Bruce Trail - 2/20/2012

[snowmonster]

Date(s) Skied: 2/20/2012

Resort or Ski Area: Bruce Trail, Mt. Mansfield

Conditions: Sunny, Temps: 18-30, Winds: 8 mph; Packed Powder

Trip Report: At last! I finally went past the the rope and skied the Bruce. I was worried about the snowpack in the side-country but the skiing the day before at MRG convinced me that part of the Greens was getting well-pounded. Other than one the odd uncovered rock or punji stick sticking up from the forest floor, the Bruce was skiing well. It's pretty bumped up and scraped in some parts (especially on the Elevator Shaft) but it's an enjoyable run especially in the sun. There are some brook crossing down low on the cross-country trails that are starting to open up. Unless we get a dump (which Stowe is supposed to get on Wednesday and Saturday) and a freeze, those will get wider. So, if you want to ski the Bruce from top to bottom this season, the time is now.

Ended the run by cutting across Burt, Crosscut and Timberlane on the cross-country trails to walk back to the Toll House double. The walk can be a slog -- but it's a small price to pay. I will be back in Stowe next week and plan on a Bruce-Overland-Underhill-Steeple run. The backcountry beckons!

The entrance from Stowe:

The Bruce Trail, the first ski trail cut on Mt. Mansfield.

There are even directional signs in here!

The Elevator Shaft:

Stowe cross-country trails

Where to?

A lift in the backcountry? That's why it's called the sidecountry.

 

[legalskier]

Thanks- that looks really sweet.

Btw, did you find Mtn Xer's skis? :-D

 

[thetrailboss]

Nice!

 

[WoodCore]

Nice!! Hopefully the snow sticks around for a bit as that trail is on the "hit list" for sure, been so for a long time!

 

[snowmonster]

^ Do it soon. It's in good shape now and they're supposed to get dumped on this week. Let me know if you'll be there on Saturday.

 

[snowmonster]

Thanks- that looks really sweet.

Btw, did you find Mtn Xer's skis? :-D

Didn't get to the Kitchen Wall. Damn! I knew I forgot to do something.

Thanks, TB! Here's to more tours in your home state. After Mansfield, I've got my sights on Camel's Hump.

 

[marcski]

Nice. The Snowmonster does it again!

 

[skidmarks]

Damn! Foiled Again!

Skidmarks 0
Snowmonster 1

As you may know I was up at Stowe on Monday and skinned up the Toll Road. I was looking down the Bruce Trail at 11:45 AM but decided not to ski it. Even though it looked good at the top I just couldn't believe the conditions were any good based on what we saw the day before on the Bolton Trapp Traverse. My guess is it's all about the elevation since most of the Bruce Trail is in the 3,000+ to 2,000 range and I based my assumption on conditions we found at a max elevation of 1,800 ft.

Kudos to Snowmonster for getting the goods!!

...and I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!


Looking south into the Ranch Valley and the Sky Top Ridge. Steeple Trail should be on the far left!

Loads of snow up top!

 

[snowmonster]

Hey, skidmarks! We should have done a better job at keeping in touch. I dropped into the Bruce at around 10 am. Had I known that you would be in the neighborhood, I would have made plans. I'm glad to know that skinning is still allowed on the Toll Road. I always knew it was allowed (or tolerated) then there was a thread on AZ that said that Stowe discouraged it. From the time I crossed the rope until I got back on the double chair, it took me about an hour. Of course, there was a lot of stumbling around going down the wrong trail in the cross-country area and getting lost in the parking lot. Should be a lot quicker next time around.

Thanks for the picture of the Ranch Valley. I plan to do Bruce-Skytop next Saturday. Let me know if you'll be in the area. By the way, sorry for the size of the pictures. If you want to see better detail, go to my FB page. I hope to tour with you this season.

 

[Vortex]

Great job Snowmonster. Nice shots.

 

[Abubob]

A lift in the backcountry? That's why it's called the sidecountry.

What? No shuttle?

 

[snowmonster]

Nice. The Snowmonster does it again!

Great job Snowmonster. Nice shots.

Thanks, guys!

What? No shuttle?

Yeah, bummer. Considering the cost of their lift tickets, you'd expect them to have a shuttle there. No ski valet and no cookies at 3 pm after you ski down the Bruce. What is this world coming to?