Springtime Fun in the Snow

The last day of winter ended with about 13 inches of snow falling at my house with more in some surrounding areas.  This was the biggest snow we had this season.  The first part of March was on the warm side with much of the snow pack melting.  With the new snow I was eager to get back outside to do some snowsports.  Since last Wednesday I was able to get out four times.

Last Wednesday and today Puma and I snowshoed.  We have 20 acres of land that is mostly wooded and are surrounded by woods.  We have a couple of trails in the woods that where we start, then we explore the woods, making our own paths.  Both days we wandered for about an hour.  Wednesday was much tougher with fresh powdery snow.  The snow has melted quite a bit since then and was much more compressed making for easier going tonight.  It's nice to explore and see the untouched snow and woods.  We usually see some sort of animal tracks in the snow.  Tonight we saw coyote and snowshoe hare tracks.

Puma snowshoeing

On Saturday I headed to Big Moose Mountain (AKA Big Squaw Mtn) to snowshoe.  Big Moose is just outside Greenville, ME overlooking Moosehead Lake.  This mountain is about an hour from my house and takes in some beautiful views of the country surrounding the Moosehead Lake region.. It is the nearest hike with such views and I hike several times each year.  This trip I covered only about 5 miles round trip but it gains nearly 2000 feet to the summit.  The trail was unbroken since the snowfall.  About midmountain the snow cover was about 30 inches and the summit had some drifts well over 4 ft deep.  There is some fairly steep stretches making this trip quite a workout in the virgin snow.  On a clear day the summit views are far reaching.  Snow showers on the horizon obscured  the distant peaks. However, there was some nice views of Moosehead Lake which still looks very much like midwinter.  About half way to the summit there is a section that has lots of moose tracks and bedding sites.  I have yet to see a moose here in my many travels to the mountain despite the obvious moose traffic.

Moose Track in snow

Moose bedding spot in snow with some moose "nuggets"

Untouched snow high on Big Moose Mtn

Looking over Moosehead Lake from Big Moose 

On Sunday I headed to The Forks, ME.  There is a trail system called the Maine Huts and Trails that runs from The Forks to Sugarloaf.  The total trail system as of now is about 50 miles.  The trail is primarily a point to point trail so you can't make a loop out of it.  The J Man and I decided to cross country ski part of the trail starting in The Forks.  This section is quite hilly and not recommended for beginner skiers.  The trail travels roughly following the Dead River and is quite hilly.  Freezing temps in the morning made for some icy conditions.  However as the day warmed up the snow softened considerably making for some slow going.  With plenty of steep sections and snow conditions that were quite variable, we each had a few falls.  A fast icy pitch would hit a soft patch of snow causing some control problems.  I had less issues as the snow softened with the warmer temps.  We turned around at a set point covering just over 12 miles.  Some of the beginning stretches of trail were starting to get thin cover and bare spots  I would like to try skiing here in more consistent midwinter conditions some time. For info on Maine Huts and Trails see http://www.mainehuts.org/

Icy stretch of trail XC skiing

Downhill section of xc ski trail

Attitash and Wildcat Ski Trip

St Patrick's Day brought many ski deals throughout New England.  Some resorts were offering $17 lift tickets.  Attitash and Wildcat in New Hampshire were among these resorts.  Best of all the two resorts are 20 minutes apart and a lift ticket is good at both mountains and they are decent ski areas.  Since Puma was working all day I decided to make the trek to New Hampshire for the day to take advantage of the deal.

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An early start got the J Man and me to Attitash just as the lifts started for the day.  Attitash is a fairly large ski area with 67 trails and a respectable 1750 foot vertical. There are two separate mountains to ski,  Attitash and Bear Peak.  Attitash is slightly higher with a little more vertical but both offered some nice groomed cruising runs. I wasn't sure what to expect since its elevation is rather low but I was pleasantly surprised.  Only two of its trails were roped.  They have a pretty extensive snow making system so the conditions were pretty good considering recent warm temps and rain.  Most of the trails were groomed and managed to stay in good shape through mid day.  The glades were pretty much bare and unskiable so I didn't hit them.  The day was consistent top to bottom skiing fast skiing on groomers.  The mountain never seemed to get icy despite cool temps below freezing.  The mountain was somewhat crowded given the nice clear day and $17 lift tickets but the wait in the lifts wasn't too terribly long.  For more info see http://www.attitash.com/

Shortly after noon we headed up to Wildcat.   I skied there before and it is a fum place to ski when the conditions are good.  It has 49 trails and over 2100 vertical feet of skiing.  The main lift is one of the fastest in the east taking you base to summit in about 6 minutes and every run takes in the 2100 feet of vertical.  The other impressive feature of Wildcat is the view.  Wildcat sits on the east side of Pinkham Notch directly across from Mt Washington and the Presidential Range.  The views are among the best from any ski area in the east.  

The recent warm up, rain, and lack of snow made for some icy conditions.  Windy conditions and morning skier traffic added to the iciness.  My skis are due for a tune up so I was having some difficulty navigating some of the ice.  There was a blowing snow falling with some cloudiness which made for decreased visibility making it difficult to see some of the ice.  With the blowing snow and clouds we missed out on that great view unfortunately. 

Despite the ice it was still fun making the fast top to bottom runs. We made nearly two hours worth of runs before calling it quits.  about 8 runs were closed due to poor cover, mostly black diamonds.  You can ski lots of vertical feet in a short time on some fast runs at Wildcat which is fun.  I recommend skiing it soon after a good snow to help avoid the ice.  In my opinion Wildcat isn't the most challenging ski area.  Many of the runs have a similar feel after a while.  The view and the ability to ski lap after lap with lots of vertical per run is Wildcat's strong suit. For more info see http://skiwildcat.com/  I was pleased with the skiing for the day overall and having to pay only $17 for two ski area,  you just can't complain.

View of Mt Washington from Wildcat on a clearer day two years ago

View of Mt Adams and Madison from Wildcat on a clearer day two years ago

Ski Trip-Vermont & Quebec

I still had a few lift ticket vouchers to use so I made another trip to Vermont and Quebec.  I was hoping to go last weekend which was snowier but the stomach flu kept me home.  With rain and temps reaching the 50s in the forecast, I figured I was running out of ski season to use the tickets so I left Friday morning.

I got up at 230AM Friday morning and headed for Mad River Glen in Vermont 5 1/2 hours away.  I got there early of enough to get on the lifts when they opened at 9AM.  The previous three weeks Mad River Glen had about three feet of snow and claimed to have some of their best conditions of the year.  Early in the morning the colder temps made the snow tough but as it warmed up and cleared the snow softened making for some decent spring conditions.

Mad River Glen is something of an iconic ski area for several reasons.  It's known for its old school ski feel.  They depend on mostly all natural snow.  Their snow making system consists of a few mobile snow cannons and that's it.  Compared to most ski areas, their grooming is minimal, focusing on mostly just the beginner terrain and some of the intermediate terrain.  This leaves the trails with interesting snow and lots of moguls.  Mad River Glen has the only public single chair lift in North America.  Interestingly enough it is also one of the fastest fixed grip lifts taking skiers to the summit in about 10 minutes.  It's one of the few ski areas left that doesn't allow snowboards.  Mostly it's known for some of it's challenging terrain.  It has plenty of tight trails mixed with the trees making for some challenging runs.  It's signature trail Paradise has been listed as one of the most challenging trails in the US (debatable).

I skied from open to close breaking only for a short lunch.  The place definitely  had character and some challenging skiing.  I  For the most part even with a weak snow season, coverage was pretty good.  The 2000+ vertical make for some long tiring runs.  Some of the large bumps on even the intermediate runs made the day even more tiring, especially since I was awake since 230 AM.  Although Upper Paradise was closed, I made a run down Lower Paradise which bypasses the frozen waterfall.  It was a steep tight trail in the trees, definitely challenging.  I had a harder time with the neighboring trail Fall Line (I think I just picked a bad line).  I ended up skiing every open trail and glade and had a pretty good time. www.madriverglen.com has more info.

I had reservations at the Subaru Motel  and slept in my car again at a hiking/cross country skiing trailhead about 15 minutes south of the Quebec border.  I slept here last trip in Vermont last month when skiing Jay Peak.  Near midnight I was awaken by flashing police lights and I though I was going to be told to move.  It ended up being a car accident and I was let alone.

The following morning I made my way 40 minutes north to Owls Head, Quebec.  Owls Head is located just north of the border and sits overlooking Lake Memphremagog.  Owls Head is a nice little gem.  It is perhaps  the most scenic ski area I have been to in the east.  The lake is about 30 miles long and the trails seem like you are skiing right into the lake.  The ski area is smaller than many of the ski areas in Quebec's Eastern Townships but big enough and has nice variety to make for some fun skiing.  There are 50 trails of all levels with 1750 feet of vertical.   I skied from 830 to just past 330. Again I skied every open trail and all of the glades.  It was a gorgeous blue bird day hitting maybe 40F without a cloud in the sky and it was relatively free of crowds.  For the most part the conditions were better  than Mad River Glen with better snow coverage. The other novelty skiing Owls Head is that it's in Quebec and you hear almost exclusively French.  The staff at the resort could speak English if necessary though.  The lift ticket prices are very reasonable too.  The weekend rate was only $49.  During the week it is only $20 on Tuesday and Wednesday.  http://www.owlshead.com/en/the-mountain/ski/  has more info on the ski area.

I headed back into Vermont in the evening toward Burke Mountain.  I slept in the Subaru again about 15 minutes from the mountain and was at the resort ready to go when the lifts started spinning.  Burke is tucked away in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and lacks the sophistication of the big Vermont destination resorts.  It is strictly a ski area, not a resort.  It has a Saddleback vibe (see last post for Saddleback info).  It typically sees less crowds as a result.  The mountain has a good variety of terrain, quite a few glades, and over 2000 feet of vertical.  Burke had a rough winter with snow and despite being 100% open some of the trails were in rough shape.  On the natural snow trails there were lots of bare spots with rocks and ground poking through the snow.  The skiing on the groomed trails was nearly perfect though.  I hit nearly all of the open trails with the exception of a couple that were extra rocky and bare.  I skied a handful of glades which varied from poor to fair coverage.   The temps warmed up into the 40s quickly and the snow started to get quite slushy in some areas.  I skied a little past 1PM putting in a solid nonstop half day of skiing before heading back home. http://www.skiburke.com/  has more info about Burke.  Puma's homemade soup was a good treat when I made it back home about 6PM Sunday evening.  With 50s and rain the next couple days, this might be my last skiing of the year downhill or cross country if there is no more significant snow.

Riding up the Single Chair at Mad River Glen

The Camels Hump from Fall Line at Mad River Glen

Looking toward Camels Hump on Antelope

Looking at Jay Peak from Owls Head

Skiing down Colorado toward Lake Memphremagog at Owls Head

Another view of the lake 

Upper Glade at Mad River Glen

Ponsoon Glade at Owls Head

Powder Day Skiing Saddleback

Before the ski season I purchased a half priced lift ticket to ski Saddleback.  Today was the first day that I was able to get to the mountain with decent snow and no blacked out dates.  I didn't know just how good the conditions were going to be.

Saddleback is the third largest ski area in Maine.  It's summit sits over 4000 feet making it Maine's snowiest ski area.  Located in Rangeley, Maine, it is far away for most people and they often go to Sunday River or Sugarloaf instead for big mountain skiing in Maine.  The mountain has a great variety of terrain for all levels and 2000 foot of vertical and is often less crowded than the other two mountains.  Best of all, lift tickets are a bargain compared to Sugarloaf and Sunday River.

I made the snowy drive to Skowhegan, ME where I  met up with the J Man before heading to Saddleback and we were at the mountain just after it opened.  The skiing gods worked in our favor today.  Overnight snow dumped about four inches of fresh snow overnight and the snow fell throughout the day dumping a few more inches.  For whatever reason there was hardly anybody skiing.  Never did we have to wait more than a couple of chairs on any lift.  That made for some great runs.  We made quite a few runs in the glades as the snow was soft and forgiving.  My second run of the day I skied solo into Casablanca Glade which is 44 acres of fine tree skiing and there was only two tracks in the snow.  It's rare to ski powder that fresh.  As we tired running numerous glades and some trails with fresh powder we mixed it up with some long cruiser runs.  I made at least ten runs in the glades by days end.  The conditions were primo throughout the day.  Late in the afternoon the main lift from the base had technical problems and shut down and we finished with a few passes through the terrain park.

http://www.saddlebackmaine.com/downloads/2012-2013TrailMap.pdf
Looking at the trail map some of the best runs were Casablanca Glades, Dark Wizard Glades, Thrombosis Glades, and Intimidator Glades    

The snow continued to fall as I drove home making for a hairy ride the last hour or so as the plows couldn't keep up.  Skiing the trees and powder wears you out compared to skiing groomed trails all day and my legs were feeling, especially after the long cross country ski trip the other day.  I was very happy to dig into the lasagna Puma had made when I got home.

Despite a mediocre snow season I have lucked out with the powder days this year hitting the slopes several times the morning of a storm.

Foggy high up in Casablanca

Open section of Casablanca

Working through Nightmare

Getting into the tight trees on Intimidator

J Man skiing the glades for the first time

Long Day Cross Country Skiing in 100 Mile Wilderness

A couple of heavy rains eliminated much of the skiable snow in my local area the past few weeks.  About 40 miles away is the AMC  land outside of  Greenville, ME. I talked in prior posts about cross country skiing the AMC trails in the 100 Mile Wilderness section of Maine.  Tucked in between several sets of mountains keeps the temps cooler and they managed to keep more of their snow and even had a couple new snows when it was mostly rain near my house.

I haven't cross country skied in nearly a month and was anxious to get out again.  A sickness last weekend kept me indoors so I finally got  yesterday.  There are many ski options mostly based around the lodges that people use for overnight stays.  Most people ski to one or the other and spend the night.  I wanted to do a big loop that went by both lodges, something most people do in 2-3 days.  This requires skiing about 35km (22 miles).  I did this a few years ago but was eager to try it again.

If interested here is the map for reference to my route:   http://www.outdoors.org/pdf/upload/L2Lski_2013.pdf

I started around 745AM at the winter parking lot.  I skied to the Little Lyford Lodge via the Hedgehog Gate Trail (7.0miles)  The Hedgehog trail is considered one of the more challenging trails with numerous steep but short climbs and descents and sometimes windy.  Besides a groomer I didn't see anyone else.  I reached the lodge as breakfast was ending so it was quite crowded.  I chugged a liter of water and refilled my bottle before quickly leaving.

I headed down the Lodge to Lodge Trail to Gorham Chairback Lodge about 6.5 miles away.  I had the trail untracked and to myself for about 5 miles before I passed a few groups that left the lodge for the day.  I had a quick snack at the lodge and rehydrated.  By 1045AM I was on the final leg of my outing, the 8.3 miles to the parking lot via the Long Pond and Trout Brook Trails.  I made it about 5 miles before I started passing a few groups that had left the lodge earlier as well as a few groups just starting out from the parking lot. Despite more than 30 cars in the parking lot, I saw relatively few people. Perhaps the roughest section of the entire trip is the last hill to the parking lot.  It is the longest hill probably on the entire trail system just when you are ready to be done for the day.

I made it to my car about 1225PM after about 21.8 miles.  It was my longest outing of the year on cross country skis.  I was surprised myself that I finished the long loop in less than five hours.  I now have about 150 miles of  cross country skiing this year.  Easily the most I have done in a single season.

Clouds throughout the morning hid most of the mountain views but the trails were pretty with freshly fallen snow hanging on the trees.  As always I saw a wide variety of animal tracks from hare to coyote to rodent to moose.  The only worthwhile sighting I had though was a pileated woodpecker that quickly flew by.

Skiing through tunnel of snow covered trees

More snowy trees

Clouds shrouding Baker Mtn and Lily Bay range

Here are a couple links about the cross country skiing at the AMC 100 Mile Wilderness Trails

http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/mainelodges/backcountry-skiing/index.cfm

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/542f0be6#/542f0be6/62

http://www.easternslopes.com/2012/11/01/greenville-maine-and-the-100-mile-wilderness-finding-snow-in-the-winter-that-wasnt/

http://www.pressherald.com/life/outdoors/adventure-at-amc-lodge-has-some-comforts-too_2012-02-19.html

Three Day Ski Trip in Vermont and New Hampshire

Before the ski season started this winter I bought a coupon that gave me a bunch of lift tickets for a steal of a price.  January and early February saw little new snow and a couple of big thaws so I was hesitant to plan any trips.  Finally last weekend New England got some decent snow and I immediately planned a three day trip.  I checked the weather maps every hour tracking the storm to see which resorts I wanted to ski.

Sunday I decided to hit Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire.  They did the best in the snowstorm picking up as much as 18 inches.  I got up at 3AM Sunday morning allowing extra time for travel in case the roads were in rough shape.  I made the four hour drive without any serious snow on the road stopping briefly for breakfast and was at the mountain early enough to be in line when the lifts started spinning.

The weather and skiing was wonderful.  Despite starting out around 0F first thing in the morning, the temps warmed up to near freezing without a cloud in the sky and absolutely no wind.  The snow conditions stayed pretty good throughout the day.  Despite being fairly busy I had hardly any wait in the lift lines.  I think I hit nearly every trail that was open.  Except for about 15 minutes for a quick lunch I skied from 830 when the lifts opened and finished my last run a few minutes after 4 when the lifts closed.

I wasn't sure where I was headed for the next day.  I called home to Puma to get trail and weather updates to plan my next days.  After a quick dinner at Subway I headed to Smugglers Notch in Vermont.  To save money I decided to make reservations at the Subaru Motel...that is sleep in the back of Outback.  I arrived at Smugglers Notch around 9PM and headed to one of the outlying parking lots that was dark and empty and set up camp.  I fold down the back seat, lay down a sleeping pad, and crawled into my zero degree sleeping bag.  It was 0F at a bank thermometer I passed so I was in good shape.  I fell asleep quickly since I was awake at 3AM and skied hard all day.  About 1215AM  I was awakened by a knock on my door and a flashlight by security making me move.  I drove three miles down the road and parked at a roadside picnic area and slept uninterrupted until morning.

I was back at Smugglers Notch by 8AM.  I ate some packed breakfast and was on the slopes by 830.  The weather was not quite as nice.  The wind was howling and it was very gloomy.  Soon it started snowing.  Smugglers Notch did not do as well as Cannon with snow.  The trails had lots of thin cover and bare spots.   Not long after it started spinning one of the main lifts closed due to windy conditions.  I did have fun on the remaining trails again hitting every trail that was open.  The wind was raw especially with the snow pellets.  As the day went on the top of the mountain was completely socked in the clouds making the visibility tough at the summit.  I skied again until 4 when the lifts closed.  It was far from the best conditions I have skied.  More than a few times I skied over bare spot with visible ground.  It was fun nonetheless.

I headed to Jay Peak in northern Vermont for my last day.  The Subaru Motel this time was located about a mile from the ski area at a parking area for the Long Trail hiking trail.  When I got there it was snowing heavy  and calling for a couple inches.  Through the night I heard a plow truck pass numerous times and figured it was a good sign.  When I got to the ski area there was at least four inches of new snow and coming down hard.

I was on the trails at 830.  The snow was piling up and the wind howling.  Part of the mountain was closed due to winds making the lifts unsafe.  I stayed on the remaining lifts which cover a lot of the tougher terrain.  By lunch the other lift opened and the snow was still coming down.  If I had to guess there was at least 8 inches of new snow.  Jay Peak claimed there was 14 inches by the next morning.  The conditions were about as good as they get.  The steepest trails skied easily in the deep powder.  I skied more than a half dozen runs in the trees.  Jay is known for its glade skiing and I could see why, the glades were abundant and skied nicely.  The deep powder made for fresh tracks all day in the trees.  Near the summit the visibility was so bad from fog and snow you couldn't see the next chair on the lift and it was so windy I was actually a little nervous how the chair swayed.  About 3PM I made my final run.  Skiing in the powder is a lot more work.  I had skied about 20 hours in three days and my upper legs were fried.

I made the five hour trip home through lonely back country in VT, NH, and Maine.  The first half of the drive was in snow.  By the time I got to Maine it was dark and the snow was piling on the road making driving a treat.  Shortly after 8PM I was happy to be back home and see Puma...and rest my legs.

The tram at Cannon Mountain

Franconia Ridge and Mt. Lafayette from Cannon 

Very scratchy and skiable Upper Exhibition at Smugglers Notch

  

Icy Day in Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is one of my favorite spots to hike in Maine with 125 miles of trails traversing nearly twenty mountains and endless ocean views.  They aren't the highest mountains but they are quite rugged.  I usually hike in the park a handful of times every year the scenery never disappoints.
After a major warm up and heavy rain this past week the snow pack took a major hit and the cross country skiing came to an end for now and downhill skiing conditions aren't the best.  It looks more like April than early February.  I thought Acadia would be a good place to hike and J Man agreed.
We decided on a route that covered five of the parks highest peaks.  The trip traversed Bald Peak, Parkman Mtn, Gilmore Mtn, Sargent Mtn, and Penobscot Mtn.  The hiking was treacherous.  A fresh inch or two of snow fell on the park overnight.  The snow itself wasn't an issue but it covered some thick hard ice making it a surprise when you hit the icy stretches of trail.  We both were equipped with traction devices that cover the  bottom of our boots but the fresh snow clogged the cleats and made for some extremely slick conditions.
Despite the iciness, it was a beautiful hike.  Majority of the trails were completely untracked..  We didn't see another person the entire outing.  The trees had a nice coating of new snow.  And as always,  the views were stunning from every summit with mountain seemingly falling into the ocean.

View over Gilmore Mtn and Bald Peak looking towards the ocean.

Notice the thick ice which we faced throughout the hike.

Climbing the snowy slope approaching Sargent Mtn.

Traversing Sargent Mtn towards the ocean and the Cranberry Isles nearly 1300 vertical feet below.

Frozen Hadlock Brook Falls.  About 40ft tall and highest falls in Acadia National Park.