Date: April 1, 2007
2006 Trip Report #: 50!!!!! A New TB Record!!
Resort: Burke Mountain
Conditions: SC/MG
Weather: Bluebird Skies and temps climbing into the 50’s.
Trip Report: This was it. It always comes too soon. Burke’s closing day and one more opportunity to ski with the Dawn Patrol. I managed to get one of the two VIP-Trailboss parking spots….right next to the original trailboss.
The lodge was quiet, but I found the original trailboss. I learned that the snow did not soften on Saturday and that today was the pick of the weekend.
We all gathered—me, Becky, the original trailboss, Matt, Carl, Danny, and Peggy. These folks knew I would say it….but one member was not just the April Fool, but was the NEK’s newest turkey enthusiast :wink: There were laughs and then it was off for one more day of skiing.
First run was down Dippers. Wow. Amazing. Groomed to perfection. Soft, edgeable, and getting better with each turn. We were thrilled.
The original trailboss and his wife storm Upper Dipper.
We then went over to the west side, storming down Shoot. I made the mistake of not following the original trailboss, and Danny instead. We intended on cutting over to Ledges, but this part of the Meadows was literally…grass. So we hit Warren’s Way, which was great, but had a few thin spots. After regrouping, we rode back to the top. On one round, I rode up with Carl, who is originally from East Germany and was enjoying his time in Vermont. We both were sad to see the mountain close.
Next run the crew did Dippers while I took a spin down Carriage Road. Nice. This trail is great thanks to snowmaking. The Dippers were getting better…and softer. Sweet.
We did Willoughby next. I hit Upper Bear Den to find that the non-groomed choices were softening up as well. Lower Willoughby was great. Next spin was down Shoot to Warren’s Way…intentionally. We enjoyed the view and then the incredibly soft snow.
Upper Willoughby
We did another spin down Willoughby to Bear Den and then the crew called it quits after another great Dippers Run.
The original trailboss and Danny Show Their Skills Under the Quad.
I took one more run before taking lunch…grabbed the rock skis and met up with from_the_NEK to hit East Bowl. I was not sure what to expect, but the trail was fantastic considering the weather. It had not lost much snow since last weekend…the lower part, as expected, was thin and down to a 16 inch wide section at one point later in the day. Well worth it.
Lunch time was at the Bear Den Lounge, sharing beer and a laugh with the Dawn Patrol. What a great crew. Thanks to the “men in the red jackets” for the round! After an hour or so, my legs were itching for some more turns, so I wished them all a good summer and headed to the base for a quick spin and to get a Burke pin for my backpack. The snow down there was downright slushy and slow.
Back to the top for a run. I saw that the Poma was out of snow at the top, so I did a spin down East Bowl and then back to the Quad for a run down Ledges, which I saw people hitting. The trail was great—corn bumps and soft snow. My favorite black diamond of the year…and probably the trail of the year. Snowmakers—a big thanks! I cut over to the Poma with hopes of getting to the top and cutting over to Ledges.
“No snow at the top. Get off wherever you want. Just don’t derail ‘er!” Said the liftie, so I got 80% to the top and then hit some great corn snow on Warren’s Way before taking another Poma spin.
I had made a promise to myself to be the last man on the Quad for the season. At this point it was already 3:15 or so, which meant my time was coming to an end soon. So I hit the Quad, did Carriage Road once more. Enjoyed Powderhorn…what was left. Skied some grass and mud. Took a spin on the Poma and then got to the Quad at 3:56 according to my watch. Turns out it was 3:58 and they were getting ready to close. I pulled into the loading area. Another local was there too and smiled.
“Gonna be the last guy? That’s a tradition for me.”
“Mind if I share the chair?”
He invited me.
“3:59. 40 more seconds,” said Dave.
At this point, right before the rope was pulled, two last skiers came barreling down Fox’s and into the loading area.
“Just made it,” Dave said. They hesitated. We turned around to see the rope being pulled. This was it. We were the last skiers for Burke for the 2007 season. The knot was tied. The couple before us took Chair 43.
“This is it guys, go whenever you’re ready.”
At this point, we skied down the ramp. I took some pictures, teared up a bit. Said my goodbyes to the lifties, and sat down on Chair 44. With that, the lifties let out a cheer.
In all my years, there has never been a more spookier ride up that chair. We were it…empty chairs behind us. For those 11 minutes, the mountain went back to sleep. People skied back to the lodge, cars left, and the snow softened some more.
I rode up with long time Burke skier, Mike Callahan. Not only was it a tradition to be the last man on the slopes, but he had been at Burke since before it opened as a ski area. That was before 1955 folks.
“I used to hike up, pack down the Bear Den with my skis, and as for payment, they let me ride the Poma all day. It was a seven minute ride to the top. One year, the lift broke down, and the company went out of business. The mountain could not get replacement parts in time, and for most of the winter, we skied at Cannon instead because the lift could not run! I also remember a time when the ski area was hit hard. They were in the hole—Doug Kitchell spent $50,000 out of his pocket to meet the payroll for his employees. This was at a time when season passes were $50.00 each—that was a lot of money.”
It was an amazing conversation, and quite appropriate. When we got to the top, I put the bar up at the Lucky Tree.
“Good to see I shared this special ride with a true Burke skier, one who knows about the lucky tree.” He said. I was humbled.
We shook hands, and got off the lift. It promptly stopped as our chair passed around the bullwheel.
“Quad summit to base. We’re clear,” could be heard on the radio.
“Thhhhaaattt’s it!” Was the reply.
I shared the top with some local teens, who did not realize that this was it for the season. Fernando, the liftie, came out and told them to get going because ski patrol, who was out on the deck of the patrol shack, was antsy to get to the bottom.
After letting most of the folks go, I pushed off. I had thought about doing Wilderness—another original Burke trail that I had not hit today. I heard that it was real bare, and my experience on Powderhorn was interesting. For those who don’t know the trail, Wilderness skirts along the ridgeline just outside the Toll Road. It is narrow and hidden from the elements and the rest of the world. I decided that my final run needed to be on the front side with the best pitch, snow, and view. That run would be another Burke original and one that I have mentioned and foreshadowed: the trail that got the honor was the Bear Den Ledges from top to bottom. I figured it would also be a quiet run.
I passed the patrol shack, waving the patrollers and heading down Bear Den. Past the old cabin and over the knoll. The snow was thinner than this morning, but doable. Then down to the Meadows, where the view widens dramatically. Willoughby Lake was frozen and Jay was in the distance. I came up to the knoll and passed to the right. The quad was silent. The bumps were big…soft corn snow in places, some thawing ice in others. I came to the headwall and just stopped. The mountain was silent. The lower quad was off. Silence. I could see Mike Callahan below me on Lower Bear Den, enjoying a beer and the view as well.
I took my helmet off and said a prayer for another great season and thanking God for this one. My eyes watered a bit, but I knew I would be back. I took some pictures and just took it all in.
Within a few minutes, a telemarker approached from the top, with his dog in tow. We shared some remarks and he nimbly skirted down the steep corn bumps, with his dog following behind him. I let them go out of sight, before taking a deep breath and pushing off.
Down over the headwall, bump over bump, skirting around thawing ice and over to the soft snow. I stopped at the bottom of the pitch and looked up once more. The sky was cobalt against the snow. I skied down Lower Bear Den and waved to Mike.
After looking down the silent liftline, I skied Lower Bear Den to Lower Warren’s and then back to MidBurke. I got back at about 4:30. That was it.
What a great day. A great way to end the season.
2006 Trip Report #: 50!!!!! A New TB Record!!
Resort: Burke Mountain
Conditions: SC/MG
Weather: Bluebird Skies and temps climbing into the 50’s.
Trip Report: This was it. It always comes too soon. Burke’s closing day and one more opportunity to ski with the Dawn Patrol. I managed to get one of the two VIP-Trailboss parking spots….right next to the original trailboss.
The lodge was quiet, but I found the original trailboss. I learned that the snow did not soften on Saturday and that today was the pick of the weekend.
We all gathered—me, Becky, the original trailboss, Matt, Carl, Danny, and Peggy. These folks knew I would say it….but one member was not just the April Fool, but was the NEK’s newest turkey enthusiast :wink: There were laughs and then it was off for one more day of skiing.
First run was down Dippers. Wow. Amazing. Groomed to perfection. Soft, edgeable, and getting better with each turn. We were thrilled.
The original trailboss and his wife storm Upper Dipper.
We then went over to the west side, storming down Shoot. I made the mistake of not following the original trailboss, and Danny instead. We intended on cutting over to Ledges, but this part of the Meadows was literally…grass. So we hit Warren’s Way, which was great, but had a few thin spots. After regrouping, we rode back to the top. On one round, I rode up with Carl, who is originally from East Germany and was enjoying his time in Vermont. We both were sad to see the mountain close.
Next run the crew did Dippers while I took a spin down Carriage Road. Nice. This trail is great thanks to snowmaking. The Dippers were getting better…and softer. Sweet.
We did Willoughby next. I hit Upper Bear Den to find that the non-groomed choices were softening up as well. Lower Willoughby was great. Next spin was down Shoot to Warren’s Way…intentionally. We enjoyed the view and then the incredibly soft snow.
Upper Willoughby
We did another spin down Willoughby to Bear Den and then the crew called it quits after another great Dippers Run.
The original trailboss and Danny Show Their Skills Under the Quad.
I took one more run before taking lunch…grabbed the rock skis and met up with from_the_NEK to hit East Bowl. I was not sure what to expect, but the trail was fantastic considering the weather. It had not lost much snow since last weekend…the lower part, as expected, was thin and down to a 16 inch wide section at one point later in the day. Well worth it.
Lunch time was at the Bear Den Lounge, sharing beer and a laugh with the Dawn Patrol. What a great crew. Thanks to the “men in the red jackets” for the round! After an hour or so, my legs were itching for some more turns, so I wished them all a good summer and headed to the base for a quick spin and to get a Burke pin for my backpack. The snow down there was downright slushy and slow.
Back to the top for a run. I saw that the Poma was out of snow at the top, so I did a spin down East Bowl and then back to the Quad for a run down Ledges, which I saw people hitting. The trail was great—corn bumps and soft snow. My favorite black diamond of the year…and probably the trail of the year. Snowmakers—a big thanks! I cut over to the Poma with hopes of getting to the top and cutting over to Ledges.
“No snow at the top. Get off wherever you want. Just don’t derail ‘er!” Said the liftie, so I got 80% to the top and then hit some great corn snow on Warren’s Way before taking another Poma spin.
I had made a promise to myself to be the last man on the Quad for the season. At this point it was already 3:15 or so, which meant my time was coming to an end soon. So I hit the Quad, did Carriage Road once more. Enjoyed Powderhorn…what was left. Skied some grass and mud. Took a spin on the Poma and then got to the Quad at 3:56 according to my watch. Turns out it was 3:58 and they were getting ready to close. I pulled into the loading area. Another local was there too and smiled.
“Gonna be the last guy? That’s a tradition for me.”
“Mind if I share the chair?”
He invited me.
“3:59. 40 more seconds,” said Dave.
At this point, right before the rope was pulled, two last skiers came barreling down Fox’s and into the loading area.
“Just made it,” Dave said. They hesitated. We turned around to see the rope being pulled. This was it. We were the last skiers for Burke for the 2007 season. The knot was tied. The couple before us took Chair 43.
“This is it guys, go whenever you’re ready.”
At this point, we skied down the ramp. I took some pictures, teared up a bit. Said my goodbyes to the lifties, and sat down on Chair 44. With that, the lifties let out a cheer.
In all my years, there has never been a more spookier ride up that chair. We were it…empty chairs behind us. For those 11 minutes, the mountain went back to sleep. People skied back to the lodge, cars left, and the snow softened some more.
I rode up with long time Burke skier, Mike Callahan. Not only was it a tradition to be the last man on the slopes, but he had been at Burke since before it opened as a ski area. That was before 1955 folks.
“I used to hike up, pack down the Bear Den with my skis, and as for payment, they let me ride the Poma all day. It was a seven minute ride to the top. One year, the lift broke down, and the company went out of business. The mountain could not get replacement parts in time, and for most of the winter, we skied at Cannon instead because the lift could not run! I also remember a time when the ski area was hit hard. They were in the hole—Doug Kitchell spent $50,000 out of his pocket to meet the payroll for his employees. This was at a time when season passes were $50.00 each—that was a lot of money.”
It was an amazing conversation, and quite appropriate. When we got to the top, I put the bar up at the Lucky Tree.
“Good to see I shared this special ride with a true Burke skier, one who knows about the lucky tree.” He said. I was humbled.
We shook hands, and got off the lift. It promptly stopped as our chair passed around the bullwheel.
“Quad summit to base. We’re clear,” could be heard on the radio.
“Thhhhaaattt’s it!” Was the reply.
I shared the top with some local teens, who did not realize that this was it for the season. Fernando, the liftie, came out and told them to get going because ski patrol, who was out on the deck of the patrol shack, was antsy to get to the bottom.
After letting most of the folks go, I pushed off. I had thought about doing Wilderness—another original Burke trail that I had not hit today. I heard that it was real bare, and my experience on Powderhorn was interesting. For those who don’t know the trail, Wilderness skirts along the ridgeline just outside the Toll Road. It is narrow and hidden from the elements and the rest of the world. I decided that my final run needed to be on the front side with the best pitch, snow, and view. That run would be another Burke original and one that I have mentioned and foreshadowed: the trail that got the honor was the Bear Den Ledges from top to bottom. I figured it would also be a quiet run.
I passed the patrol shack, waving the patrollers and heading down Bear Den. Past the old cabin and over the knoll. The snow was thinner than this morning, but doable. Then down to the Meadows, where the view widens dramatically. Willoughby Lake was frozen and Jay was in the distance. I came up to the knoll and passed to the right. The quad was silent. The bumps were big…soft corn snow in places, some thawing ice in others. I came to the headwall and just stopped. The mountain was silent. The lower quad was off. Silence. I could see Mike Callahan below me on Lower Bear Den, enjoying a beer and the view as well.
I took my helmet off and said a prayer for another great season and thanking God for this one. My eyes watered a bit, but I knew I would be back. I took some pictures and just took it all in.
Within a few minutes, a telemarker approached from the top, with his dog in tow. We shared some remarks and he nimbly skirted down the steep corn bumps, with his dog following behind him. I let them go out of sight, before taking a deep breath and pushing off.
Down over the headwall, bump over bump, skirting around thawing ice and over to the soft snow. I stopped at the bottom of the pitch and looked up once more. The sky was cobalt against the snow. I skied down Lower Bear Den and waved to Mike.
After looking down the silent liftline, I skied Lower Bear Den to Lower Warren’s and then back to MidBurke. I got back at about 4:30. That was it.
What a great day. A great way to end the season.
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