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let's talk about off map and sidecountry skiing at stowe...

tnt1234

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Any time someone mentions Kitchen Wall, that's my immediate first thought.

I've fallen off that traverse before, but never so far down that I couldn't get back up and continue on to the common drop in spot. I guess I'm just super paranoid about off trail exploring. I would have chosen to unclip AT THAT POINT and climb back to the traverse and continue on to known territory. Maybe the snow was too deep? But you can still traverse under the traverse....every time I'm there now I look down trying to figure out where that guy ended up....

Also, I always wonder what the heck did he do? Just climb out and walk all the way down Perry Merrill? I mean, you are way the heck up there at kitchen way! That's a long, lonely walk of shame DOWN the mountain in ski boots....

I wish that guy would come back and give us an update.
 

tnt1234

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Some where on the inter webs there is a fantastic trip report of a guy going side country at stowe - maybe to hellsbrook? He's alone, and his bindings fail, and he's post holing back to the trail network and flinging his skis in front of him, and he takes a tumble, knocks a tooth out, then bindings release, and he can ski down...report ends with him, face completely bloody, not even bothering to clean up, drinking a beer in the bar at the Spruce lodge....

Can't find it - but will keep looking. Hilarious.
 

BenedictGomez

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I've fallen off that traverse before, but never so far down that I couldn't get back up and continue on to the common drop in spot. I guess I'm just super paranoid about off trail exploring.

Well, to be fair, the Kitchen Wall is DEADLY! LOL

I steadied myself with outstretched arms against the rock face in front of me and eased out onto the unstable ridge. If I made it, this barren stretch of boulders would funnel me into one of Stowe Mountain Resort’s best unmarked glades. But one wrong twitch on this rocky cliff and I could tumble down a 30-foot embankment with nothing to look forward to but an ocean of ice and jagged granite. To navigate it successfully, I stood on the toe edge of my snowboard with bent knees, staring Mount Mansfield in the face........... Technically it doesn’t have a name; it’s not even on the trail map. Most likely it’s some local ski bum’s name for the deadly ridge I traversed.

Much like the AZ Kitchen Wall ski-chucking thread, this article never gets old.

http://archive.boston.com/travel/ex...fect_backcountry_line_at_stowes_highest_peak/
 

deadheadskier

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I assume you mean deadly if accessed from above the lifts. The lower section accessed from the Gondola is fairly benign IMO.
 

derik_jahn

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Any time someone mentions Kitchen Wall, that's my immediate first thought.

Hi guys, newbie to the forum here. Been going to Stowe for many years now. I stumbled across this thread and found it funny you guys were talking about the man who tossed his skis off a cliff in the kitchen wall and walked the rest of the way down. I remember reading that exact thread years ago so I decided to google the thread and ended up finding it haha. Enjoy the comments!

http://forums.alpinezone.com/showth...ll-want-to-attempt-to-go-get-them-back-advice
 

KustyTheKlown

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doing my single stowe trip of the year this Saturday, so nice coincidence bumping my old thread

I intend to show some people the kitchen wall and angel food

I have never skied the bruce, but we will have ample shuttle cars, so this may be the time to end the day with it
 

derik_jahn

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Very lucky! Phenomenal conditions right now and probably even better at the end of the week. I'm headed up soon also but during 3/31-4/5 for some Spring fun. Enjoy the snow.
 

tnt1234

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doing my single stowe trip of the year this Saturday, so nice coincidence bumping my old thread

I intend to show some people the kitchen wall and angel food

I have never skied the bruce, but we will have ample shuttle cars, so this may be the time to end the day with it
wow - great timing man...enjoy.
 

KustyTheKlown

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wow - great timing man...enjoy.

yea im really glad this parade of noreasters continues. even tho I was skiing awesome snow in Canada last week, a part of me was quite bummed to miss two banner weekends in the catskills and Vermont

this stowe weekend also involves a special private tasting at hill farmstead for our group and a reservation at hen of the wood waterbury

stowe/magic this weekend, mad river/killington (or pico) next weekend, sugarbush/? the following weekend, whiteface x2 april 5-7

maybe a copper Colorado weekend april 15-17, which would get me to 51 days

life is ok
 

bdfreetuna

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You live in Brooklyn and ski 51 days in a season. While I don't envy life in any population center, that's an impressive feat.

I won't ask how you afford and manage the logistics of this lifestyle :lol:
 

KustyTheKlown

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You live in Brooklyn and ski 51 days in a season. While I don't envy life in any population center, that's an impressive feat.

I won't ask how you afford and manage the logistics of this lifestyle :lol:

it really isn't so hard. first of all, I live with roommates and pay $1000 a month for rent. that may sound expensive to people who don't live in NYC, but here its extremely cheap. secondly, max pass and a refusal to stray from it except for skiVT 5 pack. thirdly, a willingness to drive thru the night on Fridays and avoid two nights of hotels. fourthly, a willingness to stay in some highly questionable hotels. fifthly, a willingness to sleep in my car if I must. sixthly, credit card miles for trips out west and friends in high (elevation) places with comfy couches in the west.

I'd move away from NYC in a heartbeat, but I need to pay off my student loans before that is an option. id love to live in beacon, or hudson, or maybe even Saratoga Springs

edit - just in case there was an implication of illegal income - I'm a relatively underpaid lawyer in house at a big bank. I don't work for the investment bank or any of our big dollar departments. I make less than average for a 32 year old NYC lawyer, but I make ok enough money to pay rent and to ski and to not default on my student loans, but not much more. I used to do airbnb when I lived alone in NYC and that got me a solid $10K+ extra income per year. I have never been a pot dealer or anything like that.
 
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