Big Red (NELSAP hill) MA 12/20/09

polski · Dec 20, 2009, 6:54 PM

8" champagne pow (blown down to as little as ~4" and up to boot-deep) and I had this defunct ski area all to myself. Quite an enjoyable outing. Here's a couple pix for now; a more complete report later.

One of the old rope tow poles

Pow turns

MrMagic · Dec 20, 2009, 7:14 PM

very nice

JD · Dec 20, 2009, 7:52 PM

sweet.

WoodCore · Dec 20, 2009, 7:59 PM

Nicely done!!!

Great to see folks getting out and laying tracks down on what once was.

speden · Dec 20, 2009, 10:10 PM

Looks interesting, but is it really worth hiking for turns when conditions are so good on lift served stuff this Dec.? Temps have been so good for snowmaking this month and so far the lift served hasn't been crowded at all (at least not that I've encountered so far).

riverc0il · Dec 20, 2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speden

Looks interesting, but is it really worth hiking for turns when conditions are so good on lift served stuff this Dec.? Temps have been so good for snowmaking this month and so far the lift served hasn't been crowded at all (at least not that I've encountered so far).

Was that sarcasm? The dude scored powder nearly in his back yard!

polski · Dec 20, 2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speden

Looks interesting, but is it really worth hiking for turns when conditions are so good on lift served stuff this Dec.?

Yes.

As riv suggests, this was a 5-minute drive from home. Also: I had the place entirely to myself - first tracks, last tracks and everything in between were all mine; it was all natural blower powder (I'm fine with machine-made to help enable early-season skiing but much prefer natural); it cost me nothing; it was good exercise; and it was a mild adventure.

The only "downside" was paltry vert and not a lot of pitch, though enough to link turns. The positives far outweighed that. Plus, I've had a good amount of lift-served already and am sure to get plenty more.

Johnskiismore · Dec 20, 2009, 10:52 PM

Looks nice!

polski · Dec 20, 2009, 11:27 PM

As the NELSAP writeup notes, Big Red was an "upside-down" ski area - you parked at the top, skied down and took a rope tow back up. (So these days I suppose if you were taking only one run it wouldn't be "earning your turns" but "earning your way home so you don't freeze to death down by the Indian River."

) The hill is in back of an elementary school and when I arrived the back parking lot was being plowed so I parked out front, geared up and hiked to a trail I thought would connect me to the old ski area.

After starting down that trail I saw there was an old barbed wire fence running alongside - I believe the hill was used as a cow pasture for a while - and that prevented me from traversing to Big Red. From a trip here last year (on snowshoes) I was pretty sure I'd be able to make the traverse toward the bottom of the hill, so I clicked into my skis and headed down the trail (which for most of its length was, oh, about 190 cm wide

). Sure enough, the fence ended and I was able to head to the main part of the hill.

From the bottom of that first run:

I clicked out of the skis and started across the hill. Soon I saw incontrovertible evidence that I was in the old ski area:

From the same spot but looking downhill, you might be able to pick out another rope tow pole - albeit not very skiable terrain ...

Nearby the woods opened up a bit - low angle but looks potentially fun.

I felt the cover was a tad too thin to try the woods though.

Next I came to an open slope, which I booted up. (I had skins with me but wound up not using them - the snow wasn't so deep and the hikes were short enough that booting seemed the quickest way to get around.) Here's the view from the top (Merrimack River valley in the background):

Another view reveals this to be the elementary school's septic leach field ...

but hey, I got linked turns out of it

I hiked up this trail (the leach field is in the distance) but again didn't ski it because of thin cover and I know it to be rocky:

You don't get a good view of it in that shot but there are more open woods to skier's left of that trail - definitely worth hitting when the snow is a bit deeper.

Next I reached peak elevation for my tour, summiting a manmade mound around the outside of a ballfield. I skied a narrow and steep (and yea, short) chute through some weeds ...

and then down one of the main trails of old Big Red:

I booted back up to the top. Here's the old platform for the rope tow engine:

and the top pole of the rope tow

It was wild trying to imagine the place as a busy little ski area ... and then skiing pow there with not another soul in sight.

I took a run down another of the main slopes. This ended in a large clot of brambles, which have grown in about halfway down the hillside. Seek alternate routes to hit the nice trees below.

I took a couple more runs down this part of the hill (have to watch for occasional brambles higher up, too - one hit me in my chin and drew a little blood). Dusk was approaching and it was time to head home - but not before getting last tracks on the final stretch to the parking lot:

Edit to add vital stats via UNH historical topo map: Top elevation ~190' ASL; elev at bottom of old ski slopes maybe 30' ASL. On this trip my max vert on any run was probably 80' or so but with enough snow a top-to-bottom route likely is viable to skiers' far left - not sure if this was part of the old ski area though.

billski · Dec 20, 2009, 11:39 PM

I get sentimental when I see things like this. You can only imagine how many good memories and other memories were captured there.

Dec 20, 2009, 6:54 PM	#1
polski right in town, Feb 2011 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NE MA Posts: 682	Big Red (NELSAP hill) MA 12/20/09 8" champagne pow (blown down to as little as ~4" and up to boot-deep) and I had this defunct ski area all to myself. Quite an enjoyable outing. Here's a couple pix for now; a more complete report later. One of the old rope tow poles Pow turns Last edited by polski; Dec 20, 2009 at 8:46 PM.

Dec 20, 2009, 7:14 PM	#2
MrMagic Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: CT Posts: 722	very nice __________________ killington-8 Ski Sundown-50 Butternut-1 Waterville Valley-1 blandford-2 Pico-3 Berkshire east-1 catamount-1 granite gorge-1 stratton-1 wachusett-1 Sugarbush-3 Mad river glen-1

Dec 20, 2009, 7:52 PM	#3
JD Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Northfield Posts: 2,461	sweet. __________________ If it ain't Poe, I don't go.

Dec 20, 2009, 7:59 PM	#4
WoodCore Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: CT Posts: 2,285	Nicely done!!! Great to see folks getting out and laying tracks down on what once was. __________________ "If you ride your bike everyday...... Your going to be a better rider!"

Dec 20, 2009, 10:52 PM	#8
Johnskiismore North Peak Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Woodstock, NH Posts: 2,337	Looks nice! __________________ Screw My Car, My Body Climbed Mount Washington! www.SKiNE.net

Dec 20, 2009, 10:10 PM	#5
speden Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 550	Looks interesting, but is it really worth hiking for turns when conditions are so good on lift served stuff this Dec.? Temps have been so good for snowmaking this month and so far the lift served hasn't been crowded at all (at least not that I've encountered so far).

Dec 20, 2009, 11:27 PM	#9
polski right in town, Feb 2011 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NE MA Posts: 682	As the NELSAP writeup notes, Big Red was an "upside-down" ski area - you parked at the top, skied down and took a rope tow back up. (So these days I suppose if you were taking only one run it wouldn't be "earning your turns" but "earning your way home so you don't freeze to death down by the Indian River." ) The hill is in back of an elementary school and when I arrived the back parking lot was being plowed so I parked out front, geared up and hiked to a trail I thought would connect me to the old ski area. After starting down that trail I saw there was an old barbed wire fence running alongside - I believe the hill was used as a cow pasture for a while - and that prevented me from traversing to Big Red. From a trip here last year (on snowshoes) I was pretty sure I'd be able to make the traverse toward the bottom of the hill, so I clicked into my skis and headed down the trail (which for most of its length was, oh, about 190 cm wide ). Sure enough, the fence ended and I was able to head to the main part of the hill. From the bottom of that first run: I clicked out of the skis and started across the hill. Soon I saw incontrovertible evidence that I was in the old ski area: From the same spot but looking downhill, you might be able to pick out another rope tow pole - albeit not very skiable terrain ... Nearby the woods opened up a bit - low angle but looks potentially fun. I felt the cover was a tad too thin to try the woods though. Next I came to an open slope, which I booted up. (I had skins with me but wound up not using them - the snow wasn't so deep and the hikes were short enough that booting seemed the quickest way to get around.) Here's the view from the top (Merrimack River valley in the background): Another view reveals this to be the elementary school's septic leach field ... but hey, I got linked turns out of it I hiked up this trail (the leach field is in the distance) but again didn't ski it because of thin cover and I know it to be rocky: You don't get a good view of it in that shot but there are more open woods to skier's left of that trail - definitely worth hitting when the snow is a bit deeper. Next I reached peak elevation for my tour, summiting a manmade mound around the outside of a ballfield. I skied a narrow and steep (and yea, short) chute through some weeds ... and then down one of the main trails of old Big Red: I booted back up to the top. Here's the old platform for the rope tow engine: and the top pole of the rope tow It was wild trying to imagine the place as a busy little ski area ... and then skiing pow there with not another soul in sight. I took a run down another of the main slopes. This ended in a large clot of brambles, which have grown in about halfway down the hillside. Seek alternate routes to hit the nice trees below. I took a couple more runs down this part of the hill (have to watch for occasional brambles higher up, too - one hit me in my chin and drew a little blood). Dusk was approaching and it was time to head home - but not before getting last tracks on the final stretch to the parking lot: Edit to add vital stats via UNH historical topo map: Top elevation ~190' ASL; elev at bottom of old ski slopes maybe 30' ASL. On this trip my max vert on any run was probably 80' or so but with enough snow a top-to-bottom route likely is viable to skiers' far left - not sure if this was part of the old ski area though. Last edited by polski; Dec 26, 2009 at 12:51 AM.

Dec 20, 2009, 11:39 PM	#10
billski July 2009 Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Lexington, Mass. Posts: 12,319	I get sentimental when I see things like this. You can only imagine how many good memories and other memories were captured there. __________________ It’s 10 p.m. Do you know where your skis are?

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