Thunderbolt 1/6

[cbcbd]

Lazy... copied from T4T:

Spent Sat at Okemo using a gift card I got (and found some fresh!)... Sunday I had some options - ice was the first but didn't find any takers last minute - I was resorted out and wanted to try out my new AT setup on a tour. With a thaw-a-coming I decided to hit the Tbolt on the way back home.

Warm night ("zzzzz.... oh, hello officer. Yes, I own this car") and cloudy morning with temps juuuust above freezing. Skiing was spring-like heavy corn and potatoes... yum! Did one full run from top to the end of the ski trail and then skinned back up to the beginning of the steep right banking turn for a last run all the way down.


Some pics:

Thiel Rd

Cloudy summit

Tbolt shelter

First drop

 

[billski]

that's pretty cool. i would have expected more cover...

 

[bvibert]

Thanks for the TR! One of these days I'll get up there....

 

[cbcbd]

that's pretty cool. i would have expected more cover...

I just noticed that it's a bit deceiving from the pics I took since I only really took pics from sections near the top - the cover was plenty good (although I realize "cover" is also in the perspective), and better down lower where the trail is not as steep and less sun gets to it.
The first main drop was the grassiest and you could definitively go left (not as steep) and miss out on the thinner sections. Lots of fun negotiating the terrain

 

[Grassi21]

Thanks for the TR! One of these days I'll get up there....

That's the plan man. Areas like Greylock and abandoned ski area is where I see myself starting my touring career. Once I'm confident enough in my skiing ability..... and can afford a touring rig.....

 

[cbcbd]

and can afford a touring rig.....

There are a couple places (none down in CT that I know of) that rent AT gear - one is the N. Conway EMS and I'm guessing there might be others.
But, even though skinning is way more fun, all you need to get started is a pack to carry your skis and some snowshoes for the way up - and you can always rent snowshoes.

But yeah... ~$400 for bindings, $? for skis, ~$100 for skins... msrp, but at least %20 off can be found sometimes and there's always basements with good stuff for cheaper.

 

[bvibert]

That's the plan man. Areas like Greylock and abandoned ski area is where I see myself starting my touring career. Once I'm confident enough in my skiing ability..... and can afford a touring rig.....

There are a couple places (none down in CT that I know of) that rent AT gear - one is the N. Conway EMS and I'm guessing there might be others.
But, even though skinning is way more fun, all you need to get started is a pack to carry your skis and some snowshoes for the way up - and you can always rent snowshoes.

But yeah... ~$400 for bindings, $? for skis, ~$100 for skins... msrp, but at least %20 off can be found sometimes and there's always basements with good stuff for cheaper.

I've already got snowshoes and a pack to carry my skis. Not really sure what I'm waiting for...

 

[Grassi21]

I've already got snowshoes and a pack to carry my skis. Not really sure what I'm waiting for...

I have a pack to carry my skis but no snow shoes. Let's put a tour together (considering the warm up it might have to wait ;-)). I'll rent or borrow some snow shoes.

 

[bvibert]

Sounds good to me!

 

[Greg]

Sounds good to me!

Can I come? I have snowshoes.

 

[Grassi21]

Sounds good to me!

Can I come? I have snowshoes.

Let's do it. We'll chat on the lift one of these Wednesdays.

Back on topic. What is the monument on the top of Greylock? I remember it from The Meathead's Epoch but can't remember who it was dedicated to.

 

[bvibert]

Can I come? I have snowshoes.

Of course!

Let's do it. We'll chat on the lift one of these Wednesdays.

Back on topic. What is the monument on the top of Greylock? I remember it from The Meathead's Epoch but can't remember who it was dedicated to.

It's a war memorial, I believe it's dedicated to MA residents who gave their lives for this country.

 

[cbcbd]

It's a War memorial:

"The Veterans War Memorial Tower was approved by the state legislature in October 1930, supported by Senator Theodore Plunkett of Adams and Governor Frank G. Allen. The memorial was originally intended to be erected as a lighthouse in Boston, before plans were changed to build it on Mount Greylock, supposedly due to the mayor of Boston. designed by Boston-based architects Maginnis & Walsh, and built by contractors John G. Roy & Son of Springfield in 1931-32 at a cost of $200,000. It takes the form of a perpetually lighted beacon to honor the state's dead from World War I (and subsequent conflicts). The light used to be the strongest beacon in Massachusetts, with a range covering up to 70 miles."

 

[billski]

So I did a little bit of "course inspection" on Thunderbolt yesterday. Hiked it top to bottom.
Impressions
- It looks like one damn fun course. It also looks like one damn hard course. Record time down is a little over 2 minutes.
- roughly 2300 vertical foot drop over about 2 miles. No stops, no trail merges, no terrain parks. You could really fly down this thing if your legs could sustain it. You could pickup some amazing altitude. Gadzooks.
- This thing is maintained. Like REALLY maintained. Recently (within this summer/fall) The brush had all been mowed down, all the saplings and protruding branches on the side and overhangs have been trimmed and cleared.
- sinkholes have been partially filled with brush and trees.
- It's wide enough - old-style, about 40 to 60 foot wide.
- It winds, it rolls.
- It's got water bars and some timber cross-trail to hold the snow.
- It's just one friggin drop, drop drop. The drop just doesn't stop.
- Nice warming hut for skiers on top. The wuffers wouldn't find it.
- It has a couple of 35-degree pitches. Man, the designer knew what he was doing.

The bottom was very narrow, it wasn't the original trail, it was relocated later. One place on the near the bottom relo will require poling/uphike (Chris, you there?) there's no way to get enough momentum on the turn to schuss it.

The hiking wasn't easy. I'm not talking about the pitch or effort. I'm talking about the trail as a hiking trail. This was designed as and maintained as a ski trail. It does not have all the gentrification you see in northeast hiking trails. Often, there is no trodden path, which is difficult when you've got a lot of leaves on a steep pitch. It's not blazed much, but it's fairly obvious where the trails goes (er, except in the dark, well, that's another story.) It's got a lot of lose rocks all over the place, which makes footing measured..

Downside, I suppose is the lousy weather that Mass. has been getting. So you'd have to watch for ice. Seemed to hold the snow well, last weeks event still had numerous traces near the top.

It was a nice opportunity to actually inspect a course - I'm usually flying down, stopping to take a couple pics. This gave me a much better sense of every turn and swoop. I'll post pics later, they're on my camera phone.

This was much more of a ski trail/slope than I imagined. It's right up there with the steeps at Stowe. It was another one of these trails I can't wait to get back and ski.