Snow Valley Beta - Anyone skinning there?

[Hastur]

Snow Valley - Anyone skinning there?

Its a nelsap area between bromley and Stratton. I was over there last weekend looking for tracks but didn't bring my gear ( I was wiped from a day at magic)

Anyway, does anyone know if it's privately owned? Is it GMNF? Are there any rules /restrictions for access? From the base area it looks like there are remnants of cleared trails.

I think its got 900ft vert and steep enough trails for some fun days.

The Town/Highway department plows down to the base and leaves a small circle. Don't know if its ok to park there.

I'm going to try and hike up there this summer for sure and check it out

 

[Glenn]

Last I heard, it was privately owned. You may have to do some digging here... IIRC, I posted some info from the VAST site a few years back. They had some info regarding snowmobile trails access around there and it mentioned a "new owner".

We swung by there a few years ago the way back from Manchester. Is the base lodge still there or did they tear it down?

 

[Hastur]

Last I heard, it was privately owned. You may have to do some digging here... IIRC, I posted some info from the VAST site a few years back. They had some info regarding snowmobile trails access around there and it mentioned a "new owner".

We swung by there a few years ago the way back from Manchester. Is the base lodge still there or did they tear it down?

I didn't see any base lodge, just a shack or 2.

the nelsap info is pretty dated. I wonder where I could find more about it? I'm sure the people in the neighboring houses have an idea.

 

[Glenn]

Well, that answers the lodge question:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php/99426-Ski-Lodge-Burns-at-Snow-Valley

Here's the info I dug up years go on the VAST site:
http://forums.alpinezone.com/showthread.php/47535-Snow-Valley-Update

 

[Abominable]

How did we come to use "beta" to mean background or intel or info or whatever? I've no objection, just genuinely curious. Something I've only seen in the last few years, and generally w/r/t sports like skiing, mtb'ing... curious where this lingo comes from.

I know right? Who cares? Stuck at home on a snow day.

 

[Hastur]

I have never used beta before this post. I'm just copying what the cool kids say over at TGR.

 

[Jcb890]

How did we come to use "beta" to mean background or intel or info or whatever? I've no objection, just genuinely curious. Something I've only seen in the last few years, and generally w/r/t sports like skiing, mtb'ing... curious where this lingo comes from.

I know right? Who cares? Stuck at home on a snow day.

It doesn't even fit... I've never heard/seen it used either.

 

[cdskier]

How did we come to use "beta" to mean background or intel or info or whatever? I've no objection, just genuinely curious. Something I've only seen in the last few years, and generally w/r/t sports like skiing, mtb'ing... curious where this lingo comes from.

I know right? Who cares? Stuck at home on a snow day.

So apparently from some searching it seems this may originate in the rock climbing world and has since been used to mean info for other things as well now I guess.

Beta is climbing jargon that designates information about a climb. In rock climbing this may include information about a climb's difficulty, crux, style, length, quality of rock, ease to protect, required equipment, and specific information about hand or foot holds. For alpine climbs, beta may include information about the length and difficulty of the approach, availability of water on the climb and the approach, ease of exiting the route before completing it, descent information, perhaps even useful logistic information for climbs in foreign countries.

The original use of the term Beta in climbing is generally attributed to the late climber Jack Mileski. "Beta" was short for Betamax, a reference to an old videotape format largely replaced by the VHS format. This was actually a play on words, as Mileski would often ask, "you want the beta, Max?"

Of course take this with a grain of salt as it isn't exactly information from a more formal source...

 

[cdskier]

A bit more info I just found too on some of the reasoning for the use of the term (starting to make sense now)...

A noun meaning “A specific, blow-by-blow description of a sequence or climb,” according to Matt Samet’s Climbing Dictionary, it was apparently a reference to the now-defunct Betamax video format. The idea was that, as you might rewind a tape to study a particular piece of footage, so would one climber verbally replay the moves of a climb for another’s benefit. It is more generally used today to mean pretty much any type of advice one can give to another.

 

[skimagic]

Here's a 2015 trip report.
http://nyskiblog.com/snow-valley-vt-raiders/

The former ascutney ski resort might have less growth on the upper trails,1800 vert there too. It's a good year for snow there.

 

[Abominable]

Huh..... googling this dude... damn.....

(also, random thing to include in one paragraph about this guy; I mean, was that his greatest accomplishment? I hope when I go, they don't remember me at the guy that coined the term "shart" or something......)

----------------

The woman who killed climber Jack Mileski in 1997 has been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. At a trial in 1998, Claire Walsh, an ex-girlfriend of Mileski’s, was found to have shot Mileski as he slept, but her murder conviction was overturned on appeal because of technical problems with the prosecution's case. Last month in Colorado Springs, Walsh again pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but a jury decided to send her to prison for life. Mileski was a prominent and well-liked climber of the 1980s and early 1990s in the Shawangunks, the Austin, Texas, area, and eventually Colorado Springs, where he worked as a high school English teacher. He is credited with originating — or at least popularizing — the term “beta” for describing moves on a climb. Scott Witteveen, the jury foreman in the new trial, said, “Sitting in that courtroom for two weeks, hearing from Jack’s family and climbing friends, you get to know someone. My condolences go out to all of you who knew and climbed with Jack — he was obviously a very special person.”

 

[Hastur]

Here's a 2015 trip report.
http://nyskiblog.com/snow-valley-vt-raiders/

The former ascutney ski resort might have less growth on the upper trails,1800 vert there too. It's a good year for snow there.

My interest in this mostly is the proximity to my house, which is pretty close by. I know its nothing special as a hill. I want to try to get to Ascutney. I love riding the Stab trails in the summer especially the more primitive stuff, But there are a few more options within and hour 15 that I want to try first or would prefer to go back to.