WALKING REQUIRED: SPRING SKIING AT SUGARBUSH
Early this morning, I wasn’t sure where I was going to spend my ski day, but after texting Pro Skier Darren White and asking if he wanted to ski, we decided to meet up at Sugarbush. We got there later in the morning, you know, to let people get some runs in before we tore it up. It’s just the right thing to do! Between the bumps on Stein’s Run, and the fairly long walk to reach snow elsewhere, it was a pretty eventful time on the snow.
Riding the Valley House Quad.
Stein’s Run.
Pro Skier Darren White and I walking down Snowball.
It was warm enough that I was able to skip the ski pants and just where shorts, but I did wear my ski jacket to hold my keys, etc. Pro Skier Darren White did the opposite. He had on ski pants, but no jacket. Both options seemed to work well today, as I don’t think either of us were overly warm or cold at any time.
They had six runs open, all of which were accessed by the Valley House Quad. The six open runs amounted to three ways down: Stein’s Run to Coffee Run, Snowball to Spring Fling, and Snowball to Lower Snowball and Racer’s Edge. Given how nice the weather was, I figured the mountain would be a little busier than it was. With the light crowd, you were able to just ski right on to the lift, which was nice.
Bumps at the top of Stein’s Run.
Pro Skier Darren White putting on a clinic on Stein’s Run.
Coffee Run.
The first run we skied was Stein’s Run. The big bumps right at the top of the headwall were intimidating, but fairly easy to navigate. The whole run was bumped up, and they were fairly big for the entire length. Fortunately, the bumps were nice and soft, but there were some firm spots here and there between them.
As y’all may have guessed, Pro Skier Darren White, aka ‘The Monster’ and the ‘East’s Most Decorated Athlete’, put on an absolute masterclass in the bumps on Stein’s. People were watching in awe as he effortlessly hopped from one bump to the next. I, on the other hand, skied them a bit less aggressively, but still had a good time.
Sign at the top of Snowball.
Snowball.
Walking down Snowball.
After skiing Stein’s, we went on an adventure down Snowball. There was a sign at the top warning that walking was required, and it wasn’t kidding. The very top of the run was skiable until maybe about halfway down, and then you had to pop off your skis, unless you’re an absolute animal who can ski dry grass. I’m not an animal, so I had to pop them off. The walk was actually fairly significant, and not a ton of fun in ski boots, but overall it wasn’t too bad.
Lower Snowball.
Lower Snowball.
Racer’s Edge.
After we finished the walk, we put our skis back on and decided to ski Lower Snowball to Racer’s Edge first, as the path had some twists and turns to it, thanks to large bare spots. Though coverage wasn’t great like it was on Stein’s, the snow on Lower Snowball and Racer’s Edge was soft and mashed up, but not bumped up like Stein’s, so it was a nice change of pace.
Spring Fling.
Looking up at Racer’s Edge (left) and Spring Fling (right).
After skiing Stein’s some more, we decided to head back down Snowball to ski Spring Fling. Like Lower Snowball and Racer’s Edge, the snow on Spring Fling was soft and mashed up, but not bumped up. There were large bare spots on the right side, but the left side had good coverage. I’d say Spring Fling was my favorite run of the day in terms of conditions, with Lower Snowball and Racer’s Edge coming in second. With the walking required, this part of the mountain was also not as busy as Stein’s, which was nice.
Never Quit Skiing,
Lincoln