summitchallenger
01-06-2009, 08:08 PM
Date skied: January 3, 2009
Resort: Sugarbush—Lincoln Peak
Conditions: 6-8 inches of powder and chowder!
Weather: Snow giving way to bluebird skies, temps rising into the mid to upper teens.
2008-2009 Report #: 12
Report: The last few reports have been photo-less, well, that was because it was too cold and windy and the conditions were nothing really to write home about. Today was different. The game plan was to get to Lincoln Peak early for a few hours of quick skiing before it got skied off. I had to go early because of other plans. I awoke in Burlington to find a half-inch of snow on the car and the roads....certainly what was forecast. The Snow Report suggested maybe three inches...but that was at 6:00am. I got on the road...the snow got heavier, and heavier. The roads were slow but I made it in good time and got a great spot in the lot.
I got on the lift at 8:20 and found snow, snow, snow. A few locals were up...but other than that, there was no line. The top of Bravo was quite windy. I stepped off and hit Birdland to find some chowder and good snow. 6-8 inches with deeper drifts in places. It was great. It always amazes me how fast Bravo side gets skied out.....
By now it was getting on to about 8:40 or so. I rode up the lift with some NYC snowboarders who were asking me about the riding and about the mountain. When asked when Heaven's Gate opened, and if it would be good, I pled the fifth, and then made a bee-line for Heaven's Gate to get my seat for first tracks. I got in the long line:
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227437_4352.jpg
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227438_4691.jpg
I could see that the mountain looked great. Ripcord and Organgrinder had been groomed out the night before, or they were de-iced before the snow came. So I resolved to hit Ripcord unless it was really bad. Riding up the lift, I had no doubt...in minutes I was on it and getting nice shots...the snow flew up your legs. Powder Day #4 baby!
It tasted great, extra good after the bad weather as of late! So it was obviously the run of the day and worth three runs. There was some ice underneath, but overall it was edgeable and the headwall skied well. Lower Ripcord was awesome...some folks were hitting other parts of the mountain and leaving that for the taking.
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227439_5010.jpg
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227441_5669.jpg
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227443_6318.jpg
After two spins, I decided to try out Organgrinder since Ripcord was eyecandy for many and it was getting busy. I'd heard that Organgrinder was nice and still had some good snow. By and large it did...but the ice underneath was slicker than Ripcord and the trail did not ski as well.
Next run was Jester to Spillsville cutoff to Ripcord. Still skiing nicely!
So I'd been out skiing for almost two hours straight by this point and took a break before aiming for other terrain. Figuring that the crowds would be heading to Heaven's Gate, and they were, I headed for the snowmaking runs that many would overlook.
Murphy's Glade is getting better, but compared to the real thing there was no comparison.
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227444_6654.jpg
I set my sites on Stein's and took Valley House up...but the Blazers were standing en masse at the top and I decided to divert and make another approach. I did Snowball, Upper and Lower. Upper Snowball was quite thin :blink: and not so great. Lower was nice...and the sun was coming out...making it almost the start of another day weatherwise.....
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227446_7366.jpg
Resort: Sugarbush—Lincoln Peak
Conditions: 6-8 inches of powder and chowder!
Weather: Snow giving way to bluebird skies, temps rising into the mid to upper teens.
2008-2009 Report #: 12
Report: The last few reports have been photo-less, well, that was because it was too cold and windy and the conditions were nothing really to write home about. Today was different. The game plan was to get to Lincoln Peak early for a few hours of quick skiing before it got skied off. I had to go early because of other plans. I awoke in Burlington to find a half-inch of snow on the car and the roads....certainly what was forecast. The Snow Report suggested maybe three inches...but that was at 6:00am. I got on the road...the snow got heavier, and heavier. The roads were slow but I made it in good time and got a great spot in the lot.
I got on the lift at 8:20 and found snow, snow, snow. A few locals were up...but other than that, there was no line. The top of Bravo was quite windy. I stepped off and hit Birdland to find some chowder and good snow. 6-8 inches with deeper drifts in places. It was great. It always amazes me how fast Bravo side gets skied out.....
By now it was getting on to about 8:40 or so. I rode up the lift with some NYC snowboarders who were asking me about the riding and about the mountain. When asked when Heaven's Gate opened, and if it would be good, I pled the fifth, and then made a bee-line for Heaven's Gate to get my seat for first tracks. I got in the long line:
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227437_4352.jpg
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227438_4691.jpg
I could see that the mountain looked great. Ripcord and Organgrinder had been groomed out the night before, or they were de-iced before the snow came. So I resolved to hit Ripcord unless it was really bad. Riding up the lift, I had no doubt...in minutes I was on it and getting nice shots...the snow flew up your legs. Powder Day #4 baby!
It tasted great, extra good after the bad weather as of late! So it was obviously the run of the day and worth three runs. There was some ice underneath, but overall it was edgeable and the headwall skied well. Lower Ripcord was awesome...some folks were hitting other parts of the mountain and leaving that for the taking.
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227439_5010.jpg
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227441_5669.jpg
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227443_6318.jpg
After two spins, I decided to try out Organgrinder since Ripcord was eyecandy for many and it was getting busy. I'd heard that Organgrinder was nice and still had some good snow. By and large it did...but the ice underneath was slicker than Ripcord and the trail did not ski as well.
Next run was Jester to Spillsville cutoff to Ripcord. Still skiing nicely!
So I'd been out skiing for almost two hours straight by this point and took a break before aiming for other terrain. Figuring that the crowds would be heading to Heaven's Gate, and they were, I headed for the snowmaking runs that many would overlook.
Murphy's Glade is getting better, but compared to the real thing there was no comparison.
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227444_6654.jpg
I set my sites on Stein's and took Valley House up...but the Blazers were standing en masse at the top and I decided to divert and make another approach. I did Snowball, Upper and Lower. Upper Snowball was quite thin :blink: and not so great. Lower was nice...and the sun was coming out...making it almost the start of another day weatherwise.....
http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1975/35/104/744459666/n744459666_1227446_7366.jpg