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Middlebury College Snow Bowl 3-4-2013

emmaurice2

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2011
Messages
432
Points
16
Location
Connecticut
Resort: Middlebury College Snow Bowl

Date Skied: March 4, 2013

Conditions: Fresh tracks all day. No, seriously.

Feeling beaten up by Stowe the day before, I decided to pass on MRG. I drove to Mt. Ellen instead only to find that the only lift spinning was the Inverness chair. I drove to Sugarbush South and saw nearly the whole mountain enveloped in clouds and there was a fine mist falling at the base. I decided to bag the whole day and started driving south on 100. Then I started regretting my decision and remembered that I could hit MCSB if I cut over on 125.

This was the best decision I could have made.

The parking lot was nearly empty (even though there were tons of racers for NCAA Slalom and GS trials), the lift ticket was only $25, and all but the two trails used for racing were empty. And it was snowing.

This was my first time to MCSB and it wont' be my last. For such a small hill it has a lot to offer. Nice woods, steeps and a really gnarly trail under the Bailey Falls lift with rocks and ledges (I didn't hit it but watched a few others do it).

When I first got to the Bailey Falls lift, the liftie said I was the first person he'd seen in almost an hour. Every trail had untracked snow on the sides, a lot of the glades looked untouched (I only ventured into the trees between Hadley and Kelton, but the snow was soft and nearly boot deep).

My favorite runs were La Force which was short but had nice pitch and soft bumps and Youngman, a rolling run with a few drop offs and bumped up sections.

I took a few pics, mostly to show how empty the place was and to give an idea of the conditions.

MCSB from the base 3413.jpg

MCSB empty trails 3413.jpg

MCSB La Force nary a track 3413.jpg

MCSB soft snow trail and woods 3413.jpg

MCSB Youngman 3413.jpg
 

WWF-VT

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 23, 2005
Messages
2,598
Points
48
Location
MA & Fayston, VT
Good call on making the trip to Middlebury. I have had similar experiences there - racers on the front trails and the rest of the mountain empty and untouched.
 
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