BackLoafRiver
New member
Date(s) Skied: Friday 1/21/11
Resort or Ski Area: Sugarloaf, ME
Conditions: Powder.
Trip Report:
It has been a while since I was at the Loaf. No school due to the storm on Friday so I headed up at 6:15. (a little gripe...I haven't received a call for either snow day yet so I have to rely on the news. This gets me out of the house an hour later than I am used to)
Got to the lot at 9:15. It was jam packed. Busiest I have EVER seen it on a pow day. On the chair at 9:25. Apparently it was college race week there or some such thing. Gauge and Comp Hill were roped off.
Started with a lap down King's which was AMAZING. About 6" but it was puking all day. Decided to lap Timberline since it was open. King Pine was on hold (something about fixing a tower) and there was no one heading to the summit. Winds were nominal to start the day. Binder was open for the first time in a while and there was nobody on it. Still a few rocks poking through despite all the snow.
Second trip up, I noticed Cinder Hoe was roped off at the top but the cross over from Binder was not. You could access almost the entire run. Really great turns to be had here as nobody else had ventured over yet. Skiing under the lift line is nerve wracking to begin with but on a powder day, it upped the "oh crap" factor by 10. (who wants to look like an idiot under the lift?) Again, gorgeous turns and it was knee deep. Just awesome.
King Pine opened around 11:15. I sprinted over and discovered no line. Everyone was lapping Haulback and left Widowmaker alone. By this time, snow was deep all over the East Side. Run of the day was easily Widowmaker -> Choker. Choker had massive powder bumps all over it. I am no bump skier but this was just fun. Most people were opting for Flume as a way back to the quad.
I didn't have the brass ones to venture over to Bracket Basin. It seemed to be getting crowded, and fast. Reports from the patroler I talked to were that two issues were presenting themselves:
1) It was easy to get yourself in a "mandatory huck" situation if you didn't know your way around.
2) There still isn't a great base in there so stumps, rocks, and other debris were visible. He said it was getting better by the day.
I will probably get in there if weather holds for this week.
Overall, best day of the season. Period. It was still dumping when I left and didn't look like it was going to let up for a bit. I could have stayed on the King Pine side all day. My legs were on fire by 2:30. Here are some crappy shots from my phone. My skiing camera died and I need to replace it ASAP:
Trees going up Timberline:
Upper Binder:
Upper Tote
Binder from the cross to Cinder Hoe:
Looking up Double Bitter:
Resort or Ski Area: Sugarloaf, ME
Conditions: Powder.
Trip Report:
It has been a while since I was at the Loaf. No school due to the storm on Friday so I headed up at 6:15. (a little gripe...I haven't received a call for either snow day yet so I have to rely on the news. This gets me out of the house an hour later than I am used to)
Got to the lot at 9:15. It was jam packed. Busiest I have EVER seen it on a pow day. On the chair at 9:25. Apparently it was college race week there or some such thing. Gauge and Comp Hill were roped off.
Started with a lap down King's which was AMAZING. About 6" but it was puking all day. Decided to lap Timberline since it was open. King Pine was on hold (something about fixing a tower) and there was no one heading to the summit. Winds were nominal to start the day. Binder was open for the first time in a while and there was nobody on it. Still a few rocks poking through despite all the snow.
Second trip up, I noticed Cinder Hoe was roped off at the top but the cross over from Binder was not. You could access almost the entire run. Really great turns to be had here as nobody else had ventured over yet. Skiing under the lift line is nerve wracking to begin with but on a powder day, it upped the "oh crap" factor by 10. (who wants to look like an idiot under the lift?) Again, gorgeous turns and it was knee deep. Just awesome.
King Pine opened around 11:15. I sprinted over and discovered no line. Everyone was lapping Haulback and left Widowmaker alone. By this time, snow was deep all over the East Side. Run of the day was easily Widowmaker -> Choker. Choker had massive powder bumps all over it. I am no bump skier but this was just fun. Most people were opting for Flume as a way back to the quad.
I didn't have the brass ones to venture over to Bracket Basin. It seemed to be getting crowded, and fast. Reports from the patroler I talked to were that two issues were presenting themselves:
1) It was easy to get yourself in a "mandatory huck" situation if you didn't know your way around.
2) There still isn't a great base in there so stumps, rocks, and other debris were visible. He said it was getting better by the day.
I will probably get in there if weather holds for this week.
Overall, best day of the season. Period. It was still dumping when I left and didn't look like it was going to let up for a bit. I could have stayed on the King Pine side all day. My legs were on fire by 2:30. Here are some crappy shots from my phone. My skiing camera died and I need to replace it ASAP:
Trees going up Timberline:
Upper Binder:
Upper Tote
Binder from the cross to Cinder Hoe:
Looking up Double Bitter:
