Jisch
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- Dec 15, 2008
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I'm not sure how relevant these BC reports are, but I figure anyone not interested can just move along!
I went out to the local forest (Shenipsit/Soapstone) last night for a little night BC action. I wore my mountain biking helmet with my HID light on top. Conditions were probably the best I've ever seen here in NE CT. Most of the main trails were packed powder with a rock sticking through here and there from snowmobile traffic. While its not as "pristine" as skiing along through the untouched, at least you can make good time on the snowmobile track and you can get some pretty good speed, even on relatively minor downhills. Of course if you get real speed in snowmobile tracks you better be ready to jump out into the fresh snow if tight corners come up, they are so bumpy its impossible to hold an edge in them.
I found a steep short hill and lapped it a few times, the third time down a snowsnake grabbed my right ski and just wouldn't let go. I literally flew over the front of my skis (skis still attached of course) landing face first in the snow leaving a good 3' of undisturbed snow between my last ski tracks and my body divot in the snow. Ouchy. I also broke the bottom 1/4 off my pole, not sure how that happened. I laid in the quiet snow for a minute doing the assessment, wiggling my toes and fingers waiting for any serious pain. A bit of pain in my right quad and calf (I assume its from the pivot), but I seemed to be ok. I get up and decide to continue on, that one pole was pretty short, but it still worked if I needed it (kinda).
I did a bunch of off trail work and ended up finding a beautiful longish downhill run through the woods. I lapped that 2.5 times (had to abort one run when I made a bad turn into a dead end). There's a hardpack/ice covering over just about everything with 7-8" of soft powder on top. The right downhill is buttah, nice turning snow with very few obstacles sticking through.
A great 2 1/2 hours, I think I'll head back out tonight. I didn't bring my camera, maybe I'll try tonight, but I know from night biking that its really hard to get decent pics at night.
John
I went out to the local forest (Shenipsit/Soapstone) last night for a little night BC action. I wore my mountain biking helmet with my HID light on top. Conditions were probably the best I've ever seen here in NE CT. Most of the main trails were packed powder with a rock sticking through here and there from snowmobile traffic. While its not as "pristine" as skiing along through the untouched, at least you can make good time on the snowmobile track and you can get some pretty good speed, even on relatively minor downhills. Of course if you get real speed in snowmobile tracks you better be ready to jump out into the fresh snow if tight corners come up, they are so bumpy its impossible to hold an edge in them.
I found a steep short hill and lapped it a few times, the third time down a snowsnake grabbed my right ski and just wouldn't let go. I literally flew over the front of my skis (skis still attached of course) landing face first in the snow leaving a good 3' of undisturbed snow between my last ski tracks and my body divot in the snow. Ouchy. I also broke the bottom 1/4 off my pole, not sure how that happened. I laid in the quiet snow for a minute doing the assessment, wiggling my toes and fingers waiting for any serious pain. A bit of pain in my right quad and calf (I assume its from the pivot), but I seemed to be ok. I get up and decide to continue on, that one pole was pretty short, but it still worked if I needed it (kinda).
I did a bunch of off trail work and ended up finding a beautiful longish downhill run through the woods. I lapped that 2.5 times (had to abort one run when I made a bad turn into a dead end). There's a hardpack/ice covering over just about everything with 7-8" of soft powder on top. The right downhill is buttah, nice turning snow with very few obstacles sticking through.
A great 2 1/2 hours, I think I'll head back out tonight. I didn't bring my camera, maybe I'll try tonight, but I know from night biking that its really hard to get decent pics at night.
John
