Sugarbush 3/20/10

[Zand]

Date(s) Skied: Saturday 3/20/10

Resort or Ski Area: Sugarbush, VT

Conditions: Spring... sunny and 50s early, cloudy and a bit cooler in the afternoon

Trip Report:

Got to Ellen around 9:45 and spent my first 2.5 hours or so over there hitting all the various bump runs. Don't think I really missed any... Tumbler, Cliffs, Hammerhead, Encore, Bravo, Exterminator, FIS, and Double Diamond were all skied in that time. Great bumps everywhere... only problem was that the snow was so wet that it was really easy to stick a ski. Otherwise just tons of great bumps everywhere.

After a quick lunch at the BBQ on the Glen House deck, I headed south for a few runs. Hit Birch Run first which was heavily traveled once again... some nice bumps in the chutes but otherwise a bunch of corn piles. From there I headed down to Castlerock and hit Middle Earth, Liftline, and Rumble/Cotillion. Middle Earth was great except for that once crap spot. Best bumps on the mountain IMO. Liftline was tough in the cliff sections but the non-rocky parts had nice bumps. Rumble was interesting in parts but if you could pick your way around the rocks it wasn't too bad.

Went up top next and hit Paradise which is about done for the season. Tons of rocks and nasty spots showing through. Headed back over to Morning Star and Sunrise which were getting thin as well. Some nice bumps but they won't be lasting much longer.

Was about 3:15, so I headed back to Ellen. Attempted to do one top-to-bottom mogul romp via FIS/Lookin Good/Cliffs, but my body really objected to it. First sign that I was too tired was when I crossed my skis and fell getting off the summit quad (haven't done that in a while lol). Next sign was the header I took about halfway down FIS. Decided to take groomers down from there, but glutton for punishment I spent most of that on the Cruiser bumps.

Decided to check out the Inverness lift for my first time and took Walt's Trail. Really nice beginner trail... getting thin in some parts but still pretty good. Just a beautiful walk through the woods though.

This week is looking incredibly ugly weather wise. Was going to ski Burke Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and Sugarbush Sunday. Unfortunately, forecast is rain Monday-Thursday and then 22 for a high Friday. Ouch. I'll play it as it goes but it's not looking good. I'll definitely get to Burke one more time before they close (really soon), but I may have skied my last day at Ellen for the year as I'm not going all the way out there for a bunch of sheets of ice.

 

[MommaBear]

Bummed - we have prepaid tickets for Sugarbush and planned on heading there next weekend (after plans for this weekend fell thru). Doesn't sound like it will be much fun.

Thanks for the detailed report - especially with trail names. We've never skied Mount Ellen and are hoping to do so before it closes.

 

[thetrailboss]

Sugarbush is skiing great. I was there Saturday and Sunday. Saturday Ellen was off the hook but agree that Lower FIS and Brambles was like skiing in Mayo or Elmer's Glue. Sunday was firm in the morning but it warmed up and the sun softened the snow very nicely.

Paradise: no surprise since it faces SE and gets the sun. That's why you take a choice 'detour' or two....

As to your tix MommaBear, unless we get a really bad warm-up, there is still lots of snow and Lincoln Peak will be going for a while yet.

 

[Angus]

skied there as well on Saturday. my son and I did not ski a trail which was NOT bumped up. I am still sore today. I think castlerock will be pretty much shot after this rain event - if they get the 2". but plenty of snow elsewhere. Mount Ellen has a ton of snow. Only second time skiing at Sugarbush and first time skiing MiddleEarth and Castlerock which were alot of fun with exception of occasional bare spots and rocks. Watched Patrick ski under the summit lift at Mount Ellen, he is a very impressive bump skier.