Sugarbush/Castlerock - 2/25/2005

[Greg]

Date(s) Skied: February 25, 2005 - 11 AM - 1:40 PM

Resort or Ski Area: Sugarbush/Castlerock, Warren, Vermont

Conditions: Natural snow, moguls, thin cover, frozen base. Temps near twenty, partly cloudy. No wind.

Trip Report: We got to the SB Inn Thursday evening and it was apparent at dinner our daughter wasn't feeling well. Anyway, we spent much of the night attending to a puking kid with a high fever. Needless to say, I didn't get started until late in the morning. She was feeling better so my wife sent me out to take a few runs. The plan was to head over to Burlington in the afternoon so I squeezed in what I could in a couple of hours.

Boarded the Super Bravo quad around 11 AM and hopped on Domino to make my way to the Castlerock Chair. Domino was a fun natural run with nice bumps, but I was pretty sloppy as it was my first run. Glutton for punishment, I jumped on the CR Chair to ski my remaining runs there. I rode the lift with a nice fellow from Burlington; it was to be the only chair I would share with another skier!

Once on Castlerock, I took my first run (ever) down Castlerock Run to Cotillion. Both were in pretty decent shape, but there were certainly some thin spots and many bumps. I'm really starting to get into natural runs and these certainly were satisfying, albeit a bit sloppy. Skied right on the CR Chair (!) and took my next run down Middle Earth. This was only the second time I've skied ME and conditions were similar to CR Run/Cotillion. Bumps were a bit more consistent and firmer but I was starting to see an improvement in my skiing. I really love the trail layout at Castlerock.

Third run at CR was down CR Run again, but I finished up on Lower Liftline. Next run was straight down Liftline from the summit. This was a pretty humbling run and I was a bit over my head in terms of good form. Liftline is a double-diamond rated steep and this day had somewhat thin cover with rocks, frozen natural base and bumps. It was the most challenging run I did this day and I probably looked like a lower intermediate as I traversed some of the steeper icey sections. Virtually no lines at the CR Chair today. At most I waited 2 or 3 chairs!

My last two runs were down ME and finally on CR Run/Cotillion. I then took the Castlerock Extension/Runout back to the base to meet the girls for lunch. Abby was doing better, but still feverish most of the day. After a quick jaunt over to Burlington to hit the VT Teddy Bear Co. and Magic Hat Brewery, we decided to pack it up and head home. It was nice to wake up in our own beds this morning. Abby is back to her old self too..

Pics to follow after I unpack the car...

 

[Greg]

Okay. Pics are HERE.

 

[Big Game]

Hey I was there yesterday....my first time at the Bush, Very humblng experience. I gave a ride to a local who was hitchhiking becuase she missed the MR bus. She told me were to park and what to hit. Good move on my part.

Took superbravo then got on to Lynk peak chair. The bumps looked like all powder , so I figured I'd start out on Paradise becuase I am an idiot. Not so good of a move on my part. Got beat up really bad, but at the same time I was sayng this place is gorgeous. So then went ot the top of Lynx, figured maybe i should warm up on a cruiser and took "rim job" or whatever it is down. Looked at some glades, but becuase I was solo, I figured it was best not to go in, especially when I don't know the lines. I needed a little redemption after getting killed by Paradise so I did three runs on betwixt. A "blue" bump run. I was feeling the love and was making some nice runs. Next was the bump run under the slow lift the ojne ot the left of superbravo) Had some mishaps, but overall pretty good. I figured I was then up for Castlerock.

Dude Castlerock is so freaking cool.. It's a totally different world up there. I thought little gnomes would be coming out of the trees and sing to me. I then went down "middle earth." I couldn't get in the groove, so then I wanted for this other snowboarder to come down and show me some lines. She was pretty good, I followed her and got into it. Things then got kind of icy. I would be lying if I said it was stellar.

Went back up to do Castlerock. I was so shot I couldn't get any turns it. It was killing me. Here was just some awesome terrain and I was impotent to bang any turns. I then figured it was a good time for lunch.

After lunch I then went over to Mt. Ellen. Messed around on some cruisers for a bit to recover. Then hit lower FIS which was the most enjoyable run of the day,. Nice soft partilally packed snow on the left. Good times. Didn't realize the traverse at the bottom was actually up hill. Not that I cared, the walked warmed me up. Did a few more cruisers, then back to Lincoln, one more run down Birch and I had less than nothing left.

Today I woke up and it feels like I got in a drunken bar fight with half a dozen thugs. I love it. Sugarbush just totally rocks. It's got such a challenge, and is such an eye-pleaser. I love the rickety slow lifts...hell, I need that time to recover. And it seems even on a holiday week, you can have the place to your own if you avoid the cruisers, but then even some of those weren't so bad. And I didn't even check out the glades yet either. Next time, hopefully soon, I'll get to wander into the woods and find out where those adorable little gnomes live.

There was a poll on AZ that asked what skill level you are. After Sugarbush, I should go back and downgrade it from expert to advanced.

Can't wait to go back and see if I can improve my game.

 

[riverc0il]

did you do rumble? those pics look awesome.

 

[TeleGrrrl]

Sweet pix. Looks like the snow is in fine shape. I need to get over there!!!!

 

[Greg]

did you do rumble?

After my feeble performance on Liftline, I decided to save Rumble for another day...

 

[thetrailboss]

Yes, Cotillion is an old fav of mine...not really well traveled. And Lower FIS....drool...one of my all time favs.

Thanx again for the call, Greg :wink: TB got his snow fix on Friday PM and all day Saturday. Off to Burke soon...

 

[Charlie Schuessler]

...did you do rumble?

My VT buddies never ask if I/we want to go to the Bush, it is almost always suggested as "are you ready to rummmmmble?"

I'll be there in 2-weeks and I'm looking to rumble!

 

[KingM]

Skiing Sugarbush

Enjoyed your SB trip report. Well, it's too bad you're not up here this week, as the conditions are terrific, but it sounds like you had a good time.

You didn't say if you'd skied the Heaven's Gate Triple, but I just wanted to give a plug to some of the runs off that chair. Also, don't forget the terrain at Mt. Ellen; when LP is thin, Mt. Ellen is usually better. When there's fresh snow, either one is great.

Also, in the unsolicited advice category, I was just going to recommend that you consider somewhere other than the Sugarbush Inn next time. Their prices are pretty high for what you get. Have you ever stayed at the Sugar Lodge? It's similar accommodations to SB Inn (maybe a bit nicer), similar location and about $30/night less.

Disclaimer: Sugar Lodge isn't my place, but I am friends with the owners.

 

[pbd456]

Thanks for the report!

Just want to share that the condition on CR is really good today.

I hit Bush at around 12:00noon today, and took 4 runs on CR (rumble, liftline, CR, ME) and it was really fun. I really enjoy rumble (as it was my FIRST time ever to ski on this trail and I was always scared, but my friend convince me that I can ski anywhere on Tuesday as I got down on Paradise in MRG without falling (for the first time) ). \

It was not busy at all, and I had the whole Rumble all by myself.

 

[JimG.]

My 2 sons David and Peter and I skied CR on 3/4 and 3/5 and it was awesome. Did Middle Earth, CR run, Liftline, and Rumble both days and had a blast. The second cliff on Liftline was getting scraped by day's end on Sat, but it was still quite skiable.