Stowe, 3/2/08

[billski]

Family weekend, but my lovelies decided to sleep in per usual. Scoot over at 7:30 for some runs before noon, then back to socialize after they all awake....
The winds howled Sat. night, it snowed and snowed, but the gusts were pretty bad. I was pondering what I could accomplish on my morning gauntlet. Decided I belonged in the woods.

Lazy old me makes it to the Midway Lodge, but couldn't get going until about 8;15. At that point, decided to take first dibs on the the gondi. Got in third gondi, the guys in front of me were rabid for fresh tracx. I had other plans. Out skis rattled pretty badly outside the cabin. One fella thought his separated skis were gonna fly out, and I agreed. Winds not seeming too friendly. At the top, they opened the barn door as we stepped out of the cabin. That's a first time for me. While about 4-6 people were ahead of me, it was the first time I was able to make fresh trax off the top of the gondi. Not so great, since it was entirely windblown at the very top, icy crush, and as I got a bit lower on Perry Merril, it was windblown slab.

PM, was OK, not so hot to be honest. Right about this time, someone shut off the winds, like magic.

So I headed into the woods near Nosedive. That's where all the powder went! Nice, low moisture pow that exploded on the steeps.

as the day went on, the sun came out, so that by about 10am, it was bluebird

more of my favs

You can always get great pow under Lookout.

Down to chapel:

The base depth instills confidence to "boldly go where no man has gone before", or at least it makes a nice Trekkie cliche'. I was nice not to have to worry about anything underneath. It took me to places I may not have otherwise ventured.

It was really hard to call it quits at 1115. It just got better and better all day.

 

[gladerider]

very nice.

thanks for the pics. need to get back up there sometime.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

awesome....headed up that way this weekend, thinking either Stowe or Smuggs on Saturday and MRG on Sunday

 

[hardline]

did you do any runs over in the chin clip woods. i think i am going to go back up next week for the week. has the damage been repaired in the creek bed at the bottom? JD showed some crazy pic from the last thaw freeze. i i sorta like the bobsled run in the creek also just want to know if i start traversing back riders right i wont end up in the open creek. actually it really not that important because i love suprises but i will have some new people with me.

 

[billski]

nope

did you do any runs over in the chin clip woods.

I was not but it appears kcyanks was

It was already up to 50 degrees at Morrisville this morning, so who knows, we're in for some yo-yo weather now.

 

[kcyanks1]

I was not but it appears kcyanks was

It was already up to 50 degrees at Morrisville this morning, so who knows, we're in for some yo-yo weather now.

I didn't have a problem where I went in the woods to the left of Chin Clip. We did two runs there at varying distances away from the trail, one ending back on the trail and the other ending to skier's left of the Gondi parking lot.

If I recall correctly, JD's picture of the destroyed woods run was of Riverbed, which is to the opposite side of Chin Clip. I didn't go there (assuming I could actually find it in the first place -- I think I know where to go).

 

[JD]

Wasn't actually me that posted the pic, but I will say that alof of gullies have not been in this year. A few thaws at key points have kept holes and running water in play so beware. Deep holes in the snow pack get filled with a bit a powder and they look flat, but aren't. Only been in the brook proper once this year and it was in December. Everything else has a bomber base though. Woods off of chin clip are OK, but unless you commit to going far away from the area, I feel like you get few good fall line turns, then it's all double fall line back towards the area...bang for the buck I say Lookout/Starr/hayride/goat woods are where it's at on Mansi.

 

[BeanoNYC]

Always something funny smelling in Chapel woods.

 

[kcyanks1]

Wasn't actually me that posted the pic, but I will say that alof of gullies have not been in this year. A few thaws at key points have kept holes and running water in play so beware. Deep holes in the snow pack get filled with a bit a powder and they look flat, but aren't. Only been in the brook proper once this year and it was in December. Everything else has a bomber base though. Woods off of chin clip are OK, but unless you commit to going far away from the area, I feel like you get few good fall line turns, then it's all double fall line back towards the area...bang for the buck I say Lookout/Starr/hayride/goat woods are where it's at on Mansi.

Oh sorry, maybe Scott posted the pic? Whoever it was, I believe it was of Riverbed. I think you make a fair point about the woods off Chin Clip, though my experience there is limited to a few runs. The consensus with our group was actually that the run where we stayed closer to the trail was better than the one where we hiked out further based on the across-to-downhill ratio The snow was good throughout, though. Hopefully today's weather isn't changing that :-(

 

[MRGisevil]

Bill- great pics! Thank you for sharing. Makes me feel better despite all of the rain I'm watching come down in Hartford right now.

I'd really like to hit Stowe this year- I've never been there and have heard some good things about it.

 

[billski]

Oh sorry, maybe Scott posted the pic? Whoever it was, I believe it was of Riverbed. I think you make a fair point about the woods off Chin Clip, though my experience there is limited to a few runs. The consensus with our group was actually that the run where we stayed closer to the trail was better than the one where we hiked out further based on the across-to-downhill ratio The snow was good throughout, though. Hopefully today's weather isn't changing that :-(

You're thinking of Scott's pics from 2/20.

 

[kcyanks1]

You're thinking of Scott's pics from 2/20.

Yup, that's it.