Date: January 3, 2007
2006-2007 Trip Report #: 19
Resort: Burke Mountain
Conditions: MG/LG
Weather: Bluebird skies. Winds picking up out of the SW. Temps in the 20’s and rising into the 30’s.
Trip Report: Time to head north and get in a couple days at Burke before the r&*n this weekend. Little different than last Christmas Break….less snow, but you take what you can get and today offered many nice bluebird skies and great views. Decent conditions as well:
Pulled into MidBurke at 10:15 am and got booted up. Noted on the Snow Report that the Willoughby Quad was delayed and I surmised it was either because of race training or icing, but it didn’t matter because it was running. Same familiar faces at the lift….nice greeting and then onward and upward.
“You got here at the right time. Things are softening up I hear,” the liftie said to me.
A nice ride up with warmer temps on top….first run was down a Willoughby. Edgeable and soft LG overall. Lower Willoughby was in better shape…and on my last runs was real nice. Just love that view:
Did a lap down Shoot and Bear Den—those are still in good shape. Lower Bear Den to Lower Fox’s were also in good shape I could see where folks had poached the snow on Saturday and Sunday….some nice tracks, but it was a bit thin and now icy. It will make a really nice base. I did see Mountain Operations VP Dick Andross doing some recon on Upper Foxy’s….he had his rock skis on I hope.
I did a couple more laps on Willoughby and Shoot/Bear Den. I also skied part of Warren’s Way…dodging the racers. Smith, Dartmouth, BMA, and LI were training. The lifties were thrilled to have some Smith cuties.
After some laps on the top, I scouted out the bottom doing the usual runs (Dashney, Binney Line to Bunker Hill). No lines at all and does that HSQ fly!
Returning to the top, it was approaching lunch time and the sun was doing its magic. I rode up twice more and had a good idea—do lunch on the top at the picnic tables which had been conveniently placed right before the start of Willoughby on the summit landing. So I headed to the lodge, used the restroom, and grabbed my backpack. I headed to the quad.
Dave, the man running the lift, did a double take.
“Did you have that big backpack before?”
“Nope. Going to do lunch at the top.”
“That is a good idea!”
So I rode up and then pulled in for lunch at 3,267 feet :wink: Table for one, please!
I sat there for about 30 minutes taking in the sun, views, silence, and some chit chat with other locals. Nearly everyone who saw me either smiled or commented how having lunch up at the top was a great idea. “Just don’t give away my secret or tell too many folks about our ‘private ski area’ we have here.” :wink: Well, lunch came and went and I took off down Willoughby. My legs were not ready for that sudden take off :lol: The usual post-prandium chair ride was missed today.
I took a spin on the Poma and watched some racers.
I also went to go see I *Heart* Snow Productions working on their latest film. Can you think of a more beautiful place for a terrain park? Look at the view:
So two more runs on the top….on a softer Lower Willoughby before heading home. A great day…snow was good considering the bad weather as of late.
2006-2007 Trip Report #: 19
Resort: Burke Mountain
Conditions: MG/LG
Weather: Bluebird skies. Winds picking up out of the SW. Temps in the 20’s and rising into the 30’s.
Trip Report: Time to head north and get in a couple days at Burke before the r&*n this weekend. Little different than last Christmas Break….less snow, but you take what you can get and today offered many nice bluebird skies and great views. Decent conditions as well:
Pulled into MidBurke at 10:15 am and got booted up. Noted on the Snow Report that the Willoughby Quad was delayed and I surmised it was either because of race training or icing, but it didn’t matter because it was running. Same familiar faces at the lift….nice greeting and then onward and upward.
“You got here at the right time. Things are softening up I hear,” the liftie said to me.
A nice ride up with warmer temps on top….first run was down a Willoughby. Edgeable and soft LG overall. Lower Willoughby was in better shape…and on my last runs was real nice. Just love that view:
Did a lap down Shoot and Bear Den—those are still in good shape. Lower Bear Den to Lower Fox’s were also in good shape I could see where folks had poached the snow on Saturday and Sunday….some nice tracks, but it was a bit thin and now icy. It will make a really nice base. I did see Mountain Operations VP Dick Andross doing some recon on Upper Foxy’s….he had his rock skis on I hope.
I did a couple more laps on Willoughby and Shoot/Bear Den. I also skied part of Warren’s Way…dodging the racers. Smith, Dartmouth, BMA, and LI were training. The lifties were thrilled to have some Smith cuties.
After some laps on the top, I scouted out the bottom doing the usual runs (Dashney, Binney Line to Bunker Hill). No lines at all and does that HSQ fly!
Returning to the top, it was approaching lunch time and the sun was doing its magic. I rode up twice more and had a good idea—do lunch on the top at the picnic tables which had been conveniently placed right before the start of Willoughby on the summit landing. So I headed to the lodge, used the restroom, and grabbed my backpack. I headed to the quad.
Dave, the man running the lift, did a double take.
“Did you have that big backpack before?”
“Nope. Going to do lunch at the top.”
“That is a good idea!”
So I rode up and then pulled in for lunch at 3,267 feet :wink: Table for one, please!
I sat there for about 30 minutes taking in the sun, views, silence, and some chit chat with other locals. Nearly everyone who saw me either smiled or commented how having lunch up at the top was a great idea. “Just don’t give away my secret or tell too many folks about our ‘private ski area’ we have here.” :wink: Well, lunch came and went and I took off down Willoughby. My legs were not ready for that sudden take off :lol: The usual post-prandium chair ride was missed today.
I took a spin on the Poma and watched some racers.
I also went to go see I *Heart* Snow Productions working on their latest film. Can you think of a more beautiful place for a terrain park? Look at the view:
So two more runs on the top….on a softer Lower Willoughby before heading home. A great day…snow was good considering the bad weather as of late.
