Stratton - 4/5/09

[sankaty]

Date(s) Skied: April 5th

Resort or Ski Area: Stratton

Conditions: Variable spring, some corn, some hardpack, some glue, with some real midwinter snow up top early

Trip Report:

Overall, a much better day at Stratton than I was expecting. A couple of inches of snow overnight made for some midwinter type skiing on the upper mountain early in the day. We even ventured into one of the glades, Diamond in the Rough, and it was a bit of an adventure. The new snow made it look like January, but there were lots of roots, rocks, and frozen bumps just beneath the surface. Really fun, actually, but dangerous for the ptex and slow going.

The biggest bummer is that no bump trails were open. I asked a group of ski patrollers about this in the afternoon, and they let me know that they were basically unskiable all day because the bumps were impenetrable in the morning, and in the afternoon, when the bumps finally softened, the new snow that had collected in the troughs had melted into a gluey, ski-trapping cement. After almost jettisoning out of my skis when skiing through a mound of the fresh snow in the warmer temps of the lower mountain, I have no reason to doubt the patrollers' assessment. The patrollers were really friendly and helpful, by the way.

Although I missed the bumps, my ski companion for the day prefers the groomers anyway, so it worked out for the best. I was worried that the trails would be super firm under the chilly morning overcast, but there was just enough fresh snow in the morning, and the base softened up in the late morning sun, so all was good.

A picture of Diamond in the Rough is attached.

 

[marcski]

I see that glade looking pretty nice. Do you think the glades will hold up through this week's rains and be skiable next weekend??

 

[sankaty]

I see that glade looking pretty nice. Do you think the glades will hold up through this week's rains and be skiable next weekend??

Well, skiable is subjective, I guess. The veneer of fresh snow in the picture made the glades seem to be in a lot better shape than they really were. Even yesterday, they were marginal by my standards. In a way, the new snow made them more treacherous, as it obscured some of the hazards, but it also made the skiing genuinely soft if you picked your spots. I saw a couple of skiers going through them remarkably quickly and confidently relative to me, but there was lots of scraping sounds coming from their skis.

The forecast for the mountains is stormy all week, but it seems that the precipitation will be a blend of rain and snow. If it's mostly rain, I think the glades may be doomed. If there is a decent snow component, they could still be fun for an adventurous glade skier.

 

[tcharron]

I see that glade looking pretty nice. Do you think the glades will hold up through this week's rains and be skiable next weekend??

Not a chance. While the picture makes them look like they may be intact, the cover was really bordering on melting down.

 

[shpride]

You never know. Here are some pics I took from deep in the woods at Stratton on Sunday. I was rocking the trees all day, and don't think I hit a tree the whole day. I don't know how bad they got hit this week, so you never know. The base was pretty solid, but I don't believe it was over a foot anywhere.

 

[marcski]

You never know. Here are some pics I took from deep in the woods at Stratton on Sunday. I was rocking the trees all day, and don't think I hit a tree the whole day. I don't know how bad they got hit this week, so you never know. The base was pretty solid, but I don't believe it was over a foot anywhere.

Shredwood. Not sure if a foot will have made it through this week. I think I'm done for the season....Weather isn't looking ideal.....although, Sunday will be nice.

 

[sankaty]

I wanted to get to Shredwood, as it was great the week before. It seemed that all the adjacent trails were closed, though, so I imagine it required ducking a few ropes.

 

[shpride]

Nope. This was on the other side of the mountain, and no ropes were ducked.

 

[Beetlenut]

Nope. This was on the other side of the mountain, and no ropes were ducked.

Looks like you can see the Sun Bowl condo's through the trees in the first and third shots. Too bad, as that side is closed for the season. I'll be checking out Diamond tomorrow.

 

[sankaty]

Nope. This was on the other side of the mountain, and no ropes were ducked.

Hmmm. I give up, then. I thought Vertigo, Kidderbrook Ravine, and Test Pilot were roped off with the rest of the Sun Bowl, and It doesn't look like Diamond in the Rough. Moon Dance? I didn't try that one because I assumed it would be worse than Diamond in the Rough, but whatever you have pictured looks better.

 

[shpride]

Hmmm. I give up, then. I thought Vertigo, Kidderbrook Ravine, and Test Pilot were roped off with the rest of the Sun Bowl, and It doesn't look like Diamond in the Rough. Moon Dance? I didn't try that one because I assumed it would be worse than Diamond in the Rough, but whatever you have pictured looks better.

It was moondance I believe from looking at the trailmap. I wasn't trying to make this a trivia thing....I just dont know the names of trails. :lol:

 

[sankaty]

It was moondance I believe from looking at the trailmap. I wasn't trying to make this a trivia thing....I just dont know the names of trails. :lol:

Understoond. You know how some folks can be protective of their glades :grin:.