Sign Off for the 05/06 Season

The Ski Guru has officially called it a season. The 05/06 winter campaign brought many great memories and some fantastic skiing. A trip to Tuckerman’s Ravine could be in the cards. However—unless I win the lottery and board an airplane— the days of skiing lift serviced terrain are all but a dream. At least that is until this coming December…

people taking in the day on the deck of Bear Mountain

The below average snowfall in New England created quite the conundrum. Fact: Skiing powder is my deal! This season I did chalk up some unbelievable days in the fluff. Three of them required air travel out west to Moonlight Basin, MT. When I arrived that part of the northern Rocky Mountains was experiencing record breaking snows. In New England I found myself in knee deep up at Jay Peak for three days. While almost every other resort in New England suffered from torturous rain events and marginal snow totals, Jay Peak just went about their business as usual. The resort has actually recorded 388 inches to date on the season (more than average) and is still operating with 90% of its terrain. The destination truly is a weather anomaly, a beacon of hope in an otherwise dismal snow year. Otherwise, I hit the goods in grandiose fashion once at Stowe and then again at Killington.
Other than those powder days I just mentioned there were only small stashes of a half foot here and there to be found for most of the season. It was not easy to stumble upon either—only the POW hounds with the best sniffers (and eyes for leeward drifting snow) made it to the squirreled away treasure troves. That is not to say conditions were bad. Even despite the lack of natural snowfall the resorts of New England flexed there snowmaking muscles and put out a fine product for skiers and riders alike all season long. It was a brilliant demonstration of how truly remarkable snowmaking technology is and how far it has come in the past decade.
looking down at the soft bumps on Outer Limits

One of the things I rediscovered this year was how much fun it was to ski with friends. The last two seasons the majority of the 160+ skier days I logged were spent on the mountain alone. I enjoy skiing alone. You can take the terrain at your pace and meet people on the lifts to head into the trees with (never ski in the woods alone). However, skiing with your friends is the best. I did not ski alone once this season. I immensely enjoyed all of my trips north to the mountains. I rediscovered the pleasure that childhood memories of group trips up north provide.
As the resorts on Snow Country dwindle, there are a few that will hang on as long as Mother Nature allows. There is also still some fine skiing to be had at those that are still spinning the lifts. If the weather looks like sunshine this weekend, and you have Friday off, it may be worth your while to make that one last trip.
The Season Summary:
• No new injuries, some reoccurring old ones, which was expected.
• Powder days = 8
• First Tracks = 3 days.
• Last Chair = twice.
• Falls worth rehashing = 2 rather impressive ones. First was in the backcountry at Moonlight/Big Sky during a white out. I caught an edge and rolled down a 50 degree pitch of rock and ice about 40 yards. Good thing I know how to self arrest (and that I was skiing with guides and patrol who were all quite impressed/humbled and relieved that I stopped and did not get injured). Second took place at Jay Peak right under the Bonaventure chair. It was one of those epic struggles to recover from a loss of balance and a missed turn that resulted in an utter and complete high speed yard sale.
• Lost Equipment = two pair of gloves and a hat.
• Broken equipment = One Ski, bust (ripped the rear binding right out of the skis base on the fall that I mentioned above at Jay).
• Skier Days = 25 (wish it were more).
• One great time = working on this blog and contributing to the forum.
dress in garb like this and the S.G. will find you…

The Final Weekend Report: This past Sunday I skied at Killington. It was the last day of the season for Bear Mountain. I had heard from multiple sources that there was still a ton of snow sticking around up there. After seeing the weatherman call for 50 degrees and sunshine the decision was an easy one to make.
What I found upon arrival to Outer Limits sometime around noon was exceptionally soft, spring corn bumps, soaking in the sunshine. This skier could not have wished for better. It was the type of skiing where each turn, into every bump, kicked up huge amounts of sugary snow that enveloped oneself. Truly phenomenal spring skiing conditions! The Spring Loaded snowboard competition was also in full effect. This equated to music blasting through the Bear Mountain base area and up Outer Limits all day long. People in mass hanging on the decks, skiers and riders of many types letting it all hang out in the jubilant, boisterous atmosphere. The runs I took on Bear were wonderful, the sport at its finest in April.
a rider grabbing big air off the last kicker

After getting more than our fill at Bear, my friends and I headed back towards the K1 Base Lodge.
Q: Is there a finer way to end the season then riding the Superstar lift and charging the trail underneath until the legs absolutely burn?
A: Not in my humble opinion.
So that is exactly what went down. The first ride up, I was not so sure about the trail. Sounded and looked firm. It was groomed out the night before. However, once standing atop the headwall and spotting the line into the flats it was time to let the skis run. The snow surface was actually very edgable. It was firm and there were some icy spots to contend with, but all in you could open up and let them fly on a not so crowded Superstar all afternoon. Why do I like this approach? Because we are talking less then a 10 minute round trip between lift ride up and decent. You can pound vertical feet, and I did.
So that is how it ended. The Ski Guru ripping, skiing as fast as he could. My jacket was whipping in the wind, the sound of sharp edges carving in the firm, fast snow. Sunshine and a wide open run as far as the eye could see. Was I skiing away from the season that was? Possibly, a part of me is more anxious for the next to arrive and bring us more natural snow. But during the chair ride up, as I sat with my hat and goggle in hand—working on a tan—I could not help but smile as I thought of the days I had this past year.
Season Ending Tip: When stowing your gear away for the summer always clean any mud off the boots. Do not wash your Gore-Tex; it is very bad for the material to put it in a washing machine with regular detergent. It will lose all of its waterproof qualities. You can however wash all your wool (air dry) and fleece garments. Pack it all away neatly and clean. Do this—that way when it dumps next season in early December you will be ready to grab your boot bag and head to the mountains. As for your skis, bring them to a shop and get them a full tune. Tell the employees to leave the wax on the edges and it will prevent corrosion while they sleep in storage during the humid summer months that lie ahead.
With that being said, I can certainly tell you this. Hitting the long ball with the driver (go straight this year) and catching trout (rainbows, browns & brookies) on a 5 weight rod are very cool activities. Fun! However, they will certainly not provide the adrenaline fix of skiing down a steep field of virgin powder, sliding quietly through a hardwood forest or smashing down a zipper line of soft bumps. Nonetheless, it will have to suffice, at least until the snow is flying again.
Enjoy your summer! I hope that you all took something away from the site this year to share on the chairlift or from a bar stool, whether it be with a stranger or a friend. Thank you all for reading and skiing!
Sweating Snowflakes all summer long,
Ski Guru
Photos, Ethan
PS ~ thought for the summer to bring to next season. Skiing well = a series of linked recoveries!
PS to the PS ~ I will post to the forum every now and again as deals and news hit my inbox, I believe it will remain active in the months to come…
The Ski Guru on Outer Limits!