Feb 08

Pasture Ripping and Meadow Skipping

Pasture ripping…

While our snowpack might continue to be thin (especially across southern New England and in the lowest elevations…yikes!) we’ve been making the most with what we’ve got, and feeling fortunate that at least we’ve got some snow to work with! (i.e. It could be much worse.)

Alpine ski area trails across the Northeast are nicely groomed, smooth and generally carveable…and occasional dustings of snow have helped to freshen up those morning turns. These are good conditions for some careful carving, cruising or for dialing in your technique and turns in some more technical terrain. The nordic skiing on many groomed trail networks has been excellent, too, with the skate skiing faster than ever.

Our favorite skiing right now? …Low-angle pastures and high-elevation woods and meadows. A good 3-8+” of fresh snow is piled up in many higher elevation zones across the Northeast, and on the most sheltered aspects, there’s little apparent crust and even more fresh snow. Meanwhile, our neighborhood pastures are capped with a nice crust, and it’s fun to rip even the lowest-angle pastures right now. (Both photos here were captured over the last few days in VT.)

With these great weather days upon us, it’s a fine time to explore and sample the great variety of terrain and snow conditions out there. It’s also a great time to keep a good edge on your skis. With some luck, the mountains will be treated to a few inches of fresh snow Friday night and Saturday morning. Ski you out there. – Brian

And meadow skipping…

Follow this LINK to “Like” AdventureSkier.com on Facebook. Thanks!


 

Feb 06

Photo of the Week: From Skiing in the Rain to Blue Sky Powder

Thanks to nightly snow showers late last week, nearly a foot of fresh snow loaded into many higher elevation nooks and crannies across the Northeast by Saturday morning. And with high pressure prevailing and blue skies overhead this weekend, it was hard to imagine that we were skiing in the rain, sleet (and hail?) just last Wednesday. Some of us even spotted a few rainbows…Did anyone hear any thunder?

We’ve always felt like skiing in the rain is well worth at least a few runs, and most of the time, it has its great rewards. This weekend was one of those rewards, and it was just another example of how varied the snow conditions in the Northeast buy ambien no prescription mastercard tend to be – from one hour, day or mountain, to the next. Skiers and riders in the Northeast thrive on this variety. It’s one of the many things that makes skiing here so challenging, interesting and most of all, fun.

This image was captured over the weekend in Vermont’s Green Mountains, where everything from bare grass to beautiful shin-knee deep powder awaits us right now. With sunshine and temps pushing the freezing mark today, a sun-crust will likely form the most solar aspects by Tuesday… so get them while they are still smooth today.

Ski you out there.
– Brian
(Click on thumbnail below for full size image)

Follow this LINK to “Like” AdventureSkier.com on Facebook. Thanks!


 


Feb 03

VIDEO: The Zero Approach Ski Tour

While some nice fresh snow has been piling up at higher elevations this past week (in the 1-5″ range) there’s nothing but a good ol’ fashioned crust coating most lower to middle elevation terrain. Fortunately, this crust is relatively supportive and offers a smooth skiing surface, especially with some fatter skis. Close to home, our favorite pastures, lower-angle logging roads and open woods lines have been especially fun recently… This skiing provides us with a great chance to keep the car parked for the day, and enjoy a ski session right out the back door.

Here’s a compilation of footage that celebrates one of our favorite backyard ski tours, a run we ski right off the mud room porch at AdventureSkier headquarters. Conditions right now are pretty similar, albeit we’ve got a bit more snow to work with and a more solid crust to the surface (but this surface should soften nicely with more fresh snow tonight 2/3).

Ski you out there! – Brian

The Zero Approach Ski Tour from AdventureSkier on Vimeo.

Follow this LINK to “Like” AdventureSkier.com on Facebook. Thanks!


 


Jan 30

Photos of the Week: Super Fluff

Thanks to another passing cold front last night and this morning, skiers across the northeast were treated to as much as 6-8″ of super fluff today (Monday 1/30). For many skiers across the region, it was nothing less than a good old fashioned powder day – and a far cry from the dust on crust conditions prevailing in many areas over the weekend. More snow is on its way Tuesday and Wednesday, and although buy antibiotics without a doctor prescription some forecasters are talking about temperatures warming up more than most skiers care to hear about, let’s not worry about that until it happens – if it happens. Meanwhile, think snow. Ski you out there. – Brian
(Click on thumbnail below for full size image)

Andy Weis at Mad River Glen today…

Ry Young taking flight again…

Follow this LINK to “Like” AdventureSkier.com on Facebook. Thanks!


 

Jan 29

Video: DUST ON CRUST

January Thaw has been going at it with Old Man Winter this past week, leaving our snowpack coated in varying degrees of crust, fresh snow and everything in between. Although the latest winter storm on Friday put down up to 8-10″ of fresh snow in parts of the Northeast (northern Maine and Quebec scored best), the Green Mountains made out well with 3-4″ of wet snow…followed by some sleet and rain. A passing cold front Friday night caused allowed any untracked snow to set up with a nice, edgable and supportable crust, which by Saturday morning, was freshly coated with some fresh snow squeezed from the air by the passing cold front.

While this micro-coating of snow offered some fun fresh tracks, the crust beneath made for some fast, technical skiing all around. No doubt, it was a great weekend to have some edges on the skis and feel motivated to make some turns. With more snow in the forecast for the next few days, conditions will only continue to improve.

Ski you out there.
-Brian

Dust on Crust from AdventureSkier on Vimeo.

Follow this LINK to “Like” AdventureSkier.com on Facebook. Thanks!