billski
Active member
It occurred to me today that entering a ski lodge early in the AM is a lot like entering a church before the service. The mood is solemn and quiet. People go about their business quietly. They dress in their ceremonial robes. Donations are collected at the ticket counter. The votive candles are lit. The great chamber is vastly empty. It seems as if the experience is almost religious. At a small resort like Ragged, there is no hustle and bustle. You get the parking spot of the cantor.
The retiree men were in their designated seats in the lodge drinking coffee, not looking to be in a hurry. I came in for lunch, they were still there. I don't know if they ever skied. I imagine me doing that in about 20 years. Maybe.
The high priests of ski patrol had gathered in masses. There was an inordinate number on-duty, perhaps 8-10 for such a small mt.. contrast to black where I met a total of one guy all day.
The resort has changed a lot since I last visited with kids 7 years ago. They really developed Spear mountain, they built real glades trails, they attempted a summit restaurant until they found the walls were entirely rotten. We all know about golf, but the interesting development stuff (I yacked with a lot of people) is that the slow double chair for village green will be relocated to serve a real estate development and replaced by a newer, faster lift to the peak of an undeveloped third peak.
Anyways, the day was clear and bright. I really had wanted to do woods, but was resigned this would not be. On the off chance, I trundled down to the ski patrol office and consulted with the high priests. Indeed, the highest one indicated that ropes would drop today, that Ragged patrol has an "aggressive rope dropping policy". We'll see.
Up to the top, with my obligatory groomer photo. 6-8" reported.
Started the day on "rags to riches" glades. A Helluva a start. Turns out that the ice tundra makes a perfect woods base. Kinda sketchy on the steeps, rocks, stumps, but after that it was heavenly. The snow atop it was hugely flotable, turnable, and acres of untracked pow were to be had.
Second run, the trail was roped closed. The patrol was just finishing the rope, and I went to him and said "hey, I just skied that, it was wonderful, why you closing it?" he says it's too barren on the top, but he's going to open access to it a little lower. Follow him and we can go in together. Won't find it on your own. He was right. It's not marked, but there are lots of "official" cut ins all over the mountain. But they are entirely unmarked. As we went in, we crossed Sweepstakes trail which was entirely unskiable, bullet-proof moguls that shone in the sun, the pow whipped to the woods. That was one of two trails closed for the day. Then he takes me to a second rope and says, "you can go ahead of me. You won't get first tracks, but you'll get second". Wow. I was in heaven. Praise the Lord!
The Spear mountain only had one glades open, off of cardigan, a fun but short run. as I'm going up the lift, I see partrol dropping another rope, a bit further down from the top from Double Take and Not Too Shabby and Miss Behavin. I shouted to ask if he was opening it, sure enough he was. Fresh untracked everywhere. I skied about 5 hours in the woods today. The woods skied great. I hit my wall about 230pm and went to groomers
some random photos, in no particular order:
when I emerged from the woods and decided to spend the remaining hour on marked trals, I did find a couple of ungroomed. The "Raggae Glades" is really not glades at all, but generously spaced trees on an ungroomed, very wide trail. Skied very nicely
So what about groomers? Not my cup of tea, but I can tell you that they skied like butter. The snow was dense enough with the right amount of moisture to take right to the trails. Very, very few icy spots. Bring the kids, the spouse and grandma, the conditions are great for everyone.
The retiree men were in their designated seats in the lodge drinking coffee, not looking to be in a hurry. I came in for lunch, they were still there. I don't know if they ever skied. I imagine me doing that in about 20 years. Maybe.
The high priests of ski patrol had gathered in masses. There was an inordinate number on-duty, perhaps 8-10 for such a small mt.. contrast to black where I met a total of one guy all day.
The resort has changed a lot since I last visited with kids 7 years ago. They really developed Spear mountain, they built real glades trails, they attempted a summit restaurant until they found the walls were entirely rotten. We all know about golf, but the interesting development stuff (I yacked with a lot of people) is that the slow double chair for village green will be relocated to serve a real estate development and replaced by a newer, faster lift to the peak of an undeveloped third peak.
Anyways, the day was clear and bright. I really had wanted to do woods, but was resigned this would not be. On the off chance, I trundled down to the ski patrol office and consulted with the high priests. Indeed, the highest one indicated that ropes would drop today, that Ragged patrol has an "aggressive rope dropping policy". We'll see.
Up to the top, with my obligatory groomer photo. 6-8" reported.
Started the day on "rags to riches" glades. A Helluva a start. Turns out that the ice tundra makes a perfect woods base. Kinda sketchy on the steeps, rocks, stumps, but after that it was heavenly. The snow atop it was hugely flotable, turnable, and acres of untracked pow were to be had.
Second run, the trail was roped closed. The patrol was just finishing the rope, and I went to him and said "hey, I just skied that, it was wonderful, why you closing it?" he says it's too barren on the top, but he's going to open access to it a little lower. Follow him and we can go in together. Won't find it on your own. He was right. It's not marked, but there are lots of "official" cut ins all over the mountain. But they are entirely unmarked. As we went in, we crossed Sweepstakes trail which was entirely unskiable, bullet-proof moguls that shone in the sun, the pow whipped to the woods. That was one of two trails closed for the day. Then he takes me to a second rope and says, "you can go ahead of me. You won't get first tracks, but you'll get second". Wow. I was in heaven. Praise the Lord!
The Spear mountain only had one glades open, off of cardigan, a fun but short run. as I'm going up the lift, I see partrol dropping another rope, a bit further down from the top from Double Take and Not Too Shabby and Miss Behavin. I shouted to ask if he was opening it, sure enough he was. Fresh untracked everywhere. I skied about 5 hours in the woods today. The woods skied great. I hit my wall about 230pm and went to groomers
some random photos, in no particular order:
when I emerged from the woods and decided to spend the remaining hour on marked trals, I did find a couple of ungroomed. The "Raggae Glades" is really not glades at all, but generously spaced trees on an ungroomed, very wide trail. Skied very nicely
So what about groomers? Not my cup of tea, but I can tell you that they skied like butter. The snow was dense enough with the right amount of moisture to take right to the trails. Very, very few icy spots. Bring the kids, the spouse and grandma, the conditions are great for everyone.
