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Gunstock 3/19/2014

dlague

Active member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
8,792
Points
36
Location
CS, Colorado
Gunstock

Conditions: Powder, PP all on HP

Trip Report:

With this being the last week for night skiing at Gunstock, we wanted to get out there one more time on the last day of Winter (season that it). Knowing there was snow on the way, we opted to head out and see what happens. Turns out - it was awesome. Yes it is just night skiing, but we had fun with it. We got there around 5:30 (to eat and drink first) and then hit the chiars around 6:30. While in the building we noticed that it was dumping (near whiteout) and that made this night that much more exciting.

When we got on the chair we noticed that there was about 3-4 inches of freshies waiting for us and plenty of untracked. We skied the same run twice just to float on the new stuff a bit. Snow mixed with sleet/hail actually glides very nicely. Conditions under the snow were fast and as it tracked out skiing got faster. After that run we decided to head down Tiger to make a few runs off the Tiger chair. Everything appeared to have been groomed flat which was a little bit of a bummer but still fun - take what the mountain gives you! Our first run off that chair was on Redhat and low and behold - bumps! They were deceiving because the 3-4 inches on top of the bumps made them look nice and tame. This is not a very steep trail so that is not the challenge. What lies below the powder was the interesting feature - rock hard bumps that were frozen. The new snow on them actually made then ski pretty nicely - without the new snow it would have been sketchy. After three runs on the three main trails on that side we shot down Tiger Steeps and made our way to Blunder Smoke Park. BTW we were bummed out again because typically Tiger Steeps is a nice short but sweet bump trail and it was flatten out - still fun! We ended up at the park for my son who wanted to do a bunch of runs over there so we entertained it. Normally I do not head into the parks but it was vacant and it allowed to to try different things and watch my son as well. Even my wife would go off a hip or two.

We made it back to the Ramrod Quad and lapped Lower Tiger a few times before calling it a night. It kind of sadden me to leave because they were open until 10 and we were having a blast. But my wife the more conscientious of the bunch though it would be best to head home because it was a school night and we had a 30 minute drive ahead of us!

Reality set in, as we drove away, that the season is coming to a close soon, and though there is still much skiing to be had that feeling does not go away!

While we ate white gold arrived
photo 1.JPG

Mother nature delivered a fresh coating of 3-4 inches!
photo 2.jpg

Powder covered bumps on Redhat
photo 3.JPG

Looking out from Upper Tiger
photo 4.JPG

Blunder Smoke Park
photo 5.JPG
 

Edd

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2006
Messages
6,537
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Location
Newmarket, NH
Dang, Redhat looks sweet. I haven't gone night skiing in a very long time.
 

dlague

Active member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
8,792
Points
36
Location
CS, Colorado
Looks friggin amazing... sucks, that I cannot get out until next Saturday... Maybe I can eek something out sunday but damn, they better keep things open well into april!

It was so much fun that I did not want the night to end! Basically a kid in the candy store.


Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone
 

CTNoob

New member
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
17
Points
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I was there at night on March 8th. So much fun and great conditions. The acreage that is lit is pretty broad horizontally, although not much vertical, so when you stand at the top of Blundersmoke or Pistol it is cool to look out over all the lit terrain.
 
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