Date(s) Skied: April 2, 2006
Resort or Ski Area: Burke Mountain Resort, Vermont
Conditions: SC/VC
Trip Report: THIS WAS IT. The last day for skiing this season at Burke. Last day on my pass. For the last week, I had been stuck--where to go? Cannon was closing this weekend as well. I had commitments too. Looking at the calendar, it had been a while since I had been to Burke. It had been too long. Plus, my Burke pass was not valid anywhere else whereas I still had purchase at Sunapee (and now they have decided to close early
). So I made plans to hit Burke. Originally for Saturday AM but that got pushed back to Sunday and it was a good decision considering that it was raining Saturday AM.
I got up early and made the drive....hoping to find some snow left along 91 as I headed north. There was none. As I rounded 114 from Lyndonville, I saw what appeared to be frost/snow on the trees of the summit :blink: Once I got within sight, I was stunned to see how much snow had been lost Anything that was not a snowmaking run was grass. Simple as that. And what was snow was shining in the sun. Driving up the Mountain Road to MidBurke, the contrast was even more pronounced.
I got out of the car and walked up the grass to the lodge. I was depressed because of the lack of snow and because this was it. Last day. The mood in the lodge was the same as well--the Eastern Cup was being held this weekend and the lodge was packed with racers of all ages, shapes, and sizes. "Well, not looking too good. They were hoping to get the race going at 8:00 and now we are back to 10:00," I heard someone say. I stepped into the locker room, which was reserved for non-racers. Quite telling, there was only one other person in there getting his gear on.
I had made the drive. Time to make the best of it. After getting dressed for chilly weather, because it was quite windy, I stepped outside and into my skies. The snow report was not great--one run on lower mountain, Poma and J-Bar down. Dippers for racers. No Carriage Road. Shoot, Upper Fox's, Warren's, Willoughbys, Lower Bear Den, and Lower Fox's were the choices.
Skiing down to the lift, I noticed that the groomers were still out working the slopes. The snow underfoot had flash frozen the night before and anything not groomed was not skiable.
I rode solo the entire morning. First run was down a Willoughby to the Lower Mountain--the groomers had made magic. The ice layer had been chewed off revealing a soft, wet layer of snow mixed with FG and ice in places. Not bad considering. One could not go "full bore" on Willoughby or Warren's though--there were small, isolated patches of thin cover.
I stood at the top of Dashney and looked down. The groomer was heading my direction, so I waited for it to rumble by. The operator waved with a smile--probably one of the few patrons he had seen and a rare sight for him considering that he is a member of a nocturnal species. I was delighted to find soft corn and groomed snow on Dashney's-definitely the biggest improvement at the mountain this season. The base was deep and there was no thin cover. I hit this run two or three more times before heading back up top.
Things were clearing and the sun was coming out. The frost on the top was telling--it was cold and windy.
Next run was down Fox's--Shoot--Warren's. The headwall was great. Nice and edgeable. All to myself.
Next choice was Willoughby to Lower Bear Den and Fox's. From Darling Point down, it was sweetness. Corn and soft edgeable snow. Limited choices granted, but great considering the lack of snow.
I rotated between Willoughby and Warren's--doing four or five runs down each as well as maybe six runs at the base (love the HSQ). Lower Mountain was dead. I saw maybe five or six other people the entire morning. The upper mountain did pick up--but not many people besides the racers. No complaints mind you :wink:
I pulled the plug, with tears in my eyes, at 12 noon. Willoughby was getting very icy up top as was Warren's and the sun was bringing out folks.
It was tough to see my home mountain close--but it was bittersweet largely because the employees and skiers were confident that it would be back next season. No more worries about the mountain not opening (we hope). Employees I spoke with were tired and ready for a break. Other skiers were taking in the views for one last time like I was, but saying, "it will be back!" And I will not forget the woman who came into the ski shop and handed the clerks a handful of vouchers. "Give these to the next five people who buy a ticket--it's on me." Very nice. Class act. :beer:
Glad that I ski at a place with such nice people. Just wish I had gone more and that the season was not ending.
One thing is almost certain: Trailboss will be back as a passholder. So bring on the
Resort or Ski Area: Burke Mountain Resort, Vermont
Conditions: SC/VC
Trip Report: THIS WAS IT. The last day for skiing this season at Burke. Last day on my pass. For the last week, I had been stuck--where to go? Cannon was closing this weekend as well. I had commitments too. Looking at the calendar, it had been a while since I had been to Burke. It had been too long. Plus, my Burke pass was not valid anywhere else whereas I still had purchase at Sunapee (and now they have decided to close early
). So I made plans to hit Burke. Originally for Saturday AM but that got pushed back to Sunday and it was a good decision considering that it was raining Saturday AM. I got up early and made the drive....hoping to find some snow left along 91 as I headed north. There was none. As I rounded 114 from Lyndonville, I saw what appeared to be frost/snow on the trees of the summit :blink: Once I got within sight, I was stunned to see how much snow had been lost
Anything that was not a snowmaking run was grass. Simple as that. And what was snow was shining in the sun. Driving up the Mountain Road to MidBurke, the contrast was even more pronounced. I got out of the car and walked up the grass to the lodge. I was depressed because of the lack of snow and because this was it. Last day. The mood in the lodge was the same as well--the Eastern Cup was being held this weekend and the lodge was packed with racers of all ages, shapes, and sizes. "Well, not looking too good. They were hoping to get the race going at 8:00 and now we are back to 10:00," I heard someone say. I stepped into the locker room, which was reserved for non-racers. Quite telling, there was only one other person in there getting his gear on.
I had made the drive. Time to make the best of it. After getting dressed for chilly weather, because it was quite windy, I stepped outside and into my skies. The snow report was not great--one run on lower mountain, Poma and J-Bar down. Dippers for racers. No Carriage Road. Shoot, Upper Fox's, Warren's, Willoughbys, Lower Bear Den, and Lower Fox's were the choices.
Skiing down to the lift, I noticed that the groomers were still out working the slopes. The snow underfoot had flash frozen the night before and anything not groomed was not skiable.
I rode solo the entire morning. First run was down a Willoughby to the Lower Mountain--the groomers had made magic. The ice layer had been chewed off revealing a soft, wet layer of snow mixed with FG and ice in places. Not bad considering. One could not go "full bore" on Willoughby or Warren's though--there were small, isolated patches of thin cover.
I stood at the top of Dashney and looked down. The groomer was heading my direction, so I waited for it to rumble by. The operator waved with a smile--probably one of the few patrons he had seen and a rare sight for him considering that he is a member of a nocturnal species. I was delighted to find soft corn and groomed snow on Dashney's-definitely the biggest improvement at the mountain this season. The base was deep and there was no thin cover. I hit this run two or three more times before heading back up top.
Things were clearing and the sun was coming out. The frost on the top was telling--it was cold and windy.
Next run was down Fox's--Shoot--Warren's. The headwall was great. Nice and edgeable. All to myself.
Next choice was Willoughby to Lower Bear Den and Fox's. From Darling Point down, it was sweetness. Corn and soft edgeable snow. Limited choices granted, but great considering the lack of snow.
I rotated between Willoughby and Warren's--doing four or five runs down each as well as maybe six runs at the base (love the HSQ). Lower Mountain was dead. I saw maybe five or six other people the entire morning. The upper mountain did pick up--but not many people besides the racers. No complaints mind you :wink:
I pulled the plug, with tears in my eyes, at 12 noon. Willoughby was getting very icy up top as was Warren's and the sun was bringing out folks.
It was tough to see my home mountain close--but it was bittersweet largely because the employees and skiers were confident that it would be back next season. No more worries about the mountain not opening (we hope). Employees I spoke with were tired and ready for a break. Other skiers were taking in the views for one last time like I was, but saying, "it will be back!" And I will not forget the woman who came into the ski shop and handed the clerks a handful of vouchers. "Give these to the next five people who buy a ticket--it's on me." Very nice. Class act. :beer:
Glad that I ski at a place with such nice people. Just wish I had gone more and that the season was not ending.
One thing is almost certain: Trailboss will be back as a passholder. So bring on the
