snowmonster
New member
Date(s) Skied: 2/20/2011
Resort or Ski Area: Duke's Ski Trail, Firescrew, NH
Conditions: Temp 21F at Cardigan lodge but 5 degrees colder at the summit. Winds gusting at summit. Very firm, crusty, icy hard to get an edge on the trail; breakable crust on the side of the trail. Bluebird.
Trip Report: I began skinning at around 1145am (late start). About a hundred yards from the start of the trail, you get to Duke's Pasture, which is a huge clearing on the right. When I got to the top of the slope, I saw the remains of an old rope tow engine on the left and a rusted out VW Beetle on the right. It's odd how I stumble on old ski area remnants on my hikes.
The Duke's Ski Trail is pretty wide and well-maintained. It has good snow cover. But, the thaw from Thursday and Friday and the subsequent drop in temps on Saturday really did a number on the conditions. It was basically a luge run. Skinning was not too difficult because the trail had a moderate grade. Every now and then there would be a short section that was a little steep and my skins would patch out. Overall, it was a pleasant and sunny walk in the woods. Halfway up, three boarders and their dog zoomed past me. Other than a lone skier I met on the snowfields, they were the only people on the trail.
After an hour of skinning, I got to the edge of the trail and was in the snowfields. The wind was howling and it became difficult heading up. The snow there was windblown. It was icy and the snow was glistening in the sun. I made my way up to the edge of the trees nearing the summit where the Manning Trail re-enters the woods towards the summit. I decided to rest and ski down from there. Since it was a bluebird day, the views were amazing!
Skiing down was a challenge. I was in a snowplow or in stem christies most of the way. The edges weren't biting at all. On the snowfields, I was basically trying to hop over stuff and scrape my way through. It was more interesting on the trail itself. My skis made a clattering sound as I sideslipped and stemmed down. Basically, it was a game of checking my speed to avoid crashing. I tried getting into the trees but it was either solid in there too or breakable crust which swallowed your skis. Turning was a problem because of the limited space but I tried to get in as many turns. It was so firm in there that my skis took off everytime I pointed them straight. When I finally got to the open space of the Duke's Pasture, I could finally let the skis run. Although it was still the same solid surface, I had more room to roam.
I got down at around 330pm and wandered around the lodge. I kept wondering to myself why I had the good fortune of skiing all these backcountry trails right after a hard freeze. My luck just had to change. But, no regrets on this adventure. You take what the mountain throws at you and you make the best of it. I look forward to skiing this trail again when conditions are better. The moderate grade and interesting bends should make a good ski run in good conditions. Sometimes, you just have to pay your dues.
Duke's Pasture:
The rope tow and the rusted VW:
The Duke's Ski Trail:
Breaking out from the trail and into the snowfields:
The views from the snowfields:
Heading down: last views of the snowfields.
The sign at the top. There is no sign for the trail at the bottom. A no hiking sign should be at the bottom too because of all the post-holes in the middle of the trail.
Duke's Ski Trail at the end of the day:
Last run: Duke's Pasture
Resort or Ski Area: Duke's Ski Trail, Firescrew, NH
Conditions: Temp 21F at Cardigan lodge but 5 degrees colder at the summit. Winds gusting at summit. Very firm, crusty, icy hard to get an edge on the trail; breakable crust on the side of the trail. Bluebird.
Trip Report: I began skinning at around 1145am (late start). About a hundred yards from the start of the trail, you get to Duke's Pasture, which is a huge clearing on the right. When I got to the top of the slope, I saw the remains of an old rope tow engine on the left and a rusted out VW Beetle on the right. It's odd how I stumble on old ski area remnants on my hikes.
The Duke's Ski Trail is pretty wide and well-maintained. It has good snow cover. But, the thaw from Thursday and Friday and the subsequent drop in temps on Saturday really did a number on the conditions. It was basically a luge run. Skinning was not too difficult because the trail had a moderate grade. Every now and then there would be a short section that was a little steep and my skins would patch out. Overall, it was a pleasant and sunny walk in the woods. Halfway up, three boarders and their dog zoomed past me. Other than a lone skier I met on the snowfields, they were the only people on the trail.
After an hour of skinning, I got to the edge of the trail and was in the snowfields. The wind was howling and it became difficult heading up. The snow there was windblown. It was icy and the snow was glistening in the sun. I made my way up to the edge of the trees nearing the summit where the Manning Trail re-enters the woods towards the summit. I decided to rest and ski down from there. Since it was a bluebird day, the views were amazing!
Skiing down was a challenge. I was in a snowplow or in stem christies most of the way. The edges weren't biting at all. On the snowfields, I was basically trying to hop over stuff and scrape my way through. It was more interesting on the trail itself. My skis made a clattering sound as I sideslipped and stemmed down. Basically, it was a game of checking my speed to avoid crashing. I tried getting into the trees but it was either solid in there too or breakable crust which swallowed your skis. Turning was a problem because of the limited space but I tried to get in as many turns. It was so firm in there that my skis took off everytime I pointed them straight. When I finally got to the open space of the Duke's Pasture, I could finally let the skis run. Although it was still the same solid surface, I had more room to roam.
I got down at around 330pm and wandered around the lodge. I kept wondering to myself why I had the good fortune of skiing all these backcountry trails right after a hard freeze. My luck just had to change. But, no regrets on this adventure. You take what the mountain throws at you and you make the best of it. I look forward to skiing this trail again when conditions are better. The moderate grade and interesting bends should make a good ski run in good conditions. Sometimes, you just have to pay your dues.
Duke's Pasture:
The rope tow and the rusted VW:
The Duke's Ski Trail:
Breaking out from the trail and into the snowfields:
The views from the snowfields:
Heading down: last views of the snowfields.
The sign at the top. There is no sign for the trail at the bottom. A no hiking sign should be at the bottom too because of all the post-holes in the middle of the trail.
Duke's Ski Trail at the end of the day:
Last run: Duke's Pasture
