Loon Mountain - 3/6/2006

[Greg]

Date(s) Skied: Monday, March 6, 2006 - 9:15 am - 12:00 pm

Resort or Ski Area: Loon Mountain, Lincoln, NH

Conditions: Machine groomed. Mostly to partly cloudy in the am. Calm. Temps in the high twenties

Trip Report: Skied Loon for a few hours this morning. My buddy and his family that normally stay with us at the Mountain Club all got sick so they stayed home so I skied solo this morning as I will tomorrow. Basically walked right on the gondola at 9:15 am and took my first run right down Angel Street which was a ton of fun. Really a great trail to let 'er rip! Skied right on to the North Peak Quad and took my next run down Walking Boss. Rode the Quad a few more times and tried Flume. The upper section was ungroomed but there was some decent, yet firm snow skier's left right under the lift. The bumps on Flume sucked. Rock hard and somewhat erratic. I got thrown around and decided to bail on them. The mogul field is much shorter than usual this year. They start once the trail falttens out a bit (only about half of lower Flume has bumps).

I then took a few more cruisers off the Kanc Quad. The bumps on Rumrunner were just as sucky and were only for a short section at the bottom which I never liked as they are set up as the run curves right - resulting a weird lines that also curve right. The normally good part of the Rumrunner bumps was all groomed out. Took a run by the top of Triple Trouble and Big Dipper. That whole big intersection is roped off and the coverage on these two of Loon's best East basin trails is pretty weak. Pretty sad to see - they are really hurting this year. Skier's left of TT has some nice drifts which look skiable (somebody did) but probably not worth the base damage and risk. All the woods at Loon are closed.

My final run was another gondola ride (singles line - 7 minutes wait, maybe) and then a fun rip down Angel Street. Dropped the skis off for a tune at the tuning center (they do a great job). The crowds were VERY light today. I normally don't even bother with the gondola but today it was fine. Less than 5 minute waits for the Kanc quad and usually only a 2-3 chair wait for the North Peak quad. I'll likely do the same routine tomorrow skiing just the morning. Again, I'll be solo, so if any AZers want to meet up, feel free to PM me. I'm wearing light grey pants, a dark gray and black jacket, grey helmet with AZ decals, and orange AC3 skis.

A fun morning, but with my buddy not being here and the conditions being somewhat marginal, it was kind of a melancholy experience...

 

[BLESS]

march 8TH!!!


Damnit, I KNEW I shoulda fixed my goddamn Flux Capacitor!

I'll be up there on thurs......not very excited seeing as how the conditions won't be all that great, oh well better than working.

 

[Vortex]

I get a negitive impression on your trip report Greg.
The bumbs are not a place I ski, but I have skied a few resorts this year and I felt Loon's coverage was equal of better than many of the large resorts.
Yes less natural snow, but Picked Rock top to bottom had good soft snow on sunday as well as great coverage on flying fox and cross cut. Basin street was sweet. Flume was fine for me. There a few sratchy spots on lower flume as the day went on. Rampasture was soft and smooth.
Hopefully as the week progresses the snow will soften up a bit more.

 

[JimG.]

Greg, the bumps need some sun and warmth, that's all.

Hunter was a bit the same this past weekend. The bumps on the course are still there and alot like Monday 2/27 on Sat morning, but by noon they were pounded and had gotten huge with deep ruts and alot of hardpack snow. You had to ski them faster to have fun, and by late afternoon, with the flat light, I just wasn't into it full speed anymore.

Other bump runs were a bit flatter but much icier. The coming warm spell will do wonders.

 

[Greg]

march 8TH!!!

Der... :blink: I never, ever claimed to know what day it is/was... Fixed the dates... :lol:

I get a negitive impression on your trip report Greg.
The bumbs are not a place I ski, but I have skied a few resorts this year and I felt Loon's coverage was equal of better than many of the large resorts.
Yes less natural snow, but Picked Rock top to bottom had good soft snow on sunday as well as great coverage on flying fox and cross cut. Basin street was sweet. Flume was fine for me. There a few sratchy spots on lower flume as the day went on. Rampasture was soft and smooth.
Hopefully as the week progresses the snow will soften up a bit more.

Hey Bob - hope I didn't make it sound like I was trashing Loon that much. The coverage is indeed great and they've done what they can considering the weather. Skied with Steve today and we had a blast ripping up the LGR on Flume, Boss and Angel Street. I guess I just was a bitt forlorn as the the entire East Basin bowl is roped off with pretty sketchy conditions (although Steve seemed tempted... ). That's certainly not Loon's fault as that area is all natural. The shorter bump runs are likely also a result of a low snow year, and the firmness of the bumps is just because they need some 40 degree days with sun. Today was actually very good and I feel fortunate to be able to hit Loon at likely its peak cover for the season. Sounds like this weekend is going to eat some major terrain.

Today's TR is forthcoming....

 

[riverc0il]

march 8TH!!

gotta cut greg some slack on this one... he is on vacation! when i go on vacation, i know i have enjoyed my vacation when i have finally lost track of what day it is

 

[Vortex]

I guess I also view different things as important. I'm not a bump person. I read you trip report with Steve.
Sounds kind of like you were doing my kind of skiing and enjoying my favored style of terrain.
You guys got the best out of what the mountain had to offer. Did you get a burger and a beer on the camp 3 deck? That is a favorite take in the spring of mine.