kfarrar
12-03-2003, 10:00 AM
Yesterday started off looking great. As I exited the house at 4:45 AM and looked up to the sky, it was quite a stary morning. After situating my gear in the car I was off. First stop, gas and coffee; HMMM it never tasted so good.
Within in minutes I was driving in near whiteout conditions. This was not looking good. Imediately, I started passing cars(mostly pickups) in the ditches. I still had quite a ways to drive and the conditions passed the point of being fun. I thought to myselve if things don't improve I'll have to turn around. By now traffic heading south was backing up due to the number of cars on the road. Luckly, I was going North and there was only two cars infront of me.
I started seeing more and more accidents as I headed up 125 N. I lost count at about 9. Traveling was definatley slow going and I could'nt wait to hit Route 16. I thought the highways would be better. Initially I was wrong. 3 inches of snow packe to ice. Just as I thought about turning around the sky was getting lighter and I could see the clouds breaking. Within minutes on the highway there was no snow at all. It was freaky. The radio stations were all talking about how bad the morning rush hour was. Boy was I glad I didn't go to work - I would have arrived at the office around noon, making it a four plus hour commute.
I pulled into the Wildcat parking lot at 7:30; making goodtime overall. There were a few work crew member around but no one inside the lodge. After assembling my gear and clothing I headed outside. I put on my skins and I was off and upward. Initially the climb was killing me. Within minutes I was sweating like crazy and stripping layers off. The outside temp was 18 degrees and I only had on a thermal shirt with a fleece shirt and a one layer gortex jacket. As I climbed I kept looking back, trying to get a glimse of the Ravine - it was totally socked in with snow squals. At one point the clouds broke enough to see huntingtons and the snow fields which appeared to be filling in nicely. The Ravine spirit remain shrounded in a sea of clouds the entire day.
After alot of sweating, huffing and puffing, sucking down heaps of water I finally made it to the top of Bobcat a nice wide open black diamond trail. The surface on the way up was a breakable crust with a little man made sugar that had been blowing around. I stripped my skins, took a deap breadth and headed down. The first turns were quite awkward, but I got my grove back pretty quick. As I approached the bottom of the run I passed two telemarkers.
At the bottom I put the skins on and headed back up for another. This time I was feeling a little more warmed up and made much better time. The telemarkers passed me reveling in how much fun they were having on their trip downward. I felt really good on my second run down. I headed into the lodge for quick potty break. I was surprised that no one was in the lodge. I refilled my naglene with water and headed back out.
As a started my climb, I could make out a couple figures ahead of me. They were not the telemarkers I had seen. I tried to quicklen my pace but I was now loosing steam. They were fresh and I was struggling to keep up. When I arrive at the top they were their arranging their gear. Two girls on Alpine touring gear with nice fat Soloman's. We talked briefly and I decided to follow them down Caterpault. The snowguns had been blowing all morning on this trail and it was a nice firm surface of sugar like snow. The trail and the turns were awesome to say the least. Unfortunatly, at the bottom their was a high water considency in the snow and it was sticking to the bottom of my skis. I could go any farther down. I followed the girls back up and over to Bobcat. They climbed back up and I followed. My now I was struggling. My skins wouldn't stay affixed to my skis, and my quads burned like never before. I was with 25 yards from the top of the run and I hit the Wall. I couldn't force myself to go the distance. No biggy. I ate some food and crank the rest of my water and layed down another run. Not bad for a tired as I was getting.
The day was great. Not only did I get first tracks of the day, but my ealiest tracks ever. And I was only one of 5 people on the mountain. The summit was doable but one definately would need rocks skis. One more natural snow event and Wildcat will be rocken.
Within in minutes I was driving in near whiteout conditions. This was not looking good. Imediately, I started passing cars(mostly pickups) in the ditches. I still had quite a ways to drive and the conditions passed the point of being fun. I thought to myselve if things don't improve I'll have to turn around. By now traffic heading south was backing up due to the number of cars on the road. Luckly, I was going North and there was only two cars infront of me.
I started seeing more and more accidents as I headed up 125 N. I lost count at about 9. Traveling was definatley slow going and I could'nt wait to hit Route 16. I thought the highways would be better. Initially I was wrong. 3 inches of snow packe to ice. Just as I thought about turning around the sky was getting lighter and I could see the clouds breaking. Within minutes on the highway there was no snow at all. It was freaky. The radio stations were all talking about how bad the morning rush hour was. Boy was I glad I didn't go to work - I would have arrived at the office around noon, making it a four plus hour commute.
I pulled into the Wildcat parking lot at 7:30; making goodtime overall. There were a few work crew member around but no one inside the lodge. After assembling my gear and clothing I headed outside. I put on my skins and I was off and upward. Initially the climb was killing me. Within minutes I was sweating like crazy and stripping layers off. The outside temp was 18 degrees and I only had on a thermal shirt with a fleece shirt and a one layer gortex jacket. As I climbed I kept looking back, trying to get a glimse of the Ravine - it was totally socked in with snow squals. At one point the clouds broke enough to see huntingtons and the snow fields which appeared to be filling in nicely. The Ravine spirit remain shrounded in a sea of clouds the entire day.
After alot of sweating, huffing and puffing, sucking down heaps of water I finally made it to the top of Bobcat a nice wide open black diamond trail. The surface on the way up was a breakable crust with a little man made sugar that had been blowing around. I stripped my skins, took a deap breadth and headed down. The first turns were quite awkward, but I got my grove back pretty quick. As I approached the bottom of the run I passed two telemarkers.
At the bottom I put the skins on and headed back up for another. This time I was feeling a little more warmed up and made much better time. The telemarkers passed me reveling in how much fun they were having on their trip downward. I felt really good on my second run down. I headed into the lodge for quick potty break. I was surprised that no one was in the lodge. I refilled my naglene with water and headed back out.
As a started my climb, I could make out a couple figures ahead of me. They were not the telemarkers I had seen. I tried to quicklen my pace but I was now loosing steam. They were fresh and I was struggling to keep up. When I arrive at the top they were their arranging their gear. Two girls on Alpine touring gear with nice fat Soloman's. We talked briefly and I decided to follow them down Caterpault. The snowguns had been blowing all morning on this trail and it was a nice firm surface of sugar like snow. The trail and the turns were awesome to say the least. Unfortunatly, at the bottom their was a high water considency in the snow and it was sticking to the bottom of my skis. I could go any farther down. I followed the girls back up and over to Bobcat. They climbed back up and I followed. My now I was struggling. My skins wouldn't stay affixed to my skis, and my quads burned like never before. I was with 25 yards from the top of the run and I hit the Wall. I couldn't force myself to go the distance. No biggy. I ate some food and crank the rest of my water and layed down another run. Not bad for a tired as I was getting.
The day was great. Not only did I get first tracks of the day, but my ealiest tracks ever. And I was only one of 5 people on the mountain. The summit was doable but one definately would need rocks skis. One more natural snow event and Wildcat will be rocken.