Too warm. Too long.

What a change a few days make. Fun skiing Feb 22 (see previous post). By Fri it was still OK but changing fast. I went after work Fri and you could hear the water under the snow in a number of places. The base was OK but the snow was getting too soft. By Sat the base had become rotten in a number of areas. You put weight on your ski and sink in. Streams opening up all over and the water near the bottom of the mountain was really moving like Spring. At the end of Sat getting down the lower elevation areas was difficult. Sinking in and unable to turn without picking skis up and forcing them in another direction. It got to 70 in the valley on Sat! As I write this it is 30. Pretty much a full reset on skiing. Needs to get cold, freeze the open water, and snow another foot or more. Not happening next week. We shall see.

Fri - Devils Dishpan

Sat - Bald hill toward CHSA. Melting fast.

Liquid x-snow taking over

Difficult at the end of the day. Took this one shortly after hitting submerged log. Fell into a pile of wet snow and had to remove skis to stand up. Good times had by all.

Near bottom. Spring in Feb.

Shelburne bay - open with no ice in Feb

A few images from Kingsland Bay. Went to the town beach access and walked on the trails there. A nice loop trail that may be new since last time I was there (long time ago).

Thompson Point:

S Farms...

Ski around Camels Hump

Went on the "challenge" trail around Camels Hump. This is a great x-country ski trail in my opinion. This was a prefect day for it. It never got below freezing in the mountains over night but it was close. About 35 when I started and about 45 at end. There was 1-2 inches of corn snow on top of the base that you could turn on easily. Very nice. This made for easy uphill and fast controllable downhill. Not slushy since it didn't get too hot. This trail has great views in all directions. I went up Bald Hill, which has nice views of Camels Hump, then got on the challenge trail. The trail goes down into the top of Honey Hollow and then up to about 3000 feet on the North side of CH. Then the trail works it way around the East side (wind gap) and wraps around the South and West side. I went back up Bald Hill instead of taking the hiking trail down. Nice skiing from that area back down to the car. The trip took 5 hours total which is about 2-3 hours faster that what it normally takes me. This was due to the fast, EZ, conditions.

CH from Bald Hill. Clouds burning off.

Heading across the top of Honey Hollow

Up on the North side of CH

Wind gap area. Lots of snow in this area that blows off of CH during prevailing winds (NW).

East side is cliffy

Heading down the West side

Camels Hump from Bald Hill again near end of ski

Feb mix

Skiing 2/16 at Smugglers Notch. It had snowed 12"+ Sunday into Monday which made Tue at Sugarbush great. It snowed another 8" wed night which made for a great powder day at Smugglers Notch. Very few people there so fresh powder could be found all day. Went in the woods above the upper parking lot at 3PM and found fresh tracks.
The weekend of 2/19 turned warm. I went to NH but it was warm in VT also. X-country skiing with no gloves, hat, or coat. Late Spring skiing. Still plenty of snow but once it gets cold again it will not be pretty.
NH Note: Went into loon center trails. Half way around loop on the left went into woods. Low wooden sign with a "3" on it. Went back through a series of ponds and swamp area to golf course.

Smugglers Notch

Julie - Sugarbush

NH - 50 degrees, sunny, no wind, HOT!

Camels Hump