Date(s) Skied:
Sat-Sun Jan 28-29, 2006
Resort or Ski Area:
Cannon Mountain
Conditions:
Excellent!
Trip Report:
This was my first trip to Cannon, and it was a gem of a weekend! We got there just before 9 on Saturday morning and it was not crowded at all. In fact, the longest lines all day at the Peabody Express Quad were only about a 4 chair wait; no time at all, really. Under the warm sun the base temps were in the upper 30's, but while we'd lose layers and sweat all day long, the only soft spots would be in the lower areas toward the lift landings; the mid and upper mountain had beautiful packed powder all day long. The centers of a few trails got a little scratchy while building up piles on the turns and edges (Upper Cannon, Big Link, and Easy Link come to mind), but otherwise conditions were excellent all day on the blues. In fact, I found even those piles and bumps to make for a good level of challenge and practice. The blacks were a little dicier, particularly those along the front five, but not having skied them personally I can't comment. Gary's, Upper Middle & Lower Cannon, Middle & Lower Ravine, and the Tuckerbrook green area (had to warm up a friend) all rode extremely well.
Sunday was colder, greyer, and a bit windier. The trails, however, remained in fine condition for the morning hours. In fact, I found Gary's to run even nicer and smoother than it had on Saturday. Rocket was closed for racing, but Turnpike, which had been the race course previously, was opened up, and that headwall off Middle Ravine onto it was a sweet drop. Upper Cannon also was still a very nice ride bouncing off the edges and piles; the scratch wasn't bad, anyway. As the winds shifted to the south, however, it got less pleasant. Profile (which I did NOT ski) was very icy, and my friends said Avalanche and Banshee were bad with thin spots alternating lumps. Middle Ravine, with the wind down its length, was still packed but was like skiing in foot-deep ground fog as the snow drifted along. Still, we didn't give up until after 2:00 and it was pretty decent right to the end.
This was a great trip for me, solidifying my position as an intermediate skier, and also a great introduction to Cannon, which I took an immediate liking to. We all got in a dozen runs each day of this weekend, and barely ever waited in a lift line, even on sunny, warm Saturday. A few Pig's Ear Brown pints at the Woodstock Inn made the weekend complete.
Sat-Sun Jan 28-29, 2006
Resort or Ski Area:
Cannon Mountain
Conditions:
Excellent!
Trip Report:
This was my first trip to Cannon, and it was a gem of a weekend! We got there just before 9 on Saturday morning and it was not crowded at all. In fact, the longest lines all day at the Peabody Express Quad were only about a 4 chair wait; no time at all, really. Under the warm sun the base temps were in the upper 30's, but while we'd lose layers and sweat all day long, the only soft spots would be in the lower areas toward the lift landings; the mid and upper mountain had beautiful packed powder all day long. The centers of a few trails got a little scratchy while building up piles on the turns and edges (Upper Cannon, Big Link, and Easy Link come to mind), but otherwise conditions were excellent all day on the blues. In fact, I found even those piles and bumps to make for a good level of challenge and practice. The blacks were a little dicier, particularly those along the front five, but not having skied them personally I can't comment. Gary's, Upper Middle & Lower Cannon, Middle & Lower Ravine, and the Tuckerbrook green area (had to warm up a friend) all rode extremely well.
Sunday was colder, greyer, and a bit windier. The trails, however, remained in fine condition for the morning hours. In fact, I found Gary's to run even nicer and smoother than it had on Saturday. Rocket was closed for racing, but Turnpike, which had been the race course previously, was opened up, and that headwall off Middle Ravine onto it was a sweet drop. Upper Cannon also was still a very nice ride bouncing off the edges and piles; the scratch wasn't bad, anyway. As the winds shifted to the south, however, it got less pleasant. Profile (which I did NOT ski) was very icy, and my friends said Avalanche and Banshee were bad with thin spots alternating lumps. Middle Ravine, with the wind down its length, was still packed but was like skiing in foot-deep ground fog as the snow drifted along. Still, we didn't give up until after 2:00 and it was pretty decent right to the end.
This was a great trip for me, solidifying my position as an intermediate skier, and also a great introduction to Cannon, which I took an immediate liking to. We all got in a dozen runs each day of this weekend, and barely ever waited in a lift line, even on sunny, warm Saturday. A few Pig's Ear Brown pints at the Woodstock Inn made the weekend complete.
