OK, we weren't choking on the powder like they do sometimes out west, but it was light and fluffy like you'd find in Utah or Colorado.
The Skimeister and I awoke early to hit the lifts at Smuggler's Notch as soon as they opened. We knew it was going to be cold, but it had been snowing a lot at home last night and we just had to find the powder today.
We took our first runs off of the Madonna chair, enjoying powdery turns on Upper FIS, lower Doc Dempsey's Glades, Freefall and Robin's Run—the Skimeister got on this trail just as it was opened. I even took a nearly non-stop run on Chilcoot, which had been groomed overnight and had a couple inches of fresh snow on top. I only had to stop because I thought I was getting frostbite on my cheeks. I was creating my own wind chill factor!
I got a kick out of playing in the pow-pow on the skier's right of Lower Liftline, where it hadn't been groomed. And I think I'm going to really like Doc Dempsey's Glades when the water areas have frozen over and we have a deeper base. It was pretty fun!
Over on Sterling, I most enjoyed skiing Upper Rumrunner to Lower Pipeline to Treasure Run. On the trails that didn't have snowmaking, you did have to avoid occasional water hazards and rocks. But it was worth a few scratches on the bases of my skis to get the sensation of sinking into about 8 to 10 inches of powder.
A run on Black Snake was a mistake—as it was extra-firm manmade snow with no powder on top. It was something I describe as linoleum. Oh well, live and learn.
By mid-morning more skiers and riders had arrived at Smuggler's, but the liftlines didn't get horrible. Perhaps the cold kept people away a bit. I was afraid to look at the temperatures, but I had layered on an extra fleece jacket and liner gloves, and I actually had to open up my pit-zips a bit for a couple of powder runs.
This was a terrific first powder day of the ski season. And I'm anticipating a really good day for Monday, after a storm comes through northern Vermont again on Sunday. Another storm will set us up well for glade skiing and more trail openings. We may just have to play hooky on Monday morning!
This is a run-down of new snow at Vermont ski resorts, as compiled by Ski Vermont this morning:
Bolton - 9 - 10"
Bromley - 11 - 13"
Burke - 8 - 9"
Jay Peak - 9 - 11"
Killington - 13"
Mad River - 12 - 15"
Mount Snow - 12 - 14"
Okemo - 7 - 9"
Pico - 13"
Smuggler's Notch - 8"
Stowe - 8 - 9"
Stratton - 10"
Sugarbush - 12 - 14"
Nice, huh?
