# Mount Snow - Jan 19 2015 MLK - Variable, great in some places



## bdfreetuna (Jan 19, 2015)

Used a couple vouchers for Mount Snow today. Might have chosen to go further north but most of my other passes are blacked out on MLK weekend, and I have prepaid my entire year of skiing as much as possible.

Last night was depressing. Driving through sheets of rain and freezing rain in western Mass. I thought the destruction would be total. Woke up to see Mount Snow saying they got 4" of snow from it (after some rain). Either way, my girlfriend has only been skiing about 10 times, she's not exactly a powder hound just yet. I figured any chance of reasonable conditions and we'd have a good day.

Drive up was kind of icy and sketch. Got to Mount Snow and realized one of us had forgotten our helmet and goggles (her). So I gave up the helmet and she got a new pair of goggles at the shop.

I'll get to the point though. Some of the trails were scratchy. One of them in the Sun brook area or whatever it's called was laughably hard packed. I just skied down it sideways for laughs. There were a few other areas like this. I haven't sharpened my edges in a while, nor am I master of carving ice sculptures, but I found even on the slickest trails I could get an edge with a little gusto.

Other trails were great. A few over on the Sunbrook area actually had some good powder stashes on the sides, it was a lot of fun blasting through those. Overall the mountain was very skiable. MUCH better than the first week of January,

So like I said Patricia is still working on intermediate status, but she handled the blues all day even the scratchy ones pretty well. I decided to take some runs on the North Face and left her at the top lodge to have a beer. I ended up heading over to the woods to the left of Olympic.

Lets just say that was a total game changer. Absolutely fantastic. I've never been in those woods before (actually I'm just starting to figure out where things are at Mount Snow) but WOW these woods are up there with some of the best. Wide open, a little steep and tight up top, with a little bit of a hairy entrance (well, I like that stuff)... then it really opens up. These woods cover some decent acreage. I didn't think Mount Snow had it in 'em. The POWDER was here and while it wasn't insanely deep, it was powder and the fact that it wasn't actually that deep on top of the base made it even easier to choose any line with total abandon. Deep enough to float, tracked out enough to slip and slide. Great woods.

So I basically slayed those woods, then decided to go back up to the top and get Patricia. Nothing could top that, and she had to ski it too. She's never really skied a black diamond before, and she has ducked into a few shorter and lower angle woods with me before but generally she avoids them. It took another beer and a bit of convincing but she followed me down whatever trail it is that gets there, cut across to Olympic (that cut across is definitely hairy for new skiers) and into the woods. Things were a bit tricky at first but we basically traversed as far as we could, I led the way on basically the least hairy way down. She had a couple tumbles but she was having a blast... in her words "It's like an enchanted forest!"

So consider me a happy guy. Here's a few cool pictures and a couple corny ones.


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## billski (Jan 19, 2015)

Wow, those woods are wide open!  Unbelieveable  you roped her into going there, and you're still on speaking terms!  I'm impressed.  She must be very athletic. I've often found woods to escape the niar damage. Kudos to you both.


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## marcski (Jan 19, 2015)

Those are the trials. Some great lines in there. Loos like a fun day.


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## drjeff (Jan 19, 2015)

All about the elevation today!! Given the likely inch of rain that fell Sunday, the snowpack held up well!


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## bdfreetuna (Jan 19, 2015)

After that she was asking to head into the woods at certain areas where you could tell there was an entrance. Two words: Mission Accomplished 

It's good though, we've got a 3 day trip at Bolton planned, as well as a bunch of Ski VT passes I want to start using up north a bit, Burke tickets prepaid, and a Saddleback / Sugarloaf vacation booked at the end of March. So Patricia starting to get into the woods thing is a key development!

I'd rather ski woods at a slow pace and help her pick safe lines than rip groomers all day. Just my style. Plus I'm in terrible shape I don't mind resting at all to let someone catch up for a bit!


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## catsup948 (Jan 19, 2015)

There is a lot I don't like about mount snow but the north face has a lot to offer and some very nice glades.


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## bdfreetuna (Jan 19, 2015)

If Mount Snow had a few more expansive wood zones like this I'd be less tempted to drive any further.

A nice thing is the boundary-to-boundary policy... the woods are basically never "closed". I wish all ski areas did this. Some of us like to enjoy our rock skis!


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## mriceyman (Jan 19, 2015)

bdfreetuna said:


> If Mount Snow had a few more expansive wood zones like this I'd be less tempted to drive any further.
> 
> A nice thing is the boundary-to-boundary policy... the woods are basically never "closed". I wish all ski areas did this. Some of us like to enjoy our rock skis!


Thats what i loved about stratton.. The woods are always open. Ill have to get bak to mt snow sooner or later



Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone


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## Newpylong (Jan 20, 2015)

The Trials are some of the best trees around.


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## Glenn (Jan 20, 2015)

Woods off the North Face are a lot of fun. Cool to hear you got out there to explore them. 

The weather Sunday was pure crap. We drove back to CT in a friggin downpour around 7:30-8PM.


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## C-Rex (Jan 20, 2015)

The Trials are one of my favorite glades. The North Face is definitely the place to be at Mount Snow.  It's awesome when you push someone out of their comfort zone and you can see that moment when they get over the fear and discover something new to love about the sport.  You're lucky to have a girl that gets out there with you.


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## C-Rex (Jan 20, 2015)

I almost forgot to ask, was tuna-speed achieved?


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## bdfreetuna (Jan 20, 2015)

I gave up the tuna-speed for the tuna-steeze.


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## C-Rex (Jan 20, 2015)

bdfreetuna said:


> I gave up the tuna-speed for the tuna-steeze.



Haha!  Good man!


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## MommaBear (Jan 22, 2015)

If you make it back to Mount Snow, the much smaller and lower angle woods off of One More Time ("The Boonies") are great for learning to ski woods.  Trees are further apart.  I popped in there on Monday - they need some more snow to really enjoy.  Another favorite (with more snow) are the woods off Ego Alley (skier's right of the Ego Alley Lift barn).  Trials definitely rule - but the others a bit less intimidating for those starting out.


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## bdfreetuna (Jan 22, 2015)

I did go in "The Boonies" but the snow was a bit hard packed. "Trials" were actually easier to handle overall due to the quality of snow.

I'm sure usually it's the other way around


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## MommaBear (Jan 23, 2015)

bdfreetuna said:


> I did go in "The Boonies" but the snow was a bit hard packed. "Trials" were actually easier to handle overall due to the quality of snow.
> 
> I'm sure usually it's the other way around



I found the same thing on Monday.  It was the elevation thing Dr Jeff referenced - more freezing rain down below made for crunchier snow.


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## gladerider (Jan 23, 2015)

mriceyman said:


> Thats what i loved about stratton.. The woods are always open. Ill have to get bak to mt snow sooner or later
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using AlpineZone



+1

one thing great about mt. snow is it's high base elevation. comes out winner when a lot of other places suffer. 
them pix look great!


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## slatham (Jan 23, 2015)

Good glades skiers right of ridge between ridge and uncles.

Re: base elevation - agree,  but Stratton and Bromley have similar circa 2,000' base elevations.


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