Black Mt. NH, Dec 30th 2013

[billski]

In a few words

• 12" of the fluffiest blower pow I have seen in three years
• Boot deep at minimum, often knee deep.
• Face shots, face shots, face shots. Who'da thunk?:-D
• Float, float, float. Who'da thunk?!
• All inbound terrain in play. Marked and unmarked. Managed like MRG!
• Full parking lot
• No lines
• No Wind
• Blue skies
• Most of trails are natural conditions
• First tracks on four trails
• finding clean lines until about 1pm
• Finding boot-deep chop until 4
• Moi entirely wiped by 2pm
• Temps started at 30F, by end of day at 16F and dropping

Photos later

 

[billski]

Pics, Black 12/30/13

I thought I'd gone to heaven when I'm making a fresh line under the chair and an instructor shouted to me to lift my poles higher. Yes, it was that deep!

First tracks


White Knuckle




Moi about 1pm

end of day


obligatory pony picture

 

[deadheadskier]

Good call on Black. I was thinking to myself at one point today that I bet Black was skiing great from this storm.

They open Carter Notch Glade?

 

[billski]

Absolutely everything was open today. I think I touched every named trail/glade, and some unnamed places. Not a rope to be found anywhere. They are as generous with their policy as MRG is. Yep, the glade was ski-able, just a little bony.

Every time I think of Black I hesitate. And every time I go I have such a wonderful time. Runs 1 and 2 were nirvana. I have fun wherever I go, small or large. You just adjust yourself and don't come in with grand expectations.
BTW, they said they had 14". I've never known them to exaggerate.

 

[xwhaler]

Excellent report. Black is awesome on a powder day.....was upper galloping goose (upper summit liftline) open? It's a named trail but not sure they weedwack it in the summer anymore to help the overgrowth

Sent from my VS980 4G using AlpineZone mobile app

 

[shpride]

I love Black and hit it every time I'm in North Conway... And I've never even been there on a powder day.

 

[crank]

We skied Sunapee which is where we are staying this week. Wish we had made the drive to Black based on OP's report. We got 10 - 12" but Sunapee groomed every trail except for Lynx and Blast Off. We did do some glade poaching and I escaped with no base damage but it was a very low amount of snow as there was maybe and inch on the ground pre storm and you had to ski light and be super careful for deadfall.. Snow was nice densish powder.

PS. I asked a patroller how they felt about people skiing closed runs and he said "Just go around the ropes not under." I liked that.

 

[bdfreetuna]

looks fantastic! Never been up to Black..

 

[xlr8r]

Looks awesome, One of these days I need to get there. It looks like Black maybe more fun on a powder day than Wildcat.

 

[The Sneak]

This is a great place to go on a powder day, similar to berkshire east.

I have only been to black once but it was a huge powder day.

Nicely done!

 

[MadMadWorld]

Black is great with awesome terrain, short lines, and friendly people.