At some point during each day or night, starting Sunday, Dec. 16th and continuing daily through the morning hours of Monday, Jan. 7th, snowflakes fell from the skies over many mountain areas in the Northeast. That’s 23 straight days with snowflakes flying – something that simply doesn’t happen very often – here, or anywhere. And last week, even after the snow let up, seasonable temps preserved the exceptionally sweet powder in the backcountry for just a few more days – while maintaining unusually good packed-powder trail skiing conditions, too. It wasn’t until late in the day this past Friday, Jan. 12th, that a January Thaw finally broke what was a truly unforgettable cycle of winter. By dark on Friday, temps climbed into the upper 30s, light rain ensued, and it was clear that Old Man Winter would be stepping aside for a few days.
For many of us, a January Thaw can be a welcome relief – a chance to recoup and relax after riding that wonderful wave of early season ski days. It’s a chance to catch up on chores and projects that really should have been tended to before ski season, but simply were not. And it’s an opportunity to reflect on adventures experienced thus far, while dreaming about others to come this season.
On top of many delectable days spent touring for backcountry powder, it was the gradual build up of the snow pack and the doors it opened into steeper terrain that was one of the more exciting elements of the New Year snow cycle. By the first week of January, we were already sliding into many tree lines, steep creeks and gullies that often don’t lure us in until February, or later. Even in the steeper alpine zones of the Whites and Adirondacks, daily small accumulations of snow gradually filled in terrain that often remains scoured this time of year. This pattern also helped to prevent larger avalanches that strip alpine terrain right back to bare rock and ice.
With the Thaw now behind us and Old Man Winter taking the reigns again, it won’t be long before fresh snow will cover the Thaw’s crusty evidence. Forecasts are trending toward mountain snows starting Wednesday, and by the weekend, even the valleys could be freshly coated in white again. In the meanwhile, many groomed trails, some Nordic centers and countless sloped pastures are skiing nicely across the north country.
Here are a few images to sooth the skiing soul, too. (Click on the images to enlarge.)
Ski you out there.
– Brian and Emily
White Mountains late last week…
Taking flight above the Mad River Valley, VT…
Double trouble in the Green Mountains…
Sliding into a favorite Vermont creek line…
LINK to “Like” AdventureSkier.com on Facebook. Thanks!
