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Mrg 01.01.2013

Cheese

New member
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
999
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Location
Hollis, NH
Date(s) Skied:01.01.2013
Resort or Ski Area: Mad River Glen
Conditions: 1-2" of fresh powder
Trip Report:

Thanks to a little help from fellow AZers in a "Where to ski New Years Day" thread my choice of resorts today was decided for me.

Two days after a holiday weekend storm I figured I was in for skier packed powder and plenty of bumps. To my surprise I hit a snow squall on I89 and it stuck with me all the way to MRG. Once there it was easy to tell I would at least have 1-2" of fresh to play in for the day and there was enough wind to cause some drifting as well. I was probably car 10 in the parking lot at 8:30 which I sort of expected on a day many were nursing hangovers.

The first ride up the single chair I could see that the blowing new snow had certainly filled in many of the mogul trenches. I decided to work skiers right to left so started with Antelope and put down the second or third set of tracks on there top to bottom. 1-2" of fresh covered the soft bumps while trenches and drifts were boot tops or above. Chute and Lift Line were the same for the first two runs but the back sides of the bumps got a little thinner after that. Fall Line and Paradise skied about the same as Chute and Lift line during my runs on each. At that point, it was time to get off the trails and go find out what was left of the deeper snow from the weekend. What a surprise to find untracked boot top powder with drifts to the knees skiers left of Paradise in the cliffs. Working back to skiers right there were plenty of virgin lines between Paradise and Fall Line and Chute and Lift Line. One of those tree runs from the top led me to Ferret where I bailed off again into the trees. This was lower mountain so I was shocked to again find untracked boot top and higher drifted freshies. Bunny ended those trees but following Bunny a bit yielded yet another opportunity to drop in the trees and enjoy fresh tracks all the way down to the junction of Lower Glades and Grand Canyon where there was enough snow to cross the brook and pop out onto the main trails back to the lift. By 3:00 I had run out of good light and leg strength so I called it a day.

If you're planning a visit before the next snow fall, there is still plenty of boot top powder in the lower trees I mentioned. The upper mountain lines I was talking about may yield a turn or two in the fresh but beyond that you're in someones track. Obviously I can't speak for ALL the secret stashes and I have no idea what was going on over at the double lift. The trails off the single chair have nice soft bumps but you'll have to ski light footed enough to air out or unweight a few crunchy spots on the back sides.

Some not so great shots from my phone are below ...


2013-01-01_08-57-08_87.jpg2013-01-01_08-57-30_712.jpg2013-01-01_13-03-36_56.jpg2013-01-01_13-39-50_343.jpg2013-01-01_14-35-15_554.jpg
 
Last edited:

bdfreetuna

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Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Messages
4,300
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keep the faith
You're brave if you go to the chutes past Paradise untracked. I personally like to know that at least somebody has skied it before me. There are some super steep areas where you can't even see the fall line.

Looks like you caught a sweet day. I know I only have MRG in me for 1 day this season, and I'm probably gonna save it for spring. I like loose granular corn snow way more than powder in the steeps and trees.. I feel that will make the most of the experience for me.
 

Cornhead

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
2,836
Points
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Thanks for the TR Cheese, I will be in the Mad River Valley sometime this season, I've got vouchers for MRG and Sugarbush, can't wait. I lucked out last year, last week of February, they got two feet just prior to my arrival.
 
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