Ski Day #14! Emma was taking an "off-day," so I headed back to Bolton Valley to do some exploring with more open terrain while she rested. The drive was super easy and I made it just before lifts opened. The forecast for the higher mountains was WINDY, but thankfully the lower mountain areas of Bolton were rather unscathed. Wilderness and Vista started the day on hold, which encouraged me to head over to the Timberline area.
Snow Report
7am Update
Sound the corn horn (lightly) this weekend with freezing temperatures overnight and warming temperatures (and some sunshine) as the day progresses, which typically leads to that legendary spring corn we all know and love. Conditions should remain firm in the morning hours at most elevations, but expected to loosen up a bit in the afternoon as temps rise and peeks of sunshine do their thing. We expect the softest/corniest conditions down at lower elecation (and warmer) Timberline the earliest and persisting at lower elevations in the main base areas as we ski into the sunset with lifts until 10pm for the last time this season. Hard to believe this is already the final weekend of March, and thus begins our April left schedule on Monday which is daily lifts from noon to 7pm (though we'll spin lifts 10am to 6pm on Eclipse Monday 4/8).
Today we plan to spin all 6 lifts with 60+ trails (though Patrol will have the final word as always). Groomers for the win in the morning and ungroomed natural terrain expected to be the winner by mid afternoon at lower elevations. And then rinse and repeat for Sunday funday with a similar setup currently forecasted.
And don't look now, buuuuuut... have you heard we could see anywhere from one to three feet in a long duration snow storm next Tuesday to Thursday? Sure sets us up real, real nice for Eclipse weekend next weekend AND hitting our planned closing date of April 14. Sorry if you'll have to navigate the roller coaster of corn snow, Bolton Beach days and pow days over the next couple of weeks, but we feel like you can handle it. #SorryNotSorry.
8:30am Update: Vista and Wilderness are currently on wind hold.
First lift for top-to-bottom skiing an driding anticipated this morning is Timberline at 9am. Hopefully we'll get the upper mountain lifts back by mid morning, but stay tuned with that refresh button as always... current forecase calls for those wind gusts at the top to subside a bit over the course of the morning, but Mother Nature can be unpredictable in the mountains - see this week's forecasted one to three foot snow storm for further evidence of this phenomena. We'll keep you posted.
Runs 1-6
Run 1: Snowflake Lift - Timberline Line - Timberline Run
[1.21 mi, 5:16, 896 ft, 26.7 mph max, 13.8 mph avg]
Run 2: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Timberline Run
[1.32 mi, 4:36, 1033 ft, 28.8 mph max, 17.3 mph avg]
Run 3: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Sure Shot - Timberline Run
[1.08 mi, 3:35, 978 ft, 25.3 mph max, 18.2 mph avg]
Run 4: Timberline Lift - Intro - Showtime
[0.77 mi, 3:44, 1040 ft, 26.2 mph max, 12.3 mph avg]
Run 5: Timberline Lift - Intro - Showtime
[0.69 mi, 2:42, 961 ft, 26.4 mph max, 15.4 mph avg]
Run 6: Timberline Lift - Upper Villager - Lower Villager
[0.71 mi, 3:24, 407 ft, 23.1 mph max, 12.6 mph avg]
The first half of my morning was spent in the Timebrline area, which was delightfully unpopulated. My first run was up the red Snowflake Lift to Timberline Line and Timberline Run, which was a nice, long warm up run. There was one steeper section as Timberline Run joined Sure Shot, but it was nice to get some speed for a short while. My second run was another lovely longer run following the Timberline Lift to Upper Villager to Timberline Run. It was chilly up at the top of the lift, but overall conditions felt good! Snow was hardpack/frozen, but was nothing compared to Cannon yesterday.
I decided my next step would be to hit Sure Shot, a short blue that acts as a short cut of my previous run. It was groomed, a bit steep, but fun and wide! Afterwards, I decided I would push myself a bit more, and hit the short black trail "Intro" to Showtime. I felt okay doing this because it was the lift line and I could see the trail as I went up the lift, which wasn't anything steeper than I'd previously done - I think it's listed as a black because it's narrow, winding, and there's lift towers to dodge. The headwall into Showtime truly felt the steepest (and iciest), but overall it was a fun run! I texted Emma about my accomplishment and did a second lap of this run, which went smoother. Finally, after a LONG lift ride (I think someone fell down at the chair base), I checked the snow report and saw that the Wilderness Lift was opening, so I did a nice commuter run back to the main base area to discover the Wilderness Lift.
At this point in the day I have met my cast of recurring characters - the snowboarding dudes and the hot mess adult family. Snowboarding dudes are exactly what they sound like - older group (40s I'd guess) of snowboarders who are just a little obnoxious but not in a bad way. Hot Mess Adult Family is also what you'd expect - a hot mess adult family who appear to be learning how to ski together. It was a journey watching them struggle down Showtime.
9:30am/11am Updates: Vista is currently on wind hold.
Timberline, Mighty Mite, Mid Mountain, and Snowflake lifts are off and running as scheduled with Wilderness expected to join them at 10am. Brisk start to the day, but looking forward to warming temps, sunshine and decreasing winds as the day gets on here and anticipate teh currently firmer conditions will start to loosen up on natural, ungroomed terrain for that classic spring corn at lower elecations by late afternoon if we get enough sunshine over the course of the day. On the way to find out - come on up to get down!
Runs 7-11
Run 7: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Old Turnpike - Lower Turnpike
[1.21 mi, 4:56, 1050 ft, 24.8 mph max, 14.7 mph avg]
Run 8: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Lower Crossover - Coyote - Work Road - Lower Wilderness - Abenaki Trail
[1.39 mi, 6:23, 1056 ft, 24.7 mph max, 13.1 mph avg]
Run 9: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Lower Crossover - Fanny Hill - Lower Fanny Hill
[1.30 mi, 5:04, 1024 ft, 28.1 mph max, 15.4 mph avg]
Run 10: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Old Turnpike - Lower Turnpike
[1.22 mi, 3:51, 1043 ft, 29.5 mph max, 19.0 mph avg]
Run 11: Wilderness Lift - Peggy Dow's - Lower Crossover - Fanny Hill - Lower Fanny Hill
[1.31 mi, 5:05, 981 ft, 27.2 mph max, 15.5 mph avg]
Phase two of the day was spent on the Wilderness Lift, which I LOVED. Another old double lift that moves glacially slow, but leads to a nice network of relatively uncrowded trails. My first run was down the uphill route, which seems to have become my go-to since its almost guaranteed to be the easiest way down. The route, Peggy Dow's to Old Turnpike to Lower Turnpike, is super fun and not to challenging. Definitely get some speed off the lift because Peggy starts pretty flat then comes to a fork - one groomed and narrow and one ungroomed and steep - I FOOLISHLY took the ungroomed way first and it sucked. The Turnpikes were wide, easy, and fast. Loved it!
Back on the Wildnerness Lift, I seemed to have reunited with the Snowboarding Dudes. We all watched the Hot Mess Family try to go down the lift line, but struggling with the ungroomed terrain. Dude #1 shouted "it just gets worse, you should turn around," so they did. My second run was less glamorous - I took Peggy's to the uphill-both-ways Lower Crossover to Coyote, which was ungroomed and FROZEN. I somehow made it out unscathed, but yikes. From there, I followed the easy Work Road to Lower Wilderness to the lovely Abenaki Trail, where I had to dodge a ski school group.
Run #9 was my last new route of the day, and my favorite! Peggy's to Lower Crossover to Fanny Hill to Lower Fanny Hill. The Fanny Hills are wide, groomed trails where I felt safe to catch some speed - just really fun skiing! #10 was the uphill route again, and I finished my morning doing the Fannys one last time. I truly would have stayed longer, but the Wilderness Lift was getting dreadfully slow (my perception, that is), and Emma and I had plans to go to the Banff Film Festival in Burlington that night with her work friends, so I NEEDED to get home in time for a nap. Overall, this was a really fun morning, and I'm excited to visit again to explore Vista!
End of Day Stats: 11 Runs, 12.22 miles, 10,476 feet, 29.5 mph max, 0:48:36 skiing, 3:05:54 elapsed.
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