this stretch, I scared a good-sized moose, who ran off in front of me. She did not have her skis or boots.
At the Toll Road, I began the ascent, noting that the snow patches were short, the longest being maybe 150-200 feet or so in length. As I swung around the corner where Toll Road intersects Lower Powderhorn (below Upper Dipper) I heard a truck coming down the road. Turns out it was AJ from the ski shop and another employee getting ready to open the road the next day to the public. They slowed down...grinning and doing a :blink: at me with my skis on my back.
"Going to enjoy the rest of the snow...what little is left!" AJ recognized me. We talked about Killington and the warm weather. They then headed down the road.
I pressed onward...noting that the sky was getting darker and darker and the wind was shifting directions. Humidity was on the increase as well. Carriage Road and Doug's Drop were both bare. I did see that there was a junction on the snowmaking line on Toll Road for Doug's Drop...or at least to hook up lines someday.
As I came to the top of the Poma, I cut across to the Quad liftline and went up Shoot. Found two old footings for the old summit Poma and an old watercloset/shed on the trail. Cut over to Upper Fox's and then hit the summit. All was quiet.
Ra%^ was imminent now...had to get moving....in case there was any thunder. I feared that this was the cold front coming in...because it was so dark, but it was not moving as fast as the typical Canadian Cold Fronts we usually get. Maybe it would miss us.
As I hustled down past East Bowl, there was only grass, dirt, and pavement. I did not hit snow until just past the entrance to Wilderness. I changed my boots...appropriately, the heavens began to cry. This was the end. Last run. Last day for the season. A season that started out so slow and so warm was now ending six months later with some snow clinging to the side of a trail.
In the mist, I made my first turns...taking very long traverses to make the most of the limited snow. Between here and the Toll Road, there were three or four small patches of snow that required mounting and dismounting the skis. I struggled down some of the steeper parts in the rough scrub and rocks. Below the Toll Road, I found a good patch on the far left that required a bit of tricky stepping to get to. I stepped over the road again and then carefully stepped onto the next patch. There were maybe four or five patches between here and the final road crossing. On Big Dipper proper there were three long patches...the last one running maybe 200 feet or so and ending ight above the Fireroad. I stepped out of the skis, damp, smelly, muddy, and happy. The r&*n had stopped and it was just cloudy. The snow was sublimating in front of me...turning into a fine mist that hovered just above the ground. Spooky.
I came down the Fireroad to Open Slope where I saw an excavator at work grading a work road to the POMA. Just above that road was one pile of snow from the jump. It was rotten, but made for some final three or four turns. I waved to the familiar face running the excavator and then headed to the car.
That was it.
Some pics:
The Gallery.
