Bolton Valley, April 11 Powder (Pics)

[powderfreak]

Bolton is closed for the season but there's still plenty of snow. 300" on the year and temps near 40 meant it was time to go for an afternoon skin and ski. It was easily one of the most enjoyable days I've ever had skinning around and skiing a mix of upper elevation powder and low elevation wet powder. But there are a lot of tracks to be had and 20 minutes from my house in Burlington, I'd rather be doing this than living in one of the major cities going bumper to bumper for an hour.

Vermont in April is good.

The view from Burlington of Mansfield and part of the spine.

I decided to skin through the woods instead of the skin/bootpack highway running up from Bolton's Timberline Lodge (starts at about 1,500ft instead of 2,000ft up at the main base).

Nothing more aesthetically pleasing than a skin through the Vermont hardwoods, during sap season and under the bluest sky we've seen in a while.

Exited out of the hardwood glade onto the super-highway skin/bootpack.

....

 

[powderfreak]

At the top of the Timberline Quad, there still looked to be about 3-4 feet of natural snow on the ground and its a much lower elevation than the other two main lifts.

The turns were good up top, basically surfing above massive drifts.

Then I found an untracked trail with no drifting and had to hit it. Twice.

Skinned back up some beginner trail to the Timberline mid-station. Didn't look like April.

Finished it up with a gladed ski down to the parking lot.

T'was good.

-Scott

 

[ajl50]

, I'd rather be doing this than living in one of the major cities going bumper to bumper for an hour.

Like my dumb ass?

Great report. Looks absolutely amazing.

 

[bvibert]

Great report and pics as usual. I don't live in one of those major cities, nor do I deal with bumper to bumper traffic ever, but I still don't live that close to great skiing so color me envious too...

 

[andyzee]

Good stuff! Shame they had to close with all that snow still up there.:-?