Burke 3/7/12

[Zand]

Date(s) Skied: Wednesday 3/7/12

Resort or Ski Area: Burke, VT

Conditions: STICKY spring, 50s, sunny

Trip Report:

Skied 1-4 to enjoy a very warm early spring afternoon. A decent crowd for a weekday in March (some people probably bolted from work early to enjoy the sun) and bluebird skies. Per usual for the first spring conditions day of the year when the snow is warm but not slushy, it was very sticky.

Dipper: Hit it a few times, probably the least sticky trail but the snow was soft as butter. Incredible turns top to bottom. The flat at the top of Open Slope was sticky as all hell, but was decent again on the last hill on the left side due to the shade. Hit Borderline on one of the runs and it had a few bumps, but otherwise pretty uneventful.

Dougs Woods/Marshland: Doug's woods were weird due to the constant quick transitions from soft snow on the flatter parts to slick stuff in between the trees. Marshland was more fun as it didn't have as many of the slick spots, and also wasn't quite as sticky, so better on both fronts. Mountain Marsh was groomed (I've never seen that before).

Doug's: Was hoping for bumps, got a few short lines but nothing to write home about. Still a lot of bulletproof sections that you have to look out for, especially when coming out of really sticky areas. Lower was very slow and a pain in the ass to turn in at some points.

Rerun: Very very fun. Some bump lines, and otherwise pretty decent coverage. Still recommend rock skis, but not as many rocks and stumps showing as last week. A few sticky areas but not as bad as other natural trails.

Warren's: A bit more slick than Dipper, but more great carving for the entire run. Hitting the flat at the bottom at full speed was like hitting brake pads. I straightlined the entire last hill one time and still had to pole back to the lift lol.

Fox's: A mix of sticky stuff and slick spots. Pretty similar to rerun, but with more slick areas and less bumps, but also deeper (and therefore stickier) snow. Would've been in great shape with the Willoughby running but no one really skis it anymore.

Bear Den: I've never skied this run when the steep wasn't a rink and today was no different. I don't understand their operations with this run... they always blow a deep base and then do nothing with it. It would make a great bump run if they gave it a little TLC, but the manmade snow always just sits there and turns into a block of ice, and even 8" of snow won't stick to it. Anyone know why they even bother blowing snow on it?

I'll be back up Friday most likely, pending weather. Also looking at Jay for Sunday.

 

[thetrailboss]

Nice TR.

Bear Den: they blow to cover up the ledges on the middle. Usually it can get skied in to some decent bumps, but you are right in saying that it often does have a large block of white ice in the middle. It is generally too steep to groom with the equipment they have to distribute the snow, so they rely on moving the guns around to distribute it which may not always work.

 

[Zand]

Nice TR.

Bear Den: they blow to cover up the ledges on the middle. Usually it can get skied in to some decent bumps, but you are right in saying that it often does have a large block of white ice in the middle. It is generally too steep to groom with the equipment they have to distribute the snow, so they rely on moving the guns around to distribute it which may not always work.

That's what I always hope for, but it's a catch 22. It needs to be skied in for good bumps but no one skis it because it's a giant block of ice. When the ice finally softens up and is skiable, the end of the season is already here and no good bumps really form. I gotta think if they can groom Dipper and Warren's that they are able to groom that, but I guess it's just a little too steep. They should have a big bump comp in March and get some lines skied in, get some use out of it.

 

[from_the_NEK]

Nice TR.

Bear Den: they blow to cover up the ledges on the middle. Usually it can get skied in to some decent bumps, but you are right in saying that it often does have a large block of white ice in the middle. It is generally too steep to groom with the equipment they have to distribute the snow, so they rely on moving the guns around to distribute it which may not always work.

The problem is that it isn't just one block, its four or five of them and they are solid ice. They really need to winch groom it after making snow. IMHO it is a huge waste of snow making effort, money, and wrecking a good trail with the way they have treated Ledges the last few years. The huge ungroomed ice whales break up the flow of the trail so badly that you can't get any good lines to form. I've skied it once this year (on a powder day) and it sucked.....bad. :-?

 

[thetrailboss]

They've demoed a winch cat before...in 2005 or 2006 and I recall them using it on Warren's Way. And they also demoed a Prinoth Bison that supposedly can groom steeper terrain but has no winch. I know that in the past they have groomed Bear's Den Ledges, Wilderness, and even Doug's Drop with the cats they have, but the conditions had to be right. They should have a winch cat to help out with the steeper terrain, especially after snowmaking. I am impressed with what they can do with what they have to be honest, but a winch cat would help them redistribute the snow better and deal with situations like this one.

 

[xwhaler]

Thanks for the nice detailed report Zand. We're heading up to Burke tomorrow night, skiing Sat and Sunday. Have never skied Burke so will be sure to report back on our experiences.