AN EAST COAST SNIRT DAY AT SUGARBUSH
Making my way through the SNIRT on Sigi’s Ripcord. Photo credit: Chris Cover
There’s no doubt about it, ski season is winding down in the East, but there’s still a little skiing to go so a little SNIRT isn’t going to stop me from getting out and enjoying the best sport in the world. Today I skied the SNIRT at Sugarbush with my buddy Chris. It was a rainy morning so we decided to get to the mountain around 12. It rained some at first, but eventually the rain gave way to mostly cloudy skies and low visibility up high. Later in the day the sun even made an appearance or two.
Valley House Quad.
Sigi’s Ripcord.
They had 16 runs open across two lifts: the Valley House Quad and the Heaven’s Gate Quad. The Valley House Quad goes from the base to mid-mountain and Heaven’s Gate goes from mid-mountain to the summit. I’ve never actually ridden the Valley House Quad, nor do I think I’ve ever noticed it spinning, so it was kind of cool getting to check that off the list.
Spring Fling.
Stein’s.
Top of Sigi’s Ripcord.
Looking up at Sigi’s Ripcord.
Conditions were variable around the mountain. Spring Fling, for instance, had plenty of snow on it and the snow was nice and soft. Stein’s also had plenty of snow, but there were huge bumps on it. Despite it being more than 60 degrees, there was even some ice in-between those bumps. The same goes for Sigi’s Ripcord and Organgrinder off Heaven’s Gate, though both had large sections of dirt that you had to navigate around. Jester wasn’t bumped up and the snow was soft, but it was also getting pretty thin and narrow in spots. Basically, the most snow today was found on Spring Fling and Stein’s. Elsewhere, it was pretty typical spring skiing.
Downspout.
Organgrinder.
Jester.
Believe it or not, we may actually have a little powder day tomorrow. Snow is in the forecast for some ski areas and for that reason I’m headed to Jay Peak, where Kitz Woods and Hell’s Woods are calling my name! I just hope they survive the warm temperatures and rain overnight, before the switch to snow.
Never Quit Skiing,
Lincoln