180
Well-known member
One week ago today, began the week that we'll never forget. I had been watching the situation for nearly a week before that. Bumper on Powderhound.org had issued the call. You would not believe this happened at Hunter Mountain if we were not there. It has rivaled all the other storms, Dec 92, March 93, Jan 96, April 97, Jan 2001, Feb and March 2007.
You can now read my story or just look at the pictures and video.
http://picasaweb.google.com/huntermt2/HunterMountainBigSnow2010#
http://picasaweb.google.com/huntermt2/ZLIFTDEATHMARCH2272010#
Slowly, the pieces were coning together for a colossal storm. The mother of all storms; A triple phaser, where all three branches of the jet stream get together and play for days.
I knew it was going to be good when Robin said she wanted some time with my mistress. I stayed back Tuesday night to take care of my Shea in case there was school. He's getting too old to miss a day so we can ski the powder. Wednesday dawned with 20 plus inches of new snow at Hunter, but little at home. Shea had school and I immersed myself in work trying not to look at the webcams or the videos that were coming off all the I-Phones on the mountaintop. I was smart; I was saving myself for the good stuff to come.
I told Robin not to come home, that schools would be canceled on Thursday. I drove up in a mist. It misted right to the base of Hunter Wednesday night. I had to convince my self that it would snow and school would be canceled as I predicted. Fortunately, I was not alone. I ran into other hopefuls driving up. I barely slept, awaking at 5 am to see if I had receive the text message signaling schools closure. There was none. At 7am I told Robin, the weathers coming, but right now school is on. It began to snow. She left in a huff and headed back down the mountain only to get the call an hour later that they had now closed school. Now she was really pissed at my mistress.
I was already slaying the powder. Shea and I were on second chair. 2 - 3" of creamy snow and it was snowing hard. I hit Crossover right side and it was way deep. Then we opened the West side and it was now snowing really hard. Robin made it back and we kept up the fun. We were now skiing under the lifts and hitting our old lines in the woods. The last run of the day right under the Quad and then D lift.
And it continued to snow. Friday dawned with 20" more and I was on first chair again. Cliff Racers as always and then 42 to Ike. We were pigs looking for another fresh line and we found them. People were going crazy, launching off everything. Robin I were one of the first on Clairs, then Taylors. But the line was too crazy and spent the rest of the day in the woods of K 27. At 3:20 we hit 44 Woods which was unbelievable. We got to the top and they let us go again. 44 Woods from even higher. Robin of course had to take it right to Y lift and find the stream.
We were spent, drained and hurting. But mother nature wasn't done yet. It would keep snowing. Word got out. The masses were getting ready to descend on Hunter, but there was nowhere to put them or the snow. Saturday morning dawned with 6 or 8" more snow, but no power. Panic ensued. Belleayre, Windham, Plattekill? They all are open. Then Central Hudson came through. We headed out into the maelstrom. The line was big, but not huge. But only 2 chairs were open. They had to dig the others out. Robin dropped the fence on the Cliff (see the video)
Robin took a shovel and started to dig out D lift. Then Russ Colton joined her and I joined him, just like old friends. We built the corral and waited for the start. Real managers showed up and spoiled the fun, so we fell back in line. By now, F was open and we all waited for Z lift.
We got to the top and saw that it had just opened. The girls took a break and I zoomed down to the top of Clairs, but I paused and looked at the line. Forget about it, there is plenty of powder on the front side and I hiked up to the Belt.
I got text from Shea. "Don't ski the west side". Then I saw the 2 lift mechanics zooming up the belt. I knew there was trouble. Everyone had to walk back from the West Side. No buses were available. I called Robin. She said she would continue to ski the pow and I should take care of Shea. I shoveled the truck out, found someone to hold my spot and I drove around and shoved 20 kids in the pickup truck. I was scared I would be mobbed. The pictures say it all:
http://picasaweb.google.com/huntermt2/ZLIFTDEATHMARCH2272010#
I heard that Lift ops did not want to run everyone out of there, but management said they must. Our chief snowmaker arrived with a can of gas to keep Z lift running and promptly poured it on the manifold causing a fire. No more Z lift start walking.
I needed the rest anyway. I ate 2 power bars and headed back out. Lines were a little more manageable now. I was now skiing over and behind every fence on the hill. I hit lines that I cut 10 years ago. I never thought we'd get in the Annex again because of the logging, but now it's unbelievable. I showed the next generation some of my private lines and I swore them to secrecy. I brought friends to my private lines and they thanked me for taking them to Utah. I was dropping cliffs with the 15 year olds, taking 50 year olds way into the woods and asking them why you don't own a pair of fat skis. Everyone should have a pair of fat skis. They never go bad, you'll have them forever.
Sunday morning, I lay in bed once again at 6am wondering if the body would make it up. My lower back was toast, but the Vitamin I was down in the kitchen. I looked out and it was still snowing lightly. All the lifts were ready now and the powder was still deep. I was out for first chair again. We skied right down the face of Hunter Mountain. We only crossed the trail to get from one tree shot to another.
Heuga to Heuga
Heuga to Drop Off
Drop Off to the Belt
The Belt to the Hotel
Some turns were hip deep. We did it again and again and then we went over to some other secret lines on Hunter One. Everyone talks about the Ravine, but who needs to hike.
My wife was amazing, riding the elliptical of powder over and over again. Her new ACL of only 10 months was screaming to stop, but she couldn't help herself. She was determined just like me to take every line she could. She hucked and jumped and squeezed through trees. Finally, at 2pm Sunday, she said no more. It was okay, she had skied a whole day more.
They kept the lifts open until 4:30 PM and I crawled home. It was over. It was time to go make the doughnuts again. We had lived in Lake Tahoe for 5 days. We have one more weekend to seek out the goods in the back country before some warm air comes in. But don't worry, I hear Bumper is coking up some late season fun.
Storm totals from the NWS:
Greene County (NY)
Hunter, NY 72.5
The Ski center @ Hunter 84.5
E. Windham (Tower) 90"/Village 72"
E. Jewett 84"
Tannersville 60"
Plattekill 98"
You can now read my story or just look at the pictures and video.
http://picasaweb.google.com/huntermt2/HunterMountainBigSnow2010#
http://picasaweb.google.com/huntermt2/ZLIFTDEATHMARCH2272010#
Slowly, the pieces were coning together for a colossal storm. The mother of all storms; A triple phaser, where all three branches of the jet stream get together and play for days.
I knew it was going to be good when Robin said she wanted some time with my mistress. I stayed back Tuesday night to take care of my Shea in case there was school. He's getting too old to miss a day so we can ski the powder. Wednesday dawned with 20 plus inches of new snow at Hunter, but little at home. Shea had school and I immersed myself in work trying not to look at the webcams or the videos that were coming off all the I-Phones on the mountaintop. I was smart; I was saving myself for the good stuff to come.
I told Robin not to come home, that schools would be canceled on Thursday. I drove up in a mist. It misted right to the base of Hunter Wednesday night. I had to convince my self that it would snow and school would be canceled as I predicted. Fortunately, I was not alone. I ran into other hopefuls driving up. I barely slept, awaking at 5 am to see if I had receive the text message signaling schools closure. There was none. At 7am I told Robin, the weathers coming, but right now school is on. It began to snow. She left in a huff and headed back down the mountain only to get the call an hour later that they had now closed school. Now she was really pissed at my mistress.
I was already slaying the powder. Shea and I were on second chair. 2 - 3" of creamy snow and it was snowing hard. I hit Crossover right side and it was way deep. Then we opened the West side and it was now snowing really hard. Robin made it back and we kept up the fun. We were now skiing under the lifts and hitting our old lines in the woods. The last run of the day right under the Quad and then D lift.
And it continued to snow. Friday dawned with 20" more and I was on first chair again. Cliff Racers as always and then 42 to Ike. We were pigs looking for another fresh line and we found them. People were going crazy, launching off everything. Robin I were one of the first on Clairs, then Taylors. But the line was too crazy and spent the rest of the day in the woods of K 27. At 3:20 we hit 44 Woods which was unbelievable. We got to the top and they let us go again. 44 Woods from even higher. Robin of course had to take it right to Y lift and find the stream.
We were spent, drained and hurting. But mother nature wasn't done yet. It would keep snowing. Word got out. The masses were getting ready to descend on Hunter, but there was nowhere to put them or the snow. Saturday morning dawned with 6 or 8" more snow, but no power. Panic ensued. Belleayre, Windham, Plattekill? They all are open. Then Central Hudson came through. We headed out into the maelstrom. The line was big, but not huge. But only 2 chairs were open. They had to dig the others out. Robin dropped the fence on the Cliff (see the video)
Robin took a shovel and started to dig out D lift. Then Russ Colton joined her and I joined him, just like old friends. We built the corral and waited for the start. Real managers showed up and spoiled the fun, so we fell back in line. By now, F was open and we all waited for Z lift.
We got to the top and saw that it had just opened. The girls took a break and I zoomed down to the top of Clairs, but I paused and looked at the line. Forget about it, there is plenty of powder on the front side and I hiked up to the Belt.
I got text from Shea. "Don't ski the west side". Then I saw the 2 lift mechanics zooming up the belt. I knew there was trouble. Everyone had to walk back from the West Side. No buses were available. I called Robin. She said she would continue to ski the pow and I should take care of Shea. I shoveled the truck out, found someone to hold my spot and I drove around and shoved 20 kids in the pickup truck. I was scared I would be mobbed. The pictures say it all:
http://picasaweb.google.com/huntermt2/ZLIFTDEATHMARCH2272010#
I heard that Lift ops did not want to run everyone out of there, but management said they must. Our chief snowmaker arrived with a can of gas to keep Z lift running and promptly poured it on the manifold causing a fire. No more Z lift start walking.
I needed the rest anyway. I ate 2 power bars and headed back out. Lines were a little more manageable now. I was now skiing over and behind every fence on the hill. I hit lines that I cut 10 years ago. I never thought we'd get in the Annex again because of the logging, but now it's unbelievable. I showed the next generation some of my private lines and I swore them to secrecy. I brought friends to my private lines and they thanked me for taking them to Utah. I was dropping cliffs with the 15 year olds, taking 50 year olds way into the woods and asking them why you don't own a pair of fat skis. Everyone should have a pair of fat skis. They never go bad, you'll have them forever.
Sunday morning, I lay in bed once again at 6am wondering if the body would make it up. My lower back was toast, but the Vitamin I was down in the kitchen. I looked out and it was still snowing lightly. All the lifts were ready now and the powder was still deep. I was out for first chair again. We skied right down the face of Hunter Mountain. We only crossed the trail to get from one tree shot to another.
Heuga to Heuga
Heuga to Drop Off
Drop Off to the Belt
The Belt to the Hotel
Some turns were hip deep. We did it again and again and then we went over to some other secret lines on Hunter One. Everyone talks about the Ravine, but who needs to hike.
My wife was amazing, riding the elliptical of powder over and over again. Her new ACL of only 10 months was screaming to stop, but she couldn't help herself. She was determined just like me to take every line she could. She hucked and jumped and squeezed through trees. Finally, at 2pm Sunday, she said no more. It was okay, she had skied a whole day more.
They kept the lifts open until 4:30 PM and I crawled home. It was over. It was time to go make the doughnuts again. We had lived in Lake Tahoe for 5 days. We have one more weekend to seek out the goods in the back country before some warm air comes in. But don't worry, I hear Bumper is coking up some late season fun.
Storm totals from the NWS:
Greene County (NY)
Hunter, NY 72.5
The Ski center @ Hunter 84.5
E. Windham (Tower) 90"/Village 72"
E. Jewett 84"
Tannersville 60"
Plattekill 98"
