Date(s) Skied: April 2-3, 2005
Resort or Ski Area: Sugarloaf/USA
Conditions: Started out with nicely packed very fine granular, ended with soft, gluey mush.
Trip Report:
This past weekend was a Views from the Top Gathering at the Sugarloaf USA ski resort up in Carrabassett, Maine.
After everyone had been sorted out into their respective units, we hit the Sugarloaf Brewing Company for beer and burgers. The porter was fantastic, dinner decent but clearly pub food. The staff acted overwhelmed at our table of 25 yet gave excellent and timely service. Most of us crashed early, however, to make the most of the next morning - the forecast was for rain to be arriving and we wanted to get in what skiing we could before it got there.
It was then I discovered that the so-called hideway sofabed in our crappy little condo was unusable. You could not possibly have lain on this thing and not ended up with a back injury. I took the mattress off it and sprawled on the floor. For this of course I blame the condo owner, not the resort. It was miserably outfitted condo (a basement Birchwoods 2BR unit) in an excellent location (maybe 50' from the hot tubs).
But it was quickly morning, and the clouds were upon us. It was foggy and grey out, with a visibility of just a few hundred feet. Most importantly, though, it wasn't raining, and we made our way up the Snubber (condo area) chairlift to the base area, where we hopped on the Superquad to ride up the mountain. As we rose, we came out of the fog and found ourselves looking at the Bigelows and other mountains poking up from the undercast. Although overcast, we were in the open and things looked very promising.
The snow was in great shape, all things considered. It was a bit frozen in spots, and certainly not packed powder, but it was neither loose nor frozen glare, and was a real pleasure to ski. There was plenty of scrape noise but it rode very well. I would make quite a few runs all morning on the west side of the mountain, enjoying Tote Road, Windrow, Scoot, Glancer, King's Landing, and Candy Side. These were right up my alley and a perfect complement to my skill level. I had a couple small falls, including accidentally learning just how far my body can do a split before agonizing pain kicks in, but otherwise managed the slopes well and when the snow (!) arrived the inch or two that fell made the conditions only more enjoyable. Only the very bottom of the mountain had soft mush to deal with; the last hundred yards to the lift were like glue soup.
Just before lunch, which was to be at Bullwinkle's, the midmountain lodge, I made a full run all the way back down to the condo to get an extra layer (sitting on the lift was cold), rode back up the mountain, and cruised down to eat. My quads were feeling it and I needed to get some food in me. While eating lunch the snow started to mix in with some sleet and a bit of rain. We knew we were running out of time, so we skied to the bottom and rode back up the Superquad with the intent of riding the Timberline chair to the summit. I didn't have it in me - my legs were beat from almost four straight hours of skiing all morning, so I just did another run to the bottom on the nicest combination of the aforementioned trails. I cruised well and in control, and almost felt regret for not hitting the summit, figuring lunch was finally kicking in and giving me some energy back, but overall it allowed me to end on a positive note. I and several others skied back down to our condo to dry off, warm up, and commence an evening of excellent food (Tufolios restaurant), drink (much beer back in the big five-bedroom party condo), and revelry.
The next morning arrived an hour too early (darn DST) and over an inch of rain too wet. There was no way we were skiing, so we exchanged our lift tickets. It was amusing watching the local TV station as whenever somebody appeared in site of the base area cameras, they would show them. We actually saw two people head up the Superquad in the pouring rain and later come down.
As it poured we packed to leave, but the rain would surprise at least one of us by undermining the road and burrowing a huge gully, cutting off the parking lot, and his car, from being able to leave. I was lucky to have not been in that lot, but nobody could avoid the flooding and detours on the drive home down Rte 27 and Rte 4. With the snowbanks there was just noplace for the water to go but to stay in the road or carve a new path.
And so ski season is now over for me. Although some mountains will be open for a few more weeks, my opportunities are through for the spring. I can't wait for next winter - I had a ton of fun and made fantastic progress this year and hope to continue my journey through the intermediate blue trails and into my first expert black diamonds next season. I am definitely going to get back to Sugarloaf again, too. Until then, however, I'll put the boots away and lube up the bicycle.
Resort or Ski Area: Sugarloaf/USA
Conditions: Started out with nicely packed very fine granular, ended with soft, gluey mush.
Trip Report:
This past weekend was a Views from the Top Gathering at the Sugarloaf USA ski resort up in Carrabassett, Maine.
After everyone had been sorted out into their respective units, we hit the Sugarloaf Brewing Company for beer and burgers. The porter was fantastic, dinner decent but clearly pub food. The staff acted overwhelmed at our table of 25 yet gave excellent and timely service. Most of us crashed early, however, to make the most of the next morning - the forecast was for rain to be arriving and we wanted to get in what skiing we could before it got there.
It was then I discovered that the so-called hideway sofabed in our crappy little condo was unusable. You could not possibly have lain on this thing and not ended up with a back injury. I took the mattress off it and sprawled on the floor. For this of course I blame the condo owner, not the resort. It was miserably outfitted condo (a basement Birchwoods 2BR unit) in an excellent location (maybe 50' from the hot tubs).
But it was quickly morning, and the clouds were upon us. It was foggy and grey out, with a visibility of just a few hundred feet. Most importantly, though, it wasn't raining, and we made our way up the Snubber (condo area) chairlift to the base area, where we hopped on the Superquad to ride up the mountain. As we rose, we came out of the fog and found ourselves looking at the Bigelows and other mountains poking up from the undercast. Although overcast, we were in the open and things looked very promising.
The snow was in great shape, all things considered. It was a bit frozen in spots, and certainly not packed powder, but it was neither loose nor frozen glare, and was a real pleasure to ski. There was plenty of scrape noise but it rode very well. I would make quite a few runs all morning on the west side of the mountain, enjoying Tote Road, Windrow, Scoot, Glancer, King's Landing, and Candy Side. These were right up my alley and a perfect complement to my skill level. I had a couple small falls, including accidentally learning just how far my body can do a split before agonizing pain kicks in, but otherwise managed the slopes well and when the snow (!) arrived the inch or two that fell made the conditions only more enjoyable. Only the very bottom of the mountain had soft mush to deal with; the last hundred yards to the lift were like glue soup.
Just before lunch, which was to be at Bullwinkle's, the midmountain lodge, I made a full run all the way back down to the condo to get an extra layer (sitting on the lift was cold), rode back up the mountain, and cruised down to eat. My quads were feeling it and I needed to get some food in me. While eating lunch the snow started to mix in with some sleet and a bit of rain. We knew we were running out of time, so we skied to the bottom and rode back up the Superquad with the intent of riding the Timberline chair to the summit. I didn't have it in me - my legs were beat from almost four straight hours of skiing all morning, so I just did another run to the bottom on the nicest combination of the aforementioned trails. I cruised well and in control, and almost felt regret for not hitting the summit, figuring lunch was finally kicking in and giving me some energy back, but overall it allowed me to end on a positive note. I and several others skied back down to our condo to dry off, warm up, and commence an evening of excellent food (Tufolios restaurant), drink (much beer back in the big five-bedroom party condo), and revelry.
The next morning arrived an hour too early (darn DST) and over an inch of rain too wet. There was no way we were skiing, so we exchanged our lift tickets. It was amusing watching the local TV station as whenever somebody appeared in site of the base area cameras, they would show them. We actually saw two people head up the Superquad in the pouring rain and later come down.
As it poured we packed to leave, but the rain would surprise at least one of us by undermining the road and burrowing a huge gully, cutting off the parking lot, and his car, from being able to leave. I was lucky to have not been in that lot, but nobody could avoid the flooding and detours on the drive home down Rte 27 and Rte 4. With the snowbanks there was just noplace for the water to go but to stay in the road or carve a new path.
And so ski season is now over for me. Although some mountains will be open for a few more weeks, my opportunities are through for the spring. I can't wait for next winter - I had a ton of fun and made fantastic progress this year and hope to continue my journey through the intermediate blue trails and into my first expert black diamonds next season. I am definitely going to get back to Sugarloaf again, too. Until then, however, I'll put the boots away and lube up the bicycle.
