Lunch Run

[Luddite]

Probably more exploratory than skiing, but going to do an explore off the west side of Uncanoonuc at lunch. I saw an area a couple years ago mountain biking and remember thinking it might be a good line to ski, so I'm heading up with skis, tape and pruning saw just in case. Might be able to find it and make something of it before the next big snow, or it might be a bust, but it beats sitting at my desk eh? I'll probably hit the nursery parking lot around 11:30 or so...

[stoneman]

I wish you'd give a bit more notice.... I could have provided a bit of beta,
vis-a-vis the west & north sides. This past fall, i spent a bit of time "checking out" the possibilities.
I don't normally have enough time at lunch for doing any exploration. But with a bit of notice, i could make time for a run or two.

Hope you had fun & whats the current snow condiditon?

[Luddite]

:confused:
Usually I know earlier, this one was a last minute decision. Soo here's a TR, pics tomorrow....

Everything said "don't go". The thermometer on Kelly St. said 54 degrees. The brown lawns near St.A's. The brown lawns up Mountain Rd. WInd picked up and skies got greyer as soon as I put my skins on. But I went. The skin up was not encouraging. What was clearly see-through ice was now semi translucent slush dotted with rock and roots. On the other hand I was in shirtsleeves :happyhiker:

I veered off the trail just below the "7 Steps to Heaven" to steal from Miles Davis, and onto the ridges. The amount of water running down the snowmobile trail told me the trail I intended to skin out on the west side would be a river today, so I decided to run that summer hiking trail. I bushwhacked around a lot but couldn't find it from the top. The tape I put up 2 years ago was long gone. Skies got greyer and wind louder and I had reservations about doing much, but I've been out of service all winter dangit! I traversed over to the west side. I started on a run in to my mountainn bike trail,, which looks a LOT narrower on skis than it did on a bike! Snow was thin and downfall was thick and I couldn't follow the line so I just started trying to aim for spaces with snow. The first several turns were not so good. I was on new skis for me, some K2 Xplorers, same mold as the World Piste and legendary (for tele) Olin Selkirk. I think they're 180s or so, after skiing all year on my 169 Piste Pipes they felt long at first, and getting used to new skis in tight trees is not the best way, but lo and behold, just after the mtb kicker jump there was a patch of deeper snow and lots of space and dang these things turn right good! As I got more confident I just let them run, using my poles to smash the eye pokers out of the way like they were organic slalom gates. Some places were a bit tight, but the further I went the deeperr the corn got and man there were sweet turns to be had! I went out across a ridge I know, it's solid granite but there was enough snow, and it lead into a nice birch forest. I tried to build a trail in there a few years ago, but I stuck my rake into a nest of ground wasps... anyways I had a vague idea of where I was and it was just happening for me today. Suddenly I recognized the infamous Moose Scat Rock. From here there are more lines, but a long climb out. It was then that I noticed one of my Chilis was bent badly, so I decided to cut over to the mtb trail and skin up it. Paused a bit at the platform of despair to look for the indentation my head made in the tree...you could get some good air off it on skis as long as you really stick the landing. Skinned back up and decided to ski the front ridges to my car. Someone else had made some tracks down there, that was nice to see. A little less pitch, but the trees are more spaced and it was just great tele down and hmm I'm on the trail I originally couldn't find. Of course I didn't figure thatt out until I'd gotten off of it, so I missed the last open descent, but a couple hours well spent. Lots of critter tracks on the west side today; moose, deer and bear. My tracks are pretty visible so if it doesn't rain I'd recommend a corn run for anyone who doesn't mind picking branches out of their helmet for a few days!

jc

[M@]

MMMmmm... organic slalom gates

I saw your message in the morning, but I'm home sick so I couldn't have enjoyed the time out anyway.

Gotta get up there with you one of these days... Next storm let's make it a priority. Stoneman is right around the corner from there - and I'm only 20min away,

M@

[Luddite]

On the skin back up I saw a couple areas that 3 guys with the appropriate hand tools could do wonders with :D I tell ya, one day with a silencer equipped chain saw and I could show you some really nice stuff...

[RR]

On the skin back up I saw a couple areas that 3 guys with the appropriate hand tools could do wonders with :D I tell ya, one day with a silencer equipped chain saw and I could show you some really nice stuff...Dude, PM me for that trip! With a couple weeks notice I can get a weekender....have tools :cooldog:

[Luddite]

It looks like it's raining here now, which is going to just trash a lot of it. There are a lot of possibilities we should check out before we start cutting. Let's keep an eye out for Friday if we get any snow, we can just go bop around the woods loooking for those perfect lines. I saw a few lookers today for sure, but I know there are lots more. Bring landscaping tape and we can mark out a few potential runs, then have a clearing party when RR can get in on the fun!

[stoneman]

My weapons of choice are a cheap machete & a pair of decent loppers. In reality, for that area, just moving the deadfalls & rotten stumps cleans up about 70% of the "obstacles".

How do you add a chainsaw to the standard smiles list?

[RR]

My weapons of choice are a cheap machete & a pair of decent loppers. In reality, for that area, just moving the deadfalls & rotten stumps cleans up about 70% of the "obstacles".

How do you add a chainsaw to the standard smiles list?Adjustable loppers give a 10' reach!

[M@]

I've got a short little battery powered recipirocating saw... works good around the yard.
M@

[Luddite]

Well first a couple of pics from yesterday, I imagine it'll be worse today...

The skin up was pretty representative of general degradation;
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/559/1354Feb16124.JPG


and here's a couple while skiing. Most didn't come out cos the trees where I was were so thick you couldn't see much. These areas were a little flatter and more open, a welcome rest from the rest of the SL course;

this is a granite ledge probably 100' long or so. The woods above pretty much look like the woods below so you can see why a little pruning woudl help a lot;
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/559/1354Feb16126.JPG

and one last breath before I got into the woods below. Harder to tell, but the lower stuff is mostly very thick saplings, I thnk it would be easy to clear some lines. The other stuff is as was mentioned, a lot of deadfall and eye/face level stuff that can be moved or otherwise dealt with.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/559/1354Feb16128.JPG

Thing I like about the west side is it's longer than the east, and is a series of pitches separated by flatter terraces where you can catch a breath and take a picture. The pitches themselves range from fun to uh oh and from sapling infested to geez look at the size of these trees, so there's a lot of variety. If it snows my meeting schedule for next Tuesday will see me up there at around 10:30AM....

[Rider.Steve]

Cool TR and pix!

The rain must have been bad yesterday - is there much snow expected tomorrow (friday)? If so, I would consider trying skinning and turns on saturday.

Steve

[djangoski]

Thing I like about the west side is it's longer than the east, and is a series of pitches separated by flatter terraces where you can catch a breath and take a picture.

I would also imagine that the snow would last longer on the West/North West side as well. Guido's being on the South face tends to loose snow VERY quickly, especially at the top where the angle to the sun is much greater.

Glad that you made it out of the woods before the downpour began.

[Luddite]

Cool TR and pix!

The rain must have been bad yesterday - is there much snow expected tomorrow (friday)? If so, I would consider trying skinning and turns on saturday.

Steve
I took quite a few rocks Wednesday and skied the less rocky lines. I'm thinking I need to see at least 3-5" to make it worthwhile at this point. Right now it's sunny out there...

[RR]

I suddenly have Monday available. Have skis etc & will travel. can go with my taller pack or the regular BC pack....

I'll be looking for the parking and wandering around looking for fun stuff from about Noon on. M@ has my phone # and I'll have a radio on 9-14.