Worst conditions ever in S. VT

**Dexter Rutecki** · 01-06-2007, 07:42 PM

That I've seen, anyway. Skied Mt. Snow with my 4 y.o. daughter and Plakespear today. Never seen the place so bare while it's been open--including opening days, closing days, any other time. Rain in the morning and about 60 degrees, my daughter kept bombing down onto grass, dirt, and rock--she's skiing OK, but navigation is not so good.
Seriously, it looked like what I expect to see three or four weeks after it closes in the spring.

Guess it's supposed to cool off tomorrow, thank god, otherwise they'd have to close (they only had the bottom 600' of the mountain open today).

**Raps** · 01-06-2007, 08:12 PM

Man Dex, doesn't sound too good at all - i was in Central Park today basking in the 70+ degree temps......it was weird.....i kept checking the calendar to make sure it wasn't september still......

**maskinut** · 01-06-2007, 08:51 PM

Im happy I bought a new car recently and driving 3 hours is still fun. Othersie I would think I am insance for continuting to go to VT. I t would be less money and more fun to take the jet blue to CO 2 weekends a month.

I was at Kton today and it was the saddest sight I hjave seen in a long time, There were people at Pico skiiing on what looked like a long trail of vomit. The it started raining 67 gallons a minute.

I am going west for January thanks to work. I hope when I return it is winter.

**rideit** · 01-06-2007, 08:53 PM

Global warming is a left wing media conspiracy.

**Dexter Rutecki** · 01-06-2007, 09:09 PM

Actually it comes from the liberal media and activist judges.

**buckethead** · 01-06-2007, 09:11 PM

...and those damn, whiny "my ice is freezing" polar bears!

**f2f** · 01-06-2007, 09:13 PM

DAMN YOU, AL GORE!

**Shen** · 01-06-2007, 09:16 PM

Bromley(1/6/07):
Unseasonably warm weather has made things tough on us, so we are going to give our crews a chance to patch things up, and we are hoping to open by 11:00am. We will have a limited opening after that, with only the Alpine Chair open, giving access to three trails.

Stratton(1/5/07):
Pics posted by OldEasternSkier on EPIC

**rideit** · 01-06-2007, 09:16 PM

I bet with a big enough contract, Halliburton could fix it.

**Dexter Rutecki** · 01-06-2007, 09:48 PM

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. Since I didn't bring my camera today to show how shitty it was, here's Stratton from yesterday (thanks, Epic, and imagine about 20% less snow and more bare spots due to the continued rain/high temps):

**Free Range Lobster** · 01-06-2007, 09:53 PM

God thats just beyond sad.

**BenWA** · 01-06-2007, 10:07 PM

Ouch.

So you should just do a trip out west. Find a place where lift tickets are like $45, and the money you'll save by not buying $80 tickets in VT you can put towards airfare and lodging.

**Orphic Seth** · 01-06-2007, 10:11 PM

Jeezum Crow that's a depressing picture.

Well, on Thursday I got into some O.K. woods at Jay with 3 day old powpow, but they were bony to say the least, Exhibition woods actually wasn't bad, and some out-o-bounds stuff was reasonable. Whatever was there is totally gone now.

Of course, my best day was on the 30th and 31st of Dec., after that little Clipper blew in. I skinned up MRG on the 30th at night under the moon and again before lift opening on the 31st, and they got a lot more snow than I anticipated with that small system, it was blowing in over the ridge and the Ap. Gap, in some spots about 18" if you can believe it... I couldn't when I was there. Dropping in was like a dream, I was astonished. But, according to my Bro-Brah over in Waitsfield, he skinned up yesterday and said we're back to bony central, obviously, but still... BOO.

Another system moving in tomorrow it looks like, starting with snow and then changing to rain, definitely in the lower regions, but maybe (operative word: maybe) staying all snow in the higher elevations, but wet snow at best-- which is what we need for base building so that works. We'll see. This bastard is coming from the south so I'm not holding too many hopes.

Almost 60 deg. today at my house in the northern Champlain Valley and blowing over 40mph for a bit. FUBAR.

**buckethead** · 01-06-2007, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Orphic Seth

Of course, my best day was on the 30th and 31st of Dec., after that little Clipper blew in. I skinned up MRG on the 30th at night under the moon and again before lift opening on the 31st, and they got a lot more snow than I anticipated with that small system, it was blowing in over the ridge and the Ap. Gap, in some spots about 18" if you can believe it... I couldn't when I was there. Dropping in was like a dream, I was astonished. But, according to my Bro-Brah over in Waitsfield, he skinned up yesterday and said we're back to bony central, obviously, but still... BOO.

ughh! i'm still experiencing deep regret that i let my NYE plans interfere with the chance of finally getting back to MAD! i saw pics on the website of some knee-deep in the woods. def. more than the reported 9"...your first hand report just gives me that much more of a sense of what i missed.
glad you got out though...sounds like epic MAD!
yes, let this one be snow!!!

**grrrr** · 01-06-2007, 10:35 PM

I feel for you guys. I won't say a word about todays conditions here or post any pics or anything. It's really not much much better than what you feeling. okay, it is, but I feel your pain anyway.

**Mtn Man** · 01-06-2007, 11:11 PM

Yup, got a very depressing call from Plakes earlier today. I bagged it this weekend due to a nagging cough and lack of energy this past week, otherwise I would have provoked him to ski Kton with HS and his clinic

Sorry to hear that Mt Slow was a bust. It's only a dip i the weather though. I see a dump in our near future. Hell, I was skiing boot deep on the wind loaded sides at K last Sat....

B)

**mavrick** · 01-06-2007, 11:17 PM

Wow, after seeing those pics feel bad for my recent SLC bitching to buddies... we could have it worse out here, much worse...

Might as well bring a mountain bike up with you, im sure it would be more fun than trying to ski....

**Showtime06** · 01-06-2007, 11:21 PM

give me a gun, noose, knife, whatever... this is fucking depressing and it needs to end

**Flexon Phil** · 01-07-2007, 04:31 AM

Originally Posted by mavrick

Might as well bring a mountain bike up with you, im sure it would be more fun than trying to ski....

Heh, i wonder what they would to if someone showed up at the K1 with a mountaun bike? Lst time there some of the MTN bike trails were still marked anyway.

**belgian** · 01-07-2007, 04:43 AM

From 2 years ago in the PNW, I feel for you. Don't worry, the goods will return next year. Could be worse though... at least you can make SOME turns.

**steve** · 01-07-2007, 07:27 AM

Can't say I didn't have fun yesterday..

on the other hand.. k-mart was downright depressing to see how much they lost, but most everything they made snow on had enough coverage to stay open. there was an 8" deep pond (no kidding) in the lift-line at the gondi. the green trails like great eastern had the most damage - lots of areas where the whoe thing was base save a 3' strip of snow so you can get by. On the other hand, steeper/more difficult stuff were pretty much completely covered - a layer of slush over an uneven base of ice and you couldn't see it - so my legs acted as shock-absorbers.. then I went to pico and the heavens opened up. Must have had an inch in 20 minutes. oh god why couldn't that have been snow?? I almost shot myself.

Looking at that stratton pic, I'm glad I'm in Killington though. I suppose that if I had to ski the east (which I do), Killington is the place to be.

Looking forward to the summit. THat'll probably be my only trip west this year.

**asland** · 01-07-2007, 08:24 AM

good story on warm winter from NPR

WARM WINTER WOES
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=6737029

**Orphic Seth** · 01-07-2007, 09:41 AM

(This was Sept. BTW, it's not that warm...yet)

**Rontele** · 01-07-2007, 09:43 AM

i have to reiterate that this has nothing to do with global warming, but El Nino.

**Speedfreak** · 01-07-2007, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by steve

a layer of slush over an uneven base of ice and you couldn't see it - so my legs acted as shock-absorbers.

Yep, I hear ya. I was skiing switch thru the sludge, slowing down to wait for the GF, hit one of those pockets in the base and got tossed. Tweaked my right knee.

Sis is a PT, checked the ACL and the tibia has a stopping point, so she's thinking ACL sprain and possible meniscus damage (due to angle leg went during crash and soreness). The fact that I took a few more runs on it before deciding to call it quits and give it a rest is a good sign. Seeing the Doc on Monday...

Take it easy out there in this shit.