The "Sugarbush Thread"

[mikec142]

I’m impressed with all you guys who skied the non-groomers on Sunday. I stopped at the top of the entrance to Castlerock around 10:30/11am and looked down towards the lift. Probably watched for a few minutes and didn’t see anyone go up the lift or come down to the lift from one of the trails. I figured that was a good indicator that it wasn’t for me. From the HG lift I did see a few people on Paradise. But not many.

 

[cdskier]

I’m impressed with all you guys who skied the non-groomers on Sunday. I stopped at the top of the entrance to Castlerock around 10:30/11am and looked down towards the lift. Probably watched for a few minutes and didn’t see anyone go up the lift or come down to the lift from one of the trails. I figured that was a good indicator that it wasn’t for me. From the HG lift I did see a few people on Paradise. But not many.

I was much like you on Sunday. I stuck to the groomers and stayed away from the ungroomed. I tested the ungroomed skier's right on Birch shortly after 10:30 and that was enough for me to know I wouldn't enjoy it. I actually did something I rarely do on the weekend and didn't go out first thing yesterday morning. I went out around 10:30 hoping maybe it would have started softening up. Around 1:30 it did seem to start softening up down low a bit in spots and I was almost tempted to check out Deeper Sleeper but ultimately decided against it. It was one of those days where I just wasn't feeling it and didn't want to push myself in questionable conditions. I had some great runs Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

On the other hand, Friday afternoon was downright beautiful out...

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Organgrinder was the pick of the day on Sunday, that was a pleasant surprise. Overall things were pretty good sunday after what transpired on Saturday. I was expecting a real old fashion "Ski the East" day but I thought things were good, bumps and all. I think that this was effectively a slow-motion freeze and that helped tremendously. I am a bit less optimistic for tonight into tomorrow.

organgrinder was gorgeous on sunday, and early too. i don't understand how. i guess exposure? it was perfect corn bumps. i couldn't find anything else similar anywhere. deeper sleeper and eden also skied pretty well.

so, today i chased. i know, quarantine rules violated and shame on me. setting that aside tho - all intel said saddleback avoided any rain and never got over 32 degrees and was skiing as soft pow sat and sunday. i'm at an airbnb in waitsfield thru next weekend so i figure fuck it, when i am i ONLY 4 hours away from saddleback, a bucket list location that was just added to my indy pass. set the alarm for 4 AM, made breakfast, left at 5 for a 3:45 drive to saddleback. pulled over at 7 to check their 7 AM report "rained in town, snow on the hill, should be a great day but we're watching the wind." ugh. kept going. at 9 i got to a junction that i presumed was my deciding point between loaf and saddleback. checked both sites. all lifts on wind hold, everywhere. went to loaf, figured they had a better chance of getting up and running. got there around 9:30. no lifts. alternating between a fat wet snow and straight up rain. waited about half an hour. no updates. defeated, turned around. got back to waitsfield at 3. apparently they eventually opened super quad.

i am bummed. its snowing in waitsfield now but tmrw gonna be hella cold and the wind will be a problem again.

 

[CastlerockMRV]

so, today i chased. i know, quarantine rules violated and shame on me. setting that aside tho - all intel said saddleback avoided any rain and never got over 32 degrees and was skiing as soft pow sat and sunday. i'm at an airbnb in waitsfield thru next weekend so i figure fuck it, when i am i ONLY 4 hours away from saddleback, a bucket list location that was just added to my indy pass. set the alarm for 4 AM, made breakfast, left at 5 for a 3:45 drive to saddleback. pulled over at 7 to check their 7 AM report "rained in town, snow on the hill, should be a great day but we're watching the wind." ugh. kept going. at 9 i got to a junction that i presumed was my deciding point between loaf and saddleback. checked both sites. all lifts on wind hold, everywhere. went to loaf, figured they had a better chance of getting up and running. got there around 9:30. no lifts. alternating between a fat wet snow and straight up rain. waited about half an hour. no updates. defeated, turned around. got back to waitsfield at 3. apparently they eventually opened super quad.

i am bummed. its snowing in waitsfield now but tmrw gonna be hella cold and the wind will be a problem again.

That is brutal but I respect the hell out of your hustle.

Saddleback is on the bucket list for me as well. Also Black Mountain looks like a great time.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

fucking 10 hour drive in a circle to not ski. brutal. and it was like sunny and 40 when i pulled back into waitsfield. i almost rolled up to lincoln peak just to say i skied today, even if it would have been for 40 minutes. but then said no, and came home, and now I'm eating the chicky parm i just cooked.

i left a part of the story out out of pure embarrassment and feeling like tuna - i skidded into a dang snowbank on the way to loaf and needed a tow out. it was a non event. like a real slow 'welp, I'm gonna end up in this snowbank'. a utility worker in a big ass rig came by, pulled me out in two seconds. the whole ordeal was about 10 minutes. it was actually bizarre. no damage, no injury, quickly helped by the first passerby. on my way back out, someone else had skidded out in the exact same spot.

today was an 8 out of 10 bad day. (9 reserved for injury to vehicle, 10 reserved for injury to person).

 

[mikec142]

I was much like you on Sunday. I stuck to the groomers and stayed away from the ungroomed. I tested the ungroomed skier's right on Birch shortly after 10:30 and that was enough for me to know I wouldn't enjoy it. I actually did something I rarely do on the weekend and didn't go out first thing yesterday morning. I went out around 10:30 hoping maybe it would have started softening up. Around 1:30 it did seem to start softening up down low a bit in spots and I was almost tempted to check out Deeper Sleeper but ultimately decided against it. It was one of those days where I just wasn't feeling it and didn't want to push myself in questionable conditions. I had some great runs Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

On the other hand, Friday afternoon was downright beautiful out...
View attachment 50701

View attachment 50702

Gorgeous pix! The bottom one is bugging me cuz I can’t place where it is.

 

[mikec142]

fucking 10 hour drive in a circle to not ski. brutal. and it was like sunny and 40 when i pulled back into waitsfield. i almost rolled up to lincoln peak just to say i skied today, even if it would have been for 40 minutes. but then said no, and came home, and now I'm eating the chicky parm i just cooked.

i left a part of the story out out of pure embarrassment and feeling like tuna - i skidded into a dang snowbank on the way to loaf and needed a tow out. it was a non event. like a real slow 'welp, I'm gonna end up in this snowbank'. a utility worker in a big ass rig came by, pulled me out in two seconds. the whole ordeal was about 10 minutes. it was actually bizarre. no damage, no injury, quickly helped by the first passerby. on my way back out, someone else had skidded out in the exact same spot.

today was an 8 out of 10 bad day. (9 reserved for injury to vehicle, 10 reserved for injury to person).

I’m impressed. Btw the full day on Sunday and then 10 hours in the car today. Hardcore!

 

[cdskier]

Gorgeous pix! The bottom one is bugging me cuz I can’t place where it is.

Thanks. It was easy to take great photos on Friday afternoon. Both were from Paradise. The views were just perfect up there.

 

[HowieT2]

fucking 10 hour drive in a circle to not ski. brutal. and it was like sunny and 40 when i pulled back into waitsfield. i almost rolled up to lincoln peak just to say i skied today, even if it would have been for 40 minutes. but then said no, and came home, and now I'm eating the chicky parm i just cooked.

i left a part of the story out out of pure embarrassment and feeling like tuna - i skidded into a dang snowbank on the way to loaf and needed a tow out. it was a non event. like a real slow 'welp, I'm gonna end up in this snowbank'. a utility worker in a big ass rig came by, pulled me out in two seconds. the whole ordeal was about 10 minutes. it was actually bizarre. no damage, no injury, quickly helped by the first passerby. on my way back out, someone else had skidded out in the exact same spot.

today was an 8 out of 10 bad day. (9 reserved for injury to vehicle, 10 reserved for injury to person).

I’ve had this debate with my family. I say, no injury/no damage, it’s not an accident. No harm, no foul. They say otherwise.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

I’ve had this debate with my family. I say, no injury/no damage, it’s not an accident. No harm, no foul. They say otherwise.

it was an “incident” at most

 

[KustyTheKlown]

I’m impressed. Btw the full day on Sunday and then 10 hours in the car today. Hardcore!

I also left nyc at 4 am on Friday night and skied magic from first chair to 230 on Saturday in the snow>rain>fog and then drove up to waitsfield from there. But who’s counting

 

[cdskier]

Hope this keeps up and I don't jinx anything, but it is absolutely dumping here on the mountain now.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Hope this keeps up and I don't jinx anything, but it is absolutely dumping here on the mountain now.

2” on the stake

I’m chatting to a buddy and I just said moments ago;

“2” on top of brutal ice pack. if we can get 4” maybe we got a stew goin. I’ll wake up at 3 am and check and be disappointed”

LoL

the wind at the summit is evident. nothing can stay on the plate. the mid mountain stake is stacking. almost 3" now.

 

[HowieT2]

it was an “incident” at most

That’s what I’m talking ‘bout.

 

[cdskier]

2” on the stake

I’m chatting to a buddy and I just said moments ago;

“2” on top of brutal ice pack. if we can get 4” maybe we got a stew goin. I’ll wake up at 3 am and check and be disappointed”

LoL

the wind at the summit is evident. nothing can stay on the plate. the mid mountain stake is stacking. almost 3" now.

Good luck getting any sort of remotely accurate measurement from this! Wind is really picking up even down at the base now. Wonder how much will actually manage to stay on the trails. That temp dropped fast tonight. Unless this snow managed to bond to it while it was freezing, it is going to be pretty solid underneath.

 

[kingslug]

The Stowe report : I would sit that out for sure
Today's forecast calls for a windy day with isolated snow showers, a Hazardous Weather Outlook and Wind Chill Advisory are in effect. Temps -14 degrees up top and -3 degrees at the base this morning, forecast to rise to 5 degrees up top and 7 degrees at the base by noon. Northwest winds at 40 to 55 mph at the summit, with gusts up to 70 mph. Wind chill values as low as -40 degrees this morning, so bundle up and think twice Stowefamily if you plan to join us for first chair.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

so far i am firmly watching tv in bed, but i think i will venture out around lunch time and try a run or two. 4" reported. mad reported 5". im cautiously optimistic about snow surfaces and i will wear every article of clothing in this house. just realized i left my wool beanie somewhere, so i'll be shopping for a new one wearing a ski balaclava and my baseball hat. gotta pick skis up from a tune at vt north anyway, and i assume they have a new beanie for me.

the mid mountain stake was holding the snow at 9 pm, but by 10 the whole pile basically had blown away

 

[kingslug]

sporty day......

 

[crank]

Top of Organgrinder was good but lower grinder was frozen solid Sunday. We ventured out of the conndo around 1 yesterday iafter the rain. Snow was actually ok on groomers and lower mountain bumps had softened.

Hanging in again this morning. May go for a snowshoe walk. Possibly make some runs this afternoon...cold and windy out for sure.

 

[tumbler]

Pretty much everything on wind hold except CR.