secret VT stash help

[notjustanotherboarder]

OK. I know the rules. But I need help. Here's my email:

tsingleton@mckissack.com

Here's the deal: I'll be in Spingfield MA on Xmas. For Friday, I'm hoping someone will email me a great location in southern/mid VT to go BC, see'in that its only a short drive north. Something a bit challenging-Maybe a 1-3 hour hike/skin. I've already got David Goodmans "Back country Skiing Adventures". But it does not list VT. PLEASE !! :)Someone must know somewhere!

[RR]

Gee I wish I knew something about that area too. All I can do at this point is suggest getting up to Magic Mtn. Great terrain and some backside stuff can be had via a hiking trail opposite the summit lift station. Keep turning righ to get back inbounds.

Also, Goodman has another volume for VT and NY.

[notjustanotherboarder]

Thanks. That might be the plan: I just checked their website. Only 1 1/2 hour drive. How's the hike and the ride down??

[RR]

First: The driving can be shortened once you get the basic route, good snows recommended for that action.

Next: The price is so reasonable most folks just pay the fare. However, at under 1800 feet of vert, it shouldn't take forever to hike up. For some reason they get a lot of pow, so postholing is a major sweat. Also, the land is nearly all on private property, coolness on your part will help with your relations with the patrol...very nice folk on their patrol btw. (recommend you pay the fare the first time and work on meeting the patrol in a positive way, like carry your FA kit and assist as they direct and you are able)

After all that...look for a sweet ride whether it's out back in the bush, in the trees or on piste. All the trails on skier's left of the lifts have runouts so try to carry some speed for the last 200 meters. There's excellent named glades on skier's right of the summit lift and again just a bit right of that. Tracks could be had in the unmarked area on either side of the summit lift, but I have not ventured in there yet. It's way too tight for my taste.

The Mountain tends to the steepish side with Master Magician being a traditional NE testpiece. It's early for cover on that, but there's usually lots of wind settle on skiers right...stay alert for the steep pitch around the corner out of sight.

Food's basic, but good and the people are happy to let folks be folks, within reason, natually. It's the kind of place you'll want to get back to a few times a season, every season.

[notjustanotherboarder]

Its sounds tasty. Hey, by chance have you ever skied MT Marcy? I'm not even sure where it is. I think in NY. But I was reading on line about it yesterday and by chance there as a trip report on TMT's from this past weekend.

I've been watching the weather channel this morning. It looks like the storm should change to snow by Xmas. Its just a matter of where. Where it snows is where I'll go!! :)

[RR]

Macry is in the 'Daks. I have not been there. I recall some TR's on that subject at Veiws From The Top. (http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/) VFTT is a good source of BC type beta.

[el-bagr]

To derail the topic a bit:

This AP article (http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2003/12/23/ski_officials_thrilled_with_early_season_snow/) states that Jay Peak has received 15' of snow this month, while Killington has received 7.5'.

I've heard people who are skeptical of the "Jay Cloud"... while the resort may consistently overreport, Jay seems fairly clearly to be in the Quebecois snowbelt.

[RR]

lattitude is part of the deal, but the real deal is the isolation of the Jay massif. It's a monadanock, a solo topographic relief. Since it's far enough from the nearest peaks and has a sizable vert to go with a good base elevation, the lenticular clouds can be seen there even on sunny days.

Basically orographic lift condenses the vapor in the air and chills it, making the massif into a natural snowmaking gun. A really large snowmaking gun.

The old saying "6 inches of partly cloudy" is so true at Jay.

[notjustanotherboarder]

Jay does overstate!! But they get the snow too!! I was there at least 10 days a couple of seasons ago when they got that record amount of snow. But, once again, it looks like I'll wait until Xams day to see if anyone will get any snow on the back side of the coming storm.

Cannon reported that they got 8" after the rain event last week. And they do tend to report the truth, even the rain. Hopefully, that will be the case by the end of this storm. If it is, Cannon is where I will be :) Jay is a hike!! But, if they are the only ones to get the snow and my bud is willing, I'll make that trip.

[NH_tele]

It's looking like Cannon's gonna get rain with this storm. I'm headed up there tommorow (the 24th), and it's predicted to rain, I'll report if it's any good, and whether it gets rain...

I'm headed up to Jay next mon & tues, so we'll see what happens (I'm hoping for snow instead of rain so that the skiing's good!).