# Wachusett Opening Day- 12/08/06



## Zand (Dec 7, 2006)

Location: Snowmaking hut next to Polar Express (NOT the Waffle Haus... it's the one you pass after the trails dump out)
Time: 7 PM

For the probably few that will be there, I've decided to try to put on a meet for tomorrow night. The hour has changed due to it being Friday night so most people won't mind staying a little later. If you can come, just stop by at 7.

SNOW REPORT for FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2006:

Lifts:

Polar Express Quad
Monadnock Triple
Ollie's Carpet

Trails:

Conifer Connection
Indian Summer
Ollie's Area

Weather:

Snow Showers, temp around 20. Winds gusting over 30 MPH.


----------



## hiroto (Dec 8, 2006)

Amazing how much snow they made last night.  Everything visible from webcam
looks white including Ralph, Challenger and LookMa.  My first day will be this
Sunday.  Hopefully many more trails will be open this weekend.


----------



## bassist286 (Dec 8, 2006)

i'm pretty sure i'll be there, but i forget, will those 4 be open at 7 p.m.? i don't remember? But yeha man, i souhld be there with, i wanna get on night in and  mgiht try for sunday as well, well see.


----------



## bassist286 (Dec 8, 2006)

then again looking at what they have open it's essencally jsut connnefer top to bottom, if they some how for the other 2 open i'll be more likely to go.


----------



## hrstrat57 (Dec 8, 2006)

Nobody has a trip report?????


----------



## Mark_151 (Dec 8, 2006)

hrstrat57 said:


> Nobody has a trip report?????




OK -- you prodded me, but it isn't much -- I only made one run down Conifer. I decided to do the right thing and blow off work, and drove over to Wachusett about 9:30. The crowd wasn't bad -- only about a third of the parking lot was full. I parked over by the Balance Rock trailhead and got my skis in the pack, booted up and started hiking up. There was a thin dusting of snow all the way to the summit. Where the trail crossed the Minuteman trails, the guns were going full bore, and the snow was actually deep enough to get me huffing a little as I made progress. 

I topped out at the Polar Express after about 45 minutes of hiking, dropped my pack, locked down my boots into ski mode, and got my goggles out. Then, as I was snapping my right boot into the Targa binding, the freaking heel lever broke neatly into two pieces! Damn! I was just getting ready to stow everything and hike down when another tele skier came off the lift and stopped next to me. I asked him if he had a spare lever in his pack, and he said no, but suggested that he's been in the same predicament in the backcountry and had gotten himself down by loosening the cartridges enough to engage the bail in the boot grooves, and tightening it down.  I did so, and it seemed to hold, and skiing down beat walking down,  The snow was hardpack Styrofoam, as it was quite cold, and as it was my first run of the season and I was a little paranoid about the jury rig ski, I did mostly p-turns down. I had my Century Pass with me, but I didn't do any more runs because of the ski. I may do a hike/ski with my other set of skis tomorrow, and Sunday looks like it'll be warm enough for spring snow conditions. I have a complimentary pass I need to use by 12/24, so depending on how many trails are open, I may use it then.


----------

