KingM
New member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2004
- Messages
- 977
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Warren, VT (Sugarbush, MRG)
- Website
- www.goldenlionriversideinn.com
I went up to Sugarbush for a couple of hours this afternoon. I always park at the very edge of the lot, which is right next to the practice slope. That way I can step out of my car, then off the edge of the parking lot and just slide down to the practice chair. At the top of the practice slope I cut across on Sugarbear Road to the base of the Gatehouse Express Quad.
My first trail was Sleeper, which is a nice gladed area with a number of ways to work your way down. Due to poor planning on Sugarbush's part, it was only apparent once you'd entered that the easier, blue begining of the trail was closed, leaving only the black diamond Sleeper Shute. There was a woman with her young children trying to figure out how to get them past the black diamond (admittedly just a short stretch) to the easier blue stuff below. It's too late to turn around by that point. Sleeper is a fun little trail with lots of glades and many different ways to work your way down. Today, the cover was thin. I was kind of expecting that, based on past experience.
So instead of riding it two or three times in a row like I usually do, I cut right over to Super Bravo, then rode lower jester down to the Heaven's Gate Triple. I took a couple of runs up there. It was the only part of the upper mountain open at Lincoln Peak, and the snow was pretty decent. I skied Organgrinder and Jester, before I got tired of the mist and noise of the snow making. My last run up there I rode Jester all the way to the bottom of Super Bravo, trying to do it without stopping (2400 verticle 11,000 feet total) but the leg burn was a little too much about 3/4 the way down from all the switch backs.
I next gave the stuff off the right of Super Bravo a try. Birdland was like the blue edge of a glacier and should not have been open. I regretted entering it within seconds. A couple of the gladed blacks were open but looked dicey as well so I gave them a pass. Murphy's Glades was somewhat better, but not too great.
I headed over to Snowball, which I usually avoid, not because it's bad, but because the traverse is boring and there are other, just as interesting trails in the same area. Upper Snowball had quite good snow, I thought, with full cover, and best of all I didn't see a single other skier until I was almost to the bottom of Lower Snowball. Just when I rounded the bend where you can choose between Lower Snowball and Racer's Edge the sun came through the clouds and cast a gorgeous glow across the Mad River Valley all the way to the Northfield Mountains. It was my best run of the day and I was feeling great.
I took a second run on the trail, which was still nice, although a bunch of people had suddenly materialized. Among them was a woman taking pictures of her kids, a group of Italians (quite good, but there were about 10 of them), and some snowboarders who should really have been on the practice slope.
Finally, I skied over to Gatehouse, then took Pushover down to First Timer and skied right up to my car. If you're at Sugarbush, try to park like this; it will save you a lot of time hauling your gear through a crowded parking lot and up the steps to the quads. I don't think it occurs to anyone because there's little over there but the practice chair. They forget that the practice slope connects to some other trails both skiing in and skiing out.
All in all the conditions were not bad at all, provided you pick and choose your trails. Someone said Mount Ellen had some surprisingly good conditions as well.
Word is several fresh inches over the next few days, which should help everyone in New England. It might not be a bad weekend to hit your favorite mountain.
My first trail was Sleeper, which is a nice gladed area with a number of ways to work your way down. Due to poor planning on Sugarbush's part, it was only apparent once you'd entered that the easier, blue begining of the trail was closed, leaving only the black diamond Sleeper Shute. There was a woman with her young children trying to figure out how to get them past the black diamond (admittedly just a short stretch) to the easier blue stuff below. It's too late to turn around by that point. Sleeper is a fun little trail with lots of glades and many different ways to work your way down. Today, the cover was thin. I was kind of expecting that, based on past experience.
So instead of riding it two or three times in a row like I usually do, I cut right over to Super Bravo, then rode lower jester down to the Heaven's Gate Triple. I took a couple of runs up there. It was the only part of the upper mountain open at Lincoln Peak, and the snow was pretty decent. I skied Organgrinder and Jester, before I got tired of the mist and noise of the snow making. My last run up there I rode Jester all the way to the bottom of Super Bravo, trying to do it without stopping (2400 verticle 11,000 feet total) but the leg burn was a little too much about 3/4 the way down from all the switch backs.
I next gave the stuff off the right of Super Bravo a try. Birdland was like the blue edge of a glacier and should not have been open. I regretted entering it within seconds. A couple of the gladed blacks were open but looked dicey as well so I gave them a pass. Murphy's Glades was somewhat better, but not too great.
I headed over to Snowball, which I usually avoid, not because it's bad, but because the traverse is boring and there are other, just as interesting trails in the same area. Upper Snowball had quite good snow, I thought, with full cover, and best of all I didn't see a single other skier until I was almost to the bottom of Lower Snowball. Just when I rounded the bend where you can choose between Lower Snowball and Racer's Edge the sun came through the clouds and cast a gorgeous glow across the Mad River Valley all the way to the Northfield Mountains. It was my best run of the day and I was feeling great.
I took a second run on the trail, which was still nice, although a bunch of people had suddenly materialized. Among them was a woman taking pictures of her kids, a group of Italians (quite good, but there were about 10 of them), and some snowboarders who should really have been on the practice slope.
Finally, I skied over to Gatehouse, then took Pushover down to First Timer and skied right up to my car. If you're at Sugarbush, try to park like this; it will save you a lot of time hauling your gear through a crowded parking lot and up the steps to the quads. I don't think it occurs to anyone because there's little over there but the practice chair. They forget that the practice slope connects to some other trails both skiing in and skiing out.
All in all the conditions were not bad at all, provided you pick and choose your trails. Someone said Mount Ellen had some surprisingly good conditions as well.
Word is several fresh inches over the next few days, which should help everyone in New England. It might not be a bad weekend to hit your favorite mountain.
I miss my Vermont lifestyle. :roll:
