loafer89
New member
Area skied: Sugarloaf, Maine.
Date skied: April 16th from 9:30am - 1:00pm
Surface conditions: 8-12" powder/sleet mix, wetpacked.
Weather: snow/sleet mix before 11am, then sleet and freezing rain.
Windy, 32F.
Well day 40 was interesting weather and ski experience wise. We left Stratton in a heavy snow and arrived to Sugarloaf with a snow sleet mix falling at 8:00am.
No lifts where operating and we found out that the mountain was on wind hold so we ate breakfast and watched the Superquad be run and de-iced.
Around 9am we made our way to the Superquad and found out that was not taking passengers due to summit icing and that the T-bar was running with a snowcat taking you up Boardwalk.
A long line developed while waiting for the cat to take people up, and Boardwalk started running and just when this seemed like the way to go it was announced that the Superquad was running and we made the mad dash with 50 or more people to that lift.
Our first run was down Kings Landing and we competed for fresh lines in 10" of powder with a 2" topping of sleet. You really had to take a leaned back stance to avoid getting stuck/falling.
We skied this to Haywire with first tracks in very deep snow/sleet. Heavy sleet was now falling which hurt any exposed skin.
Next up was Tote Road and an untouched Ram Pasture Glade which had thick gluey snow. Next was Binder which had nice powder to Windrow which was 100% untracked.
We skied Winters Way and I took a fall as soon as I hit the trail by burying my tips into 12-14" of heavy sleet/snow covered moguls. This part of the mountain seemed to have alot more sleet and it was like skiing in ball bearings. Lower Spillway and Boardwalk where groomed and turns on them where the best of the afternoon.
We skied Spillway/Lower Winters Way next and it had started to change to freezing rain and turns became difficult, especially with moguls on Spillway.
Our last run was a traverse down part of Bubblecuffer to Ramdown which was thick and gluey.
In a now pouring rain we skied Buckboard with leg breaking glop for snow. All lifts where now closed due to the weather, and we where soaking wet anyway, so we went home.
The drive home was scary as it started out with six boarders/skiers pushing my car out of the parking lot slop and ended with us skidding off route 27 on freezing rain/sleet covered roads, bouncing off a snowbank and thankfully getting back on the road.
Date skied: April 16th from 9:30am - 1:00pm
Surface conditions: 8-12" powder/sleet mix, wetpacked.
Weather: snow/sleet mix before 11am, then sleet and freezing rain.
Windy, 32F.
Well day 40 was interesting weather and ski experience wise. We left Stratton in a heavy snow and arrived to Sugarloaf with a snow sleet mix falling at 8:00am.
No lifts where operating and we found out that the mountain was on wind hold so we ate breakfast and watched the Superquad be run and de-iced.
Around 9am we made our way to the Superquad and found out that was not taking passengers due to summit icing and that the T-bar was running with a snowcat taking you up Boardwalk.
A long line developed while waiting for the cat to take people up, and Boardwalk started running and just when this seemed like the way to go it was announced that the Superquad was running and we made the mad dash with 50 or more people to that lift.
Our first run was down Kings Landing and we competed for fresh lines in 10" of powder with a 2" topping of sleet. You really had to take a leaned back stance to avoid getting stuck/falling.
We skied this to Haywire with first tracks in very deep snow/sleet. Heavy sleet was now falling which hurt any exposed skin.
Next up was Tote Road and an untouched Ram Pasture Glade which had thick gluey snow. Next was Binder which had nice powder to Windrow which was 100% untracked.
We skied Winters Way and I took a fall as soon as I hit the trail by burying my tips into 12-14" of heavy sleet/snow covered moguls. This part of the mountain seemed to have alot more sleet and it was like skiing in ball bearings. Lower Spillway and Boardwalk where groomed and turns on them where the best of the afternoon.
We skied Spillway/Lower Winters Way next and it had started to change to freezing rain and turns became difficult, especially with moguls on Spillway.
Our last run was a traverse down part of Bubblecuffer to Ramdown which was thick and gluey.
In a now pouring rain we skied Buckboard with leg breaking glop for snow. All lifts where now closed due to the weather, and we where soaking wet anyway, so we went home.
The drive home was scary as it started out with six boarders/skiers pushing my car out of the parking lot slop and ended with us skidding off route 27 on freezing rain/sleet covered roads, bouncing off a snowbank and thankfully getting back on the road.
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