mikestaple
Member
Date(s) Skied: 1/16 - 1/18
Resort or Ski Area: Sugarloaf
Conditions: Packed Powder to a few inches of powder on MLK day
Trip Report:
Back to the mountain where the whole family learned to ski - the Loaf. After getting snagged by Maine's finest outside of Portland (4 Mainers and 1 M*sshole burning 80 plus - who's gonna get pulled over?) we pulled in and got ready for 2.5 days of skiing at our favorite mountain.
Saturday started off with broken sun, mid 20 temps at the base, but the top of the mountain was covered by clouds with Timberline on wind hold (an omen for the rest of the day). The 4 year went off to ski school and the rest of the family hit Whiffletree to warm up. Packed powder, but plenty of fresh frozen cords from the groomers were, surprisingly, still there. We then jumped down Cruiser to find a nice set of ungroomed, decent powder, and small - but growing bumps. I used to fear these, but found some lines, got some confidence and now love them. Very happy to see the 8 year old jumping down the mini chute from Whiffletree into Cruiser and loving the bumps and terrain park. The 10 year old too! Then it was over to the SuperQuad. We navigated the 10 minute wait (and the whining of the kids - 10 year old deadpanning "you know we really aren't moving") and moved up the mountain. A lot of activity on the BoardCross (or whatever they call the multiple racing boarders on the same coarse) trail. Nice jumps and big wipe outs could be viewed from our chair. Then we got over the ridge and got hit by the 30+ mph wind. WOW. Cold. And suddenly the mini pines were caked with blown frozen snow and the gators were pulled up. We all hit my favorite blue at Sugarloaf - Upper Scoot - which was fun as always. Just a good time slashing up and down this easy swaying trail. Plenty of blown snow on the skiers right and then we missed the turn off back to the SuperQuad and ended up on the hyper scratchy connector to the double next to the Timbers condos. Yuck. Nasty chunky snow and a lot of creeks that were not well marked. Back up the double which was blowing and swaying hard. (Bucksaw?) We flew down Tote Road - which was holding up fine; not too scratchy. And back to the SuperQuad for one more run. Cold. Cold. Cold. We all stopped at Bullwinkles for a hot chocolate (as did about half the mountain). Went back down Tote Road and by that time they had switched the SuperQuad over to diesel (not sure why but that apparently functions better in the wind) and had closed Whiffletree, King Pine, and the Spillway Chairs. Too windy. Just messed around on Broadway, put the little one on the chairlift a few times, and called it a day.
Sunday was a 9 out of 10. No wind. All lifts open. Only thing missing was a view of Mt. Washington, Sunday River, and Cannon from the top. Little one back to ski school, and the 8 and 10 year old got their snowboarding lessons. Timberline was open so the wife and I got over to the top of the mountain. The Timberline lift was surreal. The cables, chairs, and all the trees were caked in blown, frozen ice. Then as you approached the summit the fog - or rather the cloud that you just happened to be trying to ski in - closed in. Literally couldn't see more than 4 chairs in front of you and 20 yards in front when going down the easy Timberline trail. Snow was fine, but you could barely see the bumps or terrain. The view cleared up around the top of the SuperQuad. Went back over to Whiffletree and hit Slasher. Nice natural bumps. I really really loved these and am loving moving beyond the groomed trails. After the kids' board lessons were over, the 8 year switched back to skis and joined us on the bumped up blues. Best line of the trip - Mom and Dad resting thighs half way down and the 8 year is running ahead. She stops. Looks up and says "Hey. Come on. Let's go!" and keeps going through the bumps. Awesome. The 10 year old kept ramming down on his rented board. He too went through the bumps with his board. Nice. But I fear we will lose him to the snow boarders very soon (no Alta or MRG for him!)
Sunday we had a half day and grabbed first tracks. Snow. A nice 2 inches of freshness on the mountain and the 4 year old loved being on "the big lift" that went down the "huge" trail Broadway. Very happy with the turns he learned. Also reinforced that he is a knuckle head cus he just loves to fall down. Fun runs. Lots of parents up early running the little ones down the longer greens. Mom and the two others hit the SuperQuad (Timberline was open today) and then hit Hayburner to Candyside. Loved the steeps (geez my kids are skiing blacks). I eventually got the older ones and we went up King Pine to Ram Down - which was a blast! A little scratchy off the lip, but great all the way down. (10 year old vows to go back and hit Haulback -which looked great. Nice big bumps on skiers left. For some reason he was also entranced by the bumps and narrowness of Misery Whip). Hit the bumps on Slasher and Cruiser again. The kids ran in the glades off Moose Alley. Then back down the flat, flat, flat, Birches and back to reality.
We love the 'Loaf adn wish it wasn't s.o. f.a.r. away - but it is worth it. The kids loving the snowboarding, hitting the blues and blacks, bumpes and glades really brings a smile to my face.
If you haven't gone - do make the trip. It is fantastic. (Sorry no pics. Camera froze with the shutter only a fifth open the one day I had it on me.)
Resort or Ski Area: Sugarloaf
Conditions: Packed Powder to a few inches of powder on MLK day
Trip Report:
Back to the mountain where the whole family learned to ski - the Loaf. After getting snagged by Maine's finest outside of Portland (4 Mainers and 1 M*sshole burning 80 plus - who's gonna get pulled over?) we pulled in and got ready for 2.5 days of skiing at our favorite mountain.
Saturday started off with broken sun, mid 20 temps at the base, but the top of the mountain was covered by clouds with Timberline on wind hold (an omen for the rest of the day). The 4 year went off to ski school and the rest of the family hit Whiffletree to warm up. Packed powder, but plenty of fresh frozen cords from the groomers were, surprisingly, still there. We then jumped down Cruiser to find a nice set of ungroomed, decent powder, and small - but growing bumps. I used to fear these, but found some lines, got some confidence and now love them. Very happy to see the 8 year old jumping down the mini chute from Whiffletree into Cruiser and loving the bumps and terrain park. The 10 year old too! Then it was over to the SuperQuad. We navigated the 10 minute wait (and the whining of the kids - 10 year old deadpanning "you know we really aren't moving") and moved up the mountain. A lot of activity on the BoardCross (or whatever they call the multiple racing boarders on the same coarse) trail. Nice jumps and big wipe outs could be viewed from our chair. Then we got over the ridge and got hit by the 30+ mph wind. WOW. Cold. And suddenly the mini pines were caked with blown frozen snow and the gators were pulled up. We all hit my favorite blue at Sugarloaf - Upper Scoot - which was fun as always. Just a good time slashing up and down this easy swaying trail. Plenty of blown snow on the skiers right and then we missed the turn off back to the SuperQuad and ended up on the hyper scratchy connector to the double next to the Timbers condos. Yuck. Nasty chunky snow and a lot of creeks that were not well marked. Back up the double which was blowing and swaying hard. (Bucksaw?) We flew down Tote Road - which was holding up fine; not too scratchy. And back to the SuperQuad for one more run. Cold. Cold. Cold. We all stopped at Bullwinkles for a hot chocolate (as did about half the mountain). Went back down Tote Road and by that time they had switched the SuperQuad over to diesel (not sure why but that apparently functions better in the wind) and had closed Whiffletree, King Pine, and the Spillway Chairs. Too windy. Just messed around on Broadway, put the little one on the chairlift a few times, and called it a day.
Sunday was a 9 out of 10. No wind. All lifts open. Only thing missing was a view of Mt. Washington, Sunday River, and Cannon from the top. Little one back to ski school, and the 8 and 10 year old got their snowboarding lessons. Timberline was open so the wife and I got over to the top of the mountain. The Timberline lift was surreal. The cables, chairs, and all the trees were caked in blown, frozen ice. Then as you approached the summit the fog - or rather the cloud that you just happened to be trying to ski in - closed in. Literally couldn't see more than 4 chairs in front of you and 20 yards in front when going down the easy Timberline trail. Snow was fine, but you could barely see the bumps or terrain. The view cleared up around the top of the SuperQuad. Went back over to Whiffletree and hit Slasher. Nice natural bumps. I really really loved these and am loving moving beyond the groomed trails. After the kids' board lessons were over, the 8 year switched back to skis and joined us on the bumped up blues. Best line of the trip - Mom and Dad resting thighs half way down and the 8 year is running ahead. She stops. Looks up and says "Hey. Come on. Let's go!" and keeps going through the bumps. Awesome. The 10 year old kept ramming down on his rented board. He too went through the bumps with his board. Nice. But I fear we will lose him to the snow boarders very soon (no Alta or MRG for him!)
Sunday we had a half day and grabbed first tracks. Snow. A nice 2 inches of freshness on the mountain and the 4 year old loved being on "the big lift" that went down the "huge" trail Broadway. Very happy with the turns he learned. Also reinforced that he is a knuckle head cus he just loves to fall down. Fun runs. Lots of parents up early running the little ones down the longer greens. Mom and the two others hit the SuperQuad (Timberline was open today) and then hit Hayburner to Candyside. Loved the steeps (geez my kids are skiing blacks). I eventually got the older ones and we went up King Pine to Ram Down - which was a blast! A little scratchy off the lip, but great all the way down. (10 year old vows to go back and hit Haulback -which looked great. Nice big bumps on skiers left. For some reason he was also entranced by the bumps and narrowness of Misery Whip). Hit the bumps on Slasher and Cruiser again. The kids ran in the glades off Moose Alley. Then back down the flat, flat, flat, Birches and back to reality.
We love the 'Loaf adn wish it wasn't s.o. f.a.r. away - but it is worth it. The kids loving the snowboarding, hitting the blues and blacks, bumpes and glades really brings a smile to my face.
If you haven't gone - do make the trip. It is fantastic. (Sorry no pics. Camera froze with the shutter only a fifth open the one day I had it on me.)
