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Saddleback 1/3/2010

xwhaler

Active member
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
2,943
Points
38
Location
Seacoast NH
Date Skied: 1/3/10
Location: Saddleback Rangeley ME


Truly Epic Day as Salsgang and JerseyRob's pics and videos already show quite well.
This was Day 4 for me at the 'Back since Thursday and the days got progressively better as the wknd went along.
I must admit that I didn't ski all day yesterday....got a chair at 9am and left at 1pm.
Close to 4 hour drive home with snowblowing the driveway awaiting me and I didn't feel like getting home at 9 or later so I did leave the goodness earlier than I would have liked.

Every trail was amazing.....It's very cool how I was skiing on icy crust below 6" of fresh the day before off the Kennebago chair and immediately overnight the entire mtn becomes EPIC and DEEP! Obviously 100% of terrain open right now and the slight warm up later in the day should help to get this worked into a real deep base.

Made the trek over to Casablanca first run of the day....not knowing how long I would stay I wanted to make sure I experienced it. The trip out there is an experience really...you feel like your on some backcountry traverse out to some remote glade in the Rockies someplace really...hard to describe for those who haven't done it but the trek out there is long and something unique to Saddleback for "East Coast Trail Map skiing"
Looking down Warden's Worry, Forstbite and Black Beauty coming across it was clear to me that those trails see a lot of wind as saw some big powder drifts but also some ice and rocks depsite the 2' of fresh. Where does all that snow end up? Sweet Casablanca!

Got a chance to follow Saddleback's director of Marketing out to Casablanca and he was telling me they believe the glade will be a natural respository for blow in snow that comes across the ridge. After skiing it I concur....easily the deepest snow on the mtn and what made it great was the pitch allowed for some great waist deep turns through the trees.
They really did a great job cutting this glade as there are some open areas to cruise through mixed in with some tight tree shots similiar to Dark Wizard and Nightmare Glades.

I entered at the last spot #4 which is actually off Muleskinner on the top left.
The rest of the mtn was great as well and I'll add in a few pics. Next wknd should be real nice as well.
 

salsgang

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
823
Points
18
Location
Southern Coastal Maine
Awesome. First tracks in Casablanca must of been pretty special. This new glade actually reduces pressure on the existing glades. We were finding fresh in Dark Wizard and Intimidator until early afternoon. When we hit Casablanca around 1:30 we found fresh then too. I heard some folks saying Nightmare Glade was still fresh at 3pm. Pretty great day all around.
 

tipsdown

Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2008
Messages
263
Points
18
Great report xwhaler. Can't say enough about how great Casablanca is...It's the most unique tree skiing I've done...
 
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