snowmonster
New member
Date(s) Skied: 3/19/2011
Resort or Ski Area: Black Mountain Ski Trail, NH
Conditions: Temps in the 40s, bluebird with WNW winds, dusting of an inch overnight.
Trip Report: Day Three of the Monster Spring Break in the MWV: Black Mountain is about a ten minute drive from the Doublehead trail. The road takes you past the Black Mountain ski area, which is on the south side of the mountain. The trail though is not connected to the ski area and is on the west side.
I got to the trailhead at around 1pm and was the only one there. To access the trail, I had to park in the lot, walk past a chain in the road through private property and up to the Black Mountain trailhead. The sun was shining pretty brightly and the well spaced trees made for a pretty walk in the woods. Between Doublehead and Black, this was the definitely the prettier trail. The snow was corning up and getting mushy already. The longer I took before the ski down, I knew the heavier the snow will be. The lower part of the trail had numerous brook openings and it took some skill to navigate around them. Like Doublehead, the lower part of the trail was moderate and gradually got steeper. However, while the former was narrower and more challenging, the latter was wider and more moderate. I thought it would be an easier cruise -- or so I thought.
It was a 1.3 mile hike and I got to the cabin at around 230. The cabin sat on top of a clearing and it had Tibetan prayer flags on its front. There was an adjoining woodworking shed with all sorts of saws and tools. The best part of the cabin was its views of Mt. Washington. With the clear conditions, you could see the antennas on the Observatory. It was a fine spot for a picnic.
I skied down at around 330. The parts of the trail exposed to the sun were turning to heavy mush while the shaded areas remained solid. It was pretty tricky transitioning from one type of snow to the other as it alternately threw you forward and sucked you back. It was good that the trail had a moderate pitch otherwise it would be too interesting going down. I met a man and his dog and another skier towing a sled. He was the first in a party of eight that was going to stay at the cabin that night. I ended my run by crashing into heavy wet snow in a clearing that was someone's yard. It was a good ending to three days of great adventure! I'm already looking forward to the next!
Trailhead:
The walk in -- I think it's someone's driveway:
Start of the ski trail:
Brooks across the trail:
Trailviews on the way up:
The Black Mountain cabin:
Mt. Washington views:
Trailviews on the way down:
End of the trail in someone's backyard:
Resort or Ski Area: Black Mountain Ski Trail, NH
Conditions: Temps in the 40s, bluebird with WNW winds, dusting of an inch overnight.
Trip Report: Day Three of the Monster Spring Break in the MWV: Black Mountain is about a ten minute drive from the Doublehead trail. The road takes you past the Black Mountain ski area, which is on the south side of the mountain. The trail though is not connected to the ski area and is on the west side.
I got to the trailhead at around 1pm and was the only one there. To access the trail, I had to park in the lot, walk past a chain in the road through private property and up to the Black Mountain trailhead. The sun was shining pretty brightly and the well spaced trees made for a pretty walk in the woods. Between Doublehead and Black, this was the definitely the prettier trail. The snow was corning up and getting mushy already. The longer I took before the ski down, I knew the heavier the snow will be. The lower part of the trail had numerous brook openings and it took some skill to navigate around them. Like Doublehead, the lower part of the trail was moderate and gradually got steeper. However, while the former was narrower and more challenging, the latter was wider and more moderate. I thought it would be an easier cruise -- or so I thought.
It was a 1.3 mile hike and I got to the cabin at around 230. The cabin sat on top of a clearing and it had Tibetan prayer flags on its front. There was an adjoining woodworking shed with all sorts of saws and tools. The best part of the cabin was its views of Mt. Washington. With the clear conditions, you could see the antennas on the Observatory. It was a fine spot for a picnic.
I skied down at around 330. The parts of the trail exposed to the sun were turning to heavy mush while the shaded areas remained solid. It was pretty tricky transitioning from one type of snow to the other as it alternately threw you forward and sucked you back. It was good that the trail had a moderate pitch otherwise it would be too interesting going down. I met a man and his dog and another skier towing a sled. He was the first in a party of eight that was going to stay at the cabin that night. I ended my run by crashing into heavy wet snow in a clearing that was someone's yard. It was a good ending to three days of great adventure! I'm already looking forward to the next!
Trailhead:
The walk in -- I think it's someone's driveway:
Start of the ski trail:
Brooks across the trail:
Trailviews on the way up:
The Black Mountain cabin:
Mt. Washington views:
Trailviews on the way down:
End of the trail in someone's backyard:
Last edited: