snowmonster
New member
Date(s) Skied: 4/3/2011
Resort or Ski Area: Sugarloaf
Conditions: One foot of snow fell 2 days before and Timberline and King Pine lifts were windheld the day before (and today). Temps between 20 and 31 degrees. High winds at the summit.
Trip Report: I just had to make up for my absence at the AZ summit the week before and hit Brackett Basin before the season was out. The day before, I skied at Sunday River and mined the one-foot of fresh snow that SR received (Aside: first tracks in Blind Ambition were unbelievable.). On Sunday, I headed for the Loaf just to ski in Brackett Basin. I stuck to that plan and didn't bother with the snowfields (accessed by a cat) or the other trails.
I got to the Loaf at around 1030 and both the King Pine and Timberline chairs were shut due to windhold. The Superquad had a very long line and I took that, headed down Narrow Gauge (great conditions) to the T-bar and cut across the mountain along the goat path until it connected to the Spillway cross cut. I took that until the intersection with Hard Tack then dipped past some trees (nice windblown powder) and into the trail into Brackett Basin. Because I didn't want to ski into Cant Dog, I continued on the traverse until I got to the ski boundary sign. I jumped into the glade and it was amazing.
The glade changed character as you went down. From really wide and mellow to tight and steep. There were lots of lines in there and an afternoon would not be enough. The snow was deep enough though cut up and bumpy in some parts. There were saplings sticking out to trip the unwary though (I had to help out a kid who snagged a ski and lost her gear as she slid down). The snow quality was amazing since it was soft and deep in spots. The run emptied out into a well-spaced low angle birch glade where I cut back to the windheld King Pine chair. I descended to the Whiffletree quad, took the Lombard crosscut to Spillway East then the Spillway cross cut to Brackett Basin. I repeated this about 6 times and tried to squeeze in as many runs as I can. The glades are named Birler, Edger and Sweeper. I didn't see the signs because I probably dropped in below them but it didn't matter. I tried to drop in at different points along the crosscut to sample different variations. There was one variation near the boundary where it was so tight, I was virtually bushwacking. Lots of snow in there. I would recommend hitting it before the season's out.
Side note: I never met so many interesting lift mates. From an 80+ year old who first skied the Loaf in 1947 (before the resort when they had to hike in from Route 27) to a 12 year old swimmer training for the Olympics. Then, there was the 7-year old who insisted on following me into Brackett despite my telling him that he shoudn't. He would hang back then, when I wasn't looking, follow me. It was unnerving knowing that I was somehow responsible for the kid so I watched out for him. He was an excellent skier though!
Brackett Basin made me love the Loaf even more!
You've been warned:
Near the boundary (perhaps, Sweeper):
From the entrance nearer Cant Dog (I guess this is Birler):
Can't wait for the expansion to Burnt Mountain. There's some glades in there already!
Beware The Cliff:
The middle glade (perhaps, Edger):
Resort or Ski Area: Sugarloaf
Conditions: One foot of snow fell 2 days before and Timberline and King Pine lifts were windheld the day before (and today). Temps between 20 and 31 degrees. High winds at the summit.
Trip Report: I just had to make up for my absence at the AZ summit the week before and hit Brackett Basin before the season was out. The day before, I skied at Sunday River and mined the one-foot of fresh snow that SR received (Aside: first tracks in Blind Ambition were unbelievable.). On Sunday, I headed for the Loaf just to ski in Brackett Basin. I stuck to that plan and didn't bother with the snowfields (accessed by a cat) or the other trails.
I got to the Loaf at around 1030 and both the King Pine and Timberline chairs were shut due to windhold. The Superquad had a very long line and I took that, headed down Narrow Gauge (great conditions) to the T-bar and cut across the mountain along the goat path until it connected to the Spillway cross cut. I took that until the intersection with Hard Tack then dipped past some trees (nice windblown powder) and into the trail into Brackett Basin. Because I didn't want to ski into Cant Dog, I continued on the traverse until I got to the ski boundary sign. I jumped into the glade and it was amazing.
The glade changed character as you went down. From really wide and mellow to tight and steep. There were lots of lines in there and an afternoon would not be enough. The snow was deep enough though cut up and bumpy in some parts. There were saplings sticking out to trip the unwary though (I had to help out a kid who snagged a ski and lost her gear as she slid down). The snow quality was amazing since it was soft and deep in spots. The run emptied out into a well-spaced low angle birch glade where I cut back to the windheld King Pine chair. I descended to the Whiffletree quad, took the Lombard crosscut to Spillway East then the Spillway cross cut to Brackett Basin. I repeated this about 6 times and tried to squeeze in as many runs as I can. The glades are named Birler, Edger and Sweeper. I didn't see the signs because I probably dropped in below them but it didn't matter. I tried to drop in at different points along the crosscut to sample different variations. There was one variation near the boundary where it was so tight, I was virtually bushwacking. Lots of snow in there. I would recommend hitting it before the season's out.
Side note: I never met so many interesting lift mates. From an 80+ year old who first skied the Loaf in 1947 (before the resort when they had to hike in from Route 27) to a 12 year old swimmer training for the Olympics. Then, there was the 7-year old who insisted on following me into Brackett despite my telling him that he shoudn't. He would hang back then, when I wasn't looking, follow me. It was unnerving knowing that I was somehow responsible for the kid so I watched out for him. He was an excellent skier though!
Brackett Basin made me love the Loaf even more!
You've been warned:
Near the boundary (perhaps, Sweeper):
From the entrance nearer Cant Dog (I guess this is Birler):
Can't wait for the expansion to Burnt Mountain. There's some glades in there already!
Beware The Cliff:
The middle glade (perhaps, Edger):
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