Stowe 3/18

[powderfreak]

There's something to be said about spring snowpacks and weather. Sunny days in the spring are something else...days when the snow softens and temperatures warm, but the snow depth is many, many feet.

The bumps are prime and the groomers soft.
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Another Tuesday.
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Big mountain terrain looks nice with the deep pack.
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The views were great and we gave a nod to our neighbors.
Jay Peak to the north.
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Whiteface to the west.
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Sugarbush and Camels Hump to the south.
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And Mount Washington to the east.
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With the Kitchen Wall looking so appetizing, Dave and I donned skins and headed for a leisurely jaunt up the Toll Road. We then worked our way across the ridge, encountering ice covered trees. Bluebird and temperatures near 30 felt downright hot. It was a nice little skin that accessed some sweet terrain...wouldn't want to bootpack it though with the snow depth like it is up there. There was an even 8 feet at the stake.
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The ice up top is incredible. Some trees have upwards of 6 inches of pure ice on them. I've never seen anything like it. I guess that's what makes them krummholz.
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A single branch.
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After lunch and chilling on the ridge, enjoying the spring rays, calm winds, and relatively mild temperatures, we headed down a line Aaron L. thinks is the 100-inch chute under the Kitchen booger fields. There were tracks in Spruce Chute but nothing but two old tracks heading down our line. It was super-hero soft spring snow, which is the stuff I like for the Kitchen Wall.

Dave up top. You can cruise a few turns in the upper snowfields.
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Then billygoat through powder and stands of nearly buried tree tops.
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Hop turns only in a few spots...turns that take you off the ground and land you several feet lower. Knee deep spring cement in the sun made it challenging but fun.
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My turn on the wall.
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Dave's smear turn.
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We even booted up a few pitches that start at rock...only to find pockets of dry powder under the walls.
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After that, we ran a few runs off the quad and a couple out to the bench. Some tree lines out there are definitely harder now that we're skiing in the canopy. Dave and I found plenty of lines where the last prune mark is a wee bit too low. But there's also so much more opening up because a ton of the brush is buried; its just you and the mature hardwoods more often than not.

Life is good on Mansfield. Oh yeah, and there was no one there.

-Scott

 

[MonkeyBrook]

Great shots, love the smear turn photo. Also, amazing views from the top...never knew you could see all those other areas & Mt. Washington from top of Mt. Mans.

 

[campgottagopee]

Nother kickass report----sweet pix of WF---amazing how close you brought it in

 

[Greg]

Radical!

:-o

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Wow great pictures Scott..NY and NH..with a turn of the head..mad steezy yo..

 

[hardline]

when are you going to compile all of the images for a book. you truely capture what its like to be at mansfield.

 

[powderfreak]

when are you going to compile all of the images for a book. you truely capture what its like to be at mansfield.

Thanks for all the comments, everyone. Haha, I'd publish a book but there's already an awesome Stowe coffee table book with some great pictures

I just like to capture these days so I can get through the summer by looking at my own photos.

-Scott

 

[BLESS]

crazy views all the way to Mt Washington......how far would you say that was?

 

[from_the_NEK]

crazy views all the way to Mt Washington......how far would you say that was?

Roughly 77 miles to Mt. Washington, 55 to Whiteface, 30 to Jay Peak, 29 to Lincoln Peak (Sugarbush). All distances are "as the crow flies" in Google Earth.

 

[ComeBackMudPuddles]

Friggin' awesome shots. And a nice variety, too.

You've probably answered this a few times, but what camera(s) do you take on the slopes?

Thanks.

 

[Bumpsis]

what do you use for climbing?
are you on randonee set up or alpine trekkers?

 

[powderfreak]

what do you use for climbing?
are you on randonee set up or alpine trekkers?

Alpine touring bindings and skins. I never really liked the Trekkers and thought they were heavy to carry in the pack. Plus, the durability of the AT bindings these days are pretty much just as good as conventional bindings. Its good to have for the skiing up here since a lot of great stuff can be accessed with a quick skin.

And the camera I use is a Canon PowerShot S5. Its been great but I need to ski with a pack to carry it. I used to have a Nikon Cool Pix which worked great and I could carry in my pocket. That was a great point and shoot for the hill.

-Scott

 

[hardline]

Thanks for all the comments, everyone. Haha, I'd publish a book but there's already an awesome Stowe coffee table book with some great pictures

I just like to capture these days so I can get through the summer by looking at my own photos.

-Scott

what book?
i must confess i have used you photos to show some of my friends the posibilities in vermont. they are still under the illusion that there is no snow outside utah or CO.

 

[Zand]

Just saw this... amazing photos.I always knew Stowe was a photogenic resort but I didn't know that the views were THAT good.