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New storm on the way

deadheadskier

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Yup woods were good, that's pretty much all I skied besides exploring Mittersill after lunch. I was kind of amazed how *bad* conditions were compared to recent Vermont trips though. Super variable but Mittersill seemed like more snow on the trails. The wind really did a number I guess. I got my skis tuned during my lunch break :p

I got 2 hrs sleep the night before so I'm just glad the woods were good and I skied as long as I did.

I heard on the radio snow report on the way home Magic got 9"? Website says 6-8... anyway I know where my next ski day will be
That's Cannon. Killer mountain with arguably the best technical terrain in NH and likely the most tree skiing in the state too. But, you need sharp edges there. Kind of our version of Whiteface I guess. Have never been to WF, but you hear it's reputation. I love Cannon and in the past I have contemplated switching to that pass instead of Wildcat, but ultimately I find Wildcat to have better snow.

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bdfreetuna

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I'm looking at Cannon snow report right now and they say "Powder / Packed Powder" and promising tomorrow will be another packed powder day. That will definitely not be the case.

It was powder drifts mixed with hard pack and some boilerplate. The only packed powder was in the trees that had enough traffic. I don't blame the mountain for weather conditions but I'm going to take their reports with a grain of salt in the future. Have 2 more passes to use this year so I'll hopefully take my wife up for some spring skiing.

Compared to Whiteface -- Except for DJ Tramline the blacks at Whiteface are steeper and in my experience you can expect them to be hard packed if you're lucky. I haven't skied WF Slides or a lot of the sidecountry I've heard about at Cannon though... that said those mountains are a closer comparison in many ways than most others. The trail layout, lifts and "peaks" even have a lot of similarities aside from the nuances.
 

snoseek

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It was all about the trees today. Mittersill was fantastic.
 

Smellytele

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Yup woods were good, that's pretty much all I skied besides exploring Mittersill after lunch. I was kind of amazed how *bad* conditions were compared to recent Vermont trips though. Super variable but Mittersill seemed like more snow on the trails. The wind really did a number I guess. I got my skis tuned during my lunch break :p

I got 2 hrs sleep the night before so I'm just glad the woods were good and I skied as long as I did.

I heard on the radio snow report on the way home Magic got 9"? Website says 6-8... anyway I know where my next ski day will be
Not sure where you found the bad conditions but the wind did play with the snow. The south sides of the front five trails had tons of snow where the middle had barely anything. If you found bad conditions in the middle of the mountain that is just Cannon. Upper and middle Hard scrabble were in great shape as was Vista Way. As you said the woods skied great today.
 

bdfreetuna

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I mean I usually end up skiing a few windblown/hardpack conditions days every season, it's basically my least favorite type of skiing where you're switching from powder to ice constantly. I even prefer dust on crust and frozen cord for the way I like to ski.

If you didn't count the woods... which were good... probably least fun on-trail conditions I've skied this season.

You were right about the winds, I was really amazed they ran the Tram all day.
 

bdfreetuna

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copy/paste from current snow report:

Primary Surface: Packed Powder
Secondary Surface: Powder

Tomorrow we are looking at a sunny day filled with packed powder turns. Groomers will hit the usual 58 trails so you can expect another day of smooth packed powder snow where ever they left their tracks. For those of you looking for powder, the sides of trails are still loaded with knee high drifts and the woods have the goods.

..............

Packed powder is the rarest of all surface conditions at Cannon right now. They are going past exaggerating into bullshitting territory here. Knee high on a dog..
 

tnt1234

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contemplating trying to shoe horn something in this weekend....sounds like it's good everywhere in s.vt and up.
 

deadheadskier

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copy/paste from current snow report:

Primary Surface: Packed Powder
Secondary Surface: Powder

Tomorrow we are looking at a sunny day filled with packed powder turns. Groomers will hit the usual 58 trails so you can expect another day of smooth packed powder snow where ever they left their tracks. For those of you looking for powder, the sides of trails are still loaded with knee high drifts and the woods have the goods.

..............

Packed powder is the rarest of all surface conditions at Cannon right now. They are going past exaggerating into bullshitting territory here. Knee high on a dog..
It's Bode Miller packed powder! ;)

Cannon is a tough mountain to learn because of what the wind does to it. It just gets scoured, which means vast areas of boilerplate most days. But wherever that snow blows off to is typically pretty good. As Smelly mentions above you need to avoid the middle; both the middle of the mountain and middle of the trails.

All of the Peabody lift trails the snow almost always suck. Same goes for middle trails off Cannonball lift. Tramway, Upper Cannon, Profile and Upper Ravine get blasted by wind. I do typically head to UC and UR first thing though because first hour they are fun to rip those old school curves. Vista, Skylight and Taft all tend to have a wind loaded side.

Zoomer area middle of the trails also typically boilerplate. Rocket and Gary's side the left seems to collect the good snow. Zoomer, Paulie's and Avalanche the right side.

But you did find what Cannon is all about though with the trees. If they're skiing well, the urge to do much else on a ski day at Cannon is minimal.

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abc

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So it looks like most mountains got snow. But some of them also got rain after.

Where's the “no rain” line approximately?
 

slatham

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So it looks like most mountains got snow. But some of them also got rain after.

Where's the “no rain” line approximately?

SoVT got a little rain Tuesday night. But other than eliminating a pure powder day on Wednesday it did no damage and at Magic for one skied great. Although SoVT got a bit of rain, I also think we got more snow prior with a solid 6” (compressed by the density) at my condo at Bromley and more up high.

Pics form Magic on my trip report.
 

GregoryIsaacs

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Any Stowe regulars have thoughts on what a 30mph west wind does up there?

Thinking of pulling a psycho day trip from Boston tomorrow.
 

bdfreetuna

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Feb 26-28 are trending the way we want it to. I haven't looked beyond that as it does enter fantasy land territory that far out. Looking good so far into March though... at least for ADKs/Greens/Whites/Maine

If it pans out I'll do a Magic day Sunday and then another one Thurs or Friday. Looking to hit Gore after that and looking like ADKs might do well

Unless the trend reverses we could be getting a much needed life line this coming week. If things hang in there we'll have a decent spring after all.
 
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