powderfreak
New member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2007
- Messages
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After doing the powder day feeding frenzy thing on Wednesday, Dave and I arrived to an absolutely empty Stowe base area...literally 1/4 of those who were there on Wednesday. Well, that's ok because a few inches of fresh coupled with some wind refreshing worked out nicely. The sun was shining, the cord was sparking under the gondi, and the sky was blue.
http://tinyurl.com/2datsl
Of course, we were heading up to the Mansfield Ridge with visions of the Rock Garden dancing in our heads. Now, it was cold out there. Below zero with a little breeze at the top of the gondola...but with bright sun it felt warmer and not bad. The hike up the climbing gully was easy; there was a great bootpack set by Wulfie, Bouchard, and Chris Nelson who were a little ahead of us.
So we are reaching the top of the climbing gully and I'm starting to realize that its pretty cold out here and those wind gusts had turned into sustained speeds. Now, we can hear the wind roaring just above us on the ridgeline during the final push to the top...as soon as we crested and could see the Champlain Valley on the other side, Dave and I were greeted with the most intense cold I've ever felt. Instantly my body and brain went numb. This was below zero ambient temps with a gale. Dave's face looks like he put sunscreen on but forgot to rub it all in...you know that blue-ish white color.
Without saying a word, both of us immediately bagged the idea of using the ridge to access the RG. This was painful cold (I have no idea how those guys filmed today on the top). So we literally ran across to the lower Profanity entrance, I threw my skis on and went...didn't stop to put goggles on or anything. I wanted to get into the col and out of the wind. Dave's hands were frozen and he was fumbling getting his pack closed up. He skied down into the Profanity route and we regrouped, put on face masks and made sure all skin was covered. Then, it was actually enjoyable to be up high.
The difference in the cold between the ridge and this little saddle was incredible. Once out of the wind, it was fine. Later, Wulfie told us he had turned around because his face was getting that frozen look too, but then some other skier convinced him to go higher. Sounds like they had a great run down Hourglass.
Dave and I took off for the Taft Lodge via first tracks down lower Profanity...
http://tinyurl.com/yuv88p
The view from Taft.
http://tinyurl.com/2aecv2
The tree run we had down from there was phenomenal. The forest has plenty of secrets back there and its all filling in nicely. Blue sky, blower powder, and fresh lines for the taking.
Vermont tree skiing at its finest.
http://tinyurl.com/yuc3cd
Vanishing in a cloud of crystals.
http://tinyurl.com/26hr8b
We skied all the way down to 108 then headed into Midway to get change layers, get some water, and fix frozen goggles.
Then we headed back to the Vermont hardwoods for some more bluebird powder skiing.
http://tinyurl.com/2eltne
http://tinyurl.com/2b96ml
http://tinyurl.com/2fdw63
In the afternoon we met up with Wulfie at the gondola speaking of almost running into two moose down in the notch. So next run, we go back to some powder reserves...Dave skis up to this knoll and says "moose." Right below us, pretty much in lower Angle Food proper (a stone's throw from RT108 ), are two 7 foot tall animals. We startled them when we came up from behind and they took off down through the trees...the calf following the mother. By the time I got my camera out and ready, they were already moving up into the notch towards Hellbrook. Might not look like much here, but it was inspiring to ski up and see two of the largest animals I've ever seen in the wild only 20 yards away. Those things are like horses on steroids.
http://tinyurl.com/2xrhm3
http://tinyurl.com/2f24xg
We then finished the run with some powder turns.
http://tinyurl.com/2df7q8
After one more bench run with Wulfie we ran into Plaid member Matt B. out there. Then we all dispersed with different lines in mind. I check my phone and have missed a few calls from Dylan, so give him a buzz and he's in the parking lot; he wants to take a run. I give him my Yeti-sized poles to borrow and he gives me Yeti-sized skis to borrow. Dylan had been on the road for much of the day from Lebanon, NH to near Jay Peak to along the Canadian border to down 89 to Burlington...and now he was on his way home but couldn't help but take a left at Exit 10 for some freshies.
We take a run and by now its 3-4pm and another full day of skiing was wrapping up. The sky is clear, wind is dying down, the temperature is plummeting as the last of the suns rays hit the eastern side of the notch. It had the makings of a very cold night in northern Vermont.
http://tinyurl.com/22cuwp
Mansfield served up another memorable day.
-Scott
http://tinyurl.com/2datsl
Of course, we were heading up to the Mansfield Ridge with visions of the Rock Garden dancing in our heads. Now, it was cold out there. Below zero with a little breeze at the top of the gondola...but with bright sun it felt warmer and not bad. The hike up the climbing gully was easy; there was a great bootpack set by Wulfie, Bouchard, and Chris Nelson who were a little ahead of us.
So we are reaching the top of the climbing gully and I'm starting to realize that its pretty cold out here and those wind gusts had turned into sustained speeds. Now, we can hear the wind roaring just above us on the ridgeline during the final push to the top...as soon as we crested and could see the Champlain Valley on the other side, Dave and I were greeted with the most intense cold I've ever felt. Instantly my body and brain went numb. This was below zero ambient temps with a gale. Dave's face looks like he put sunscreen on but forgot to rub it all in...you know that blue-ish white color.
Without saying a word, both of us immediately bagged the idea of using the ridge to access the RG. This was painful cold (I have no idea how those guys filmed today on the top). So we literally ran across to the lower Profanity entrance, I threw my skis on and went...didn't stop to put goggles on or anything. I wanted to get into the col and out of the wind. Dave's hands were frozen and he was fumbling getting his pack closed up. He skied down into the Profanity route and we regrouped, put on face masks and made sure all skin was covered. Then, it was actually enjoyable to be up high.
The difference in the cold between the ridge and this little saddle was incredible. Once out of the wind, it was fine. Later, Wulfie told us he had turned around because his face was getting that frozen look too, but then some other skier convinced him to go higher. Sounds like they had a great run down Hourglass.
Dave and I took off for the Taft Lodge via first tracks down lower Profanity...
http://tinyurl.com/yuv88p
The view from Taft.
http://tinyurl.com/2aecv2
The tree run we had down from there was phenomenal. The forest has plenty of secrets back there and its all filling in nicely. Blue sky, blower powder, and fresh lines for the taking.
Vermont tree skiing at its finest.
http://tinyurl.com/yuc3cd
Vanishing in a cloud of crystals.
http://tinyurl.com/26hr8b
We skied all the way down to 108 then headed into Midway to get change layers, get some water, and fix frozen goggles.
Then we headed back to the Vermont hardwoods for some more bluebird powder skiing.
http://tinyurl.com/2eltne
http://tinyurl.com/2b96ml
http://tinyurl.com/2fdw63
In the afternoon we met up with Wulfie at the gondola speaking of almost running into two moose down in the notch. So next run, we go back to some powder reserves...Dave skis up to this knoll and says "moose." Right below us, pretty much in lower Angle Food proper (a stone's throw from RT108 ), are two 7 foot tall animals. We startled them when we came up from behind and they took off down through the trees...the calf following the mother. By the time I got my camera out and ready, they were already moving up into the notch towards Hellbrook. Might not look like much here, but it was inspiring to ski up and see two of the largest animals I've ever seen in the wild only 20 yards away. Those things are like horses on steroids.
http://tinyurl.com/2xrhm3
http://tinyurl.com/2f24xg
We then finished the run with some powder turns.
http://tinyurl.com/2df7q8
After one more bench run with Wulfie we ran into Plaid member Matt B. out there. Then we all dispersed with different lines in mind. I check my phone and have missed a few calls from Dylan, so give him a buzz and he's in the parking lot; he wants to take a run. I give him my Yeti-sized poles to borrow and he gives me Yeti-sized skis to borrow. Dylan had been on the road for much of the day from Lebanon, NH to near Jay Peak to along the Canadian border to down 89 to Burlington...and now he was on his way home but couldn't help but take a left at Exit 10 for some freshies.
We take a run and by now its 3-4pm and another full day of skiing was wrapping up. The sky is clear, wind is dying down, the temperature is plummeting as the last of the suns rays hit the eastern side of the notch. It had the makings of a very cold night in northern Vermont.
http://tinyurl.com/22cuwp
Mansfield served up another memorable day.
-Scott
