Buckeye Skier 1330
New member
Resort: Stratton
Date:3/5
Conditions
owder,packed powder
Stratton started our "All Vermont Tour" with a really nice day. We had a true snow day for our Snow Day free passes. It was snowing hard when we pulled up to the Sun Bowl area. And it snow on and off pretty much the whole day. We warmed up on a green, Mainline, we were the first ones down it. A couple inches of pow on groomed. Nice! That was the term to use for every trail that day. They got a good bit if snow overnight and the snow squalls kept freshening the trails all day. I hit a mogul run, Lower Slalom Glade, and World Cup, that had boot deep powder on them. I struggled a bit as my lack of skiing days seems to have caught up with me. The run of the day was Kidderbrook. It had boot deep pow that not a lot of people had been down. It was a good way to start the trip.
Pics:http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=696
Burke
3/7
Powder,packed powder
We wussed out on Tuesday. The 15 below (in town) and the 30mph winds were more than we were ready to deal with. So Wednesday we headed to Burke. It was only 8 below in Barre where we were staying.With caim winds. When we got to Burke the board at the Sherburne lift said it was 22 below at the base at 7:30 am. It had warmed up since then. The thermometer I had clipped to my coat said 8 below. We started out on Big Dipper and Willoughby tearing up that smooth corduroy. Mrs. Buckeye took a break to warm up and I headed to the East Bowl. That has got to be one of the coolest trails ever! It had natural conditions with only a few tracks on it. It just eats up a lot of time and energy getting in and out. I hit Mountain Marsh and Lower Doug's Drop for some bumps that I'm better suited for. I also tried Lew's Leap and it was a bit of a challenge for me. Powderhorn was also very nice with it's natural but not bumpy conditions. Things warmed up to almost 15 above later in the day. It was an awesome day at Burke. I need to go there 2 days in a row to ski everything I want to ski. On the way back to Barre we stopped at an overlook on Rt.2 The view of Mt. Washington and Lafeyette was awesome. A nice way to end the day!
Pics:http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=697
Stowe
3/8
Powder,packed powder
On Tuesday,the day we didn't ski we drove to Stowe just to look. I'll have to admit I was intimidated by the Front Four. It had been a while since I've had that feelng just looking at a mountain.Thursday was very cold and windy. We had gotten face masks Tuesday and we used them at Burke, they were definitly a necessity on Thursday. My thermometer only goes down to 10 below and that's where it was about 1:00 in the afternoon. With a 20 mph or so wind with it. But skied without much discomfort, thanks in part to the gondi opening around 10:30. I wanted to try one of the Front Four but the way I struggled at Stratton I knew I would in over my head. So I settled for Hayride which was not bumpy. Then decided to try Nosedive, which was bumpy at the top. I did okay, but what a rush! We hit the gondi trails for a few runs. Perry Merril was really nice and powdery.
We tried a run over at Spruce but the ride up the Sunny Spruce quad was brutally cold.
So one run was it over there. I ended the day running some blues off of Fourunner. I never thought we could ski and be comfortable in that extreme of conditions but it wasn't that bad at all. We had never been to Stowe but we'll go back again.
Pics:http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=698
Sugarbush
3/9
Powder,packed powder
On our last day we got to go to our favorite resort,the Bush. It was 14 below in Barre but it promised to warm up to around 20 with no wind and sunny skys. We started at Mt. Ellen and did some high speed cruising on fresh cord. Which Way, Cruiser and Elbow. We then hit Brambles Walt's and Semitough for a few runs. The summit was next and the view was spectacular. You could see Whiteface and Mt. Marcy in NY, and turn around and see Mt. Washington and Lafeyette in NH. Not to mention Camel's Hump and Mansfield to the north. Upper FIS looked pretty smooth on the skiers right so I gave it a try. It had some boot deep powder on it, but also a patch or two of ice. It got the best of me, sending me head over heels twice. I got down it and the adrenaline rush reminded me of my younger days of skiing.
We finished the day at Lincoln Peak. Hitting our old favorites over there. Sleeper, Moonshine, Jester, Murphy's Glade. I thought better of trying to conquer Castlerock after my performance on FIS. I settled for a run down a groomed Stein's, which was pretty interesting on it's own. Going back to the Bush made us remember how awesome it is. Looks like next years trip will include a few days of the Bush.
We wanted to hit Pico, but missing Tuesday forced us to leave out one place. Maybe next year! It was another good trip to NE. You folks should feel fortunate to have some many great places within easy reach.
Pics:http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=702
Date:3/5
Conditions
owder,packed powderStratton started our "All Vermont Tour" with a really nice day. We had a true snow day for our Snow Day free passes. It was snowing hard when we pulled up to the Sun Bowl area. And it snow on and off pretty much the whole day. We warmed up on a green, Mainline, we were the first ones down it. A couple inches of pow on groomed. Nice! That was the term to use for every trail that day. They got a good bit if snow overnight and the snow squalls kept freshening the trails all day. I hit a mogul run, Lower Slalom Glade, and World Cup, that had boot deep powder on them. I struggled a bit as my lack of skiing days seems to have caught up with me. The run of the day was Kidderbrook. It had boot deep pow that not a lot of people had been down. It was a good way to start the trip.
Pics:http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=696
Burke
3/7
Powder,packed powder
We wussed out on Tuesday. The 15 below (in town) and the 30mph winds were more than we were ready to deal with. So Wednesday we headed to Burke. It was only 8 below in Barre where we were staying.With caim winds. When we got to Burke the board at the Sherburne lift said it was 22 below at the base at 7:30 am. It had warmed up since then. The thermometer I had clipped to my coat said 8 below. We started out on Big Dipper and Willoughby tearing up that smooth corduroy. Mrs. Buckeye took a break to warm up and I headed to the East Bowl. That has got to be one of the coolest trails ever! It had natural conditions with only a few tracks on it. It just eats up a lot of time and energy getting in and out. I hit Mountain Marsh and Lower Doug's Drop for some bumps that I'm better suited for. I also tried Lew's Leap and it was a bit of a challenge for me. Powderhorn was also very nice with it's natural but not bumpy conditions. Things warmed up to almost 15 above later in the day. It was an awesome day at Burke. I need to go there 2 days in a row to ski everything I want to ski. On the way back to Barre we stopped at an overlook on Rt.2 The view of Mt. Washington and Lafeyette was awesome. A nice way to end the day!
Pics:http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=697
Stowe
3/8
Powder,packed powder
On Tuesday,the day we didn't ski we drove to Stowe just to look. I'll have to admit I was intimidated by the Front Four. It had been a while since I've had that feelng just looking at a mountain.Thursday was very cold and windy. We had gotten face masks Tuesday and we used them at Burke, they were definitly a necessity on Thursday. My thermometer only goes down to 10 below and that's where it was about 1:00 in the afternoon. With a 20 mph or so wind with it. But skied without much discomfort, thanks in part to the gondi opening around 10:30. I wanted to try one of the Front Four but the way I struggled at Stratton I knew I would in over my head. So I settled for Hayride which was not bumpy. Then decided to try Nosedive, which was bumpy at the top. I did okay, but what a rush! We hit the gondi trails for a few runs. Perry Merril was really nice and powdery.
We tried a run over at Spruce but the ride up the Sunny Spruce quad was brutally cold.
So one run was it over there. I ended the day running some blues off of Fourunner. I never thought we could ski and be comfortable in that extreme of conditions but it wasn't that bad at all. We had never been to Stowe but we'll go back again.
Pics:http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=698
Sugarbush
3/9
Powder,packed powder
On our last day we got to go to our favorite resort,the Bush. It was 14 below in Barre but it promised to warm up to around 20 with no wind and sunny skys. We started at Mt. Ellen and did some high speed cruising on fresh cord. Which Way, Cruiser and Elbow. We then hit Brambles Walt's and Semitough for a few runs. The summit was next and the view was spectacular. You could see Whiteface and Mt. Marcy in NY, and turn around and see Mt. Washington and Lafeyette in NH. Not to mention Camel's Hump and Mansfield to the north. Upper FIS looked pretty smooth on the skiers right so I gave it a try. It had some boot deep powder on it, but also a patch or two of ice. It got the best of me, sending me head over heels twice. I got down it and the adrenaline rush reminded me of my younger days of skiing.
We finished the day at Lincoln Peak. Hitting our old favorites over there. Sleeper, Moonshine, Jester, Murphy's Glade. I thought better of trying to conquer Castlerock after my performance on FIS. I settled for a run down a groomed Stein's, which was pretty interesting on it's own. Going back to the Bush made us remember how awesome it is. Looks like next years trip will include a few days of the Bush.
We wanted to hit Pico, but missing Tuesday forced us to leave out one place. Maybe next year! It was another good trip to NE. You folks should feel fortunate to have some many great places within easy reach.
Pics:http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=702
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