Skied the 'Beast Saturday 12/9. Only one trail open, not too bad conditions, a bit crunchy. Great to be back on snow!
Wachusett 12/10 with hrstrat57, Ice Queen, RISkier and a couple of unnamed and affiliation undisclosed Offspring.
It may be small and not steep, but they are snow making and grooming magicians! A few trails open, we skied Challenger (moderate blue) and Connifer (steeper blue) over and over again.
Very good conditions, not soft, but very skiable, beautifully groomed trails. I think it was 3, maybe 4 days ago the whole mountain was completely bare - it's really amazing what can be done with the money for enough guns - in 3 days.
Not crowded, great weather in the 20's.
First off Challenger, a long, easy cruiser with a few places you can get going fast on, but mostly just "wheee!" skiing. Youngest Un/Non Offspring was on new skis - that was the excuse to ski over there, but honestly we all love/loved it.
Ice Queen on her Burnin Luvs right off impressed me, skiing only about 4 years but her turns were smooth and rhythmic with not even an echo of a wedge. Significant Other RISkier is also a 4 year skier, both started as adults (as did I.) He also skied really well. These folks as it turned out were at the ETU's and have taken a lot of lessons, it works folks! When I had been skiing only 4 years I was far below their levels. They were a blast to ski with, really nice, warm people!
hrstrat of course was way off ahead often as he just likes to skis fast (must be the extra 5cm on his RX-8's over me - and the flouro.)
Older Un/Non O. clearly an accomplished skier just out of college - ah to be young again! Younger adjusting to new skis more and more as the day went on and looking really good!
Then over to Connifer from the summit. Trail was in great condition and except for the "Go Fast, Lose Pass" signs you can really fly on it. Nice wide at times curving trail with a couple of drops steep enough that you can do sharp short turns, or fly down (under control and not TOO Fast of course
)
By 11 the snow was a little softer too. A couple of pitches exposed some ice with time.
Back to Challenger (for a cool down?) for a few runs, snow was holding up better there.
SMJ was very relieved that his knee wasn't bothering him. For the last few months have had on and off knee pain on stairs only. Skiing didn't tweak it, although side stepping up to the lift hurt a LOT, not going to be doing much of that. Felt good about my skiing, most of what I've learned is becoming 1.85nd nature. Still think about things from time to time, ankle flex, extension/flexion - but also many times that it is
2nd nature.
Great start to the season in the East. My trick of the last 2 or 3 years is to ski small hills - they can cover and groom much better. A big mountain has TOO much terrain to take care of us when the natural snow is lacking.
