Angus

A few months back when you mentioned driving up to some hunting cabin and earning the respect of your future father-in-law?? made me think of it...hadn't thought about it in years! Yeah, those ruts were deep!

Gosh probably 10+ years ago, my kids and I were on our way to MRG during late March and I decided to try the Warren Mountain Road which takes you from Roxbury to Warren and is substantially unpaved...big mistake. I got about half way up and had to go back in reverse, lucky we didn't get stuck up there.

IMO, with gulf of slides, tuckerman and Huntington Ravine in the forefront; the views from Wildcat can't be beat. Best view at Cannon is Vista Way which I guess in many ways is my favorite trail there too. Both Wildcat and Cannon's views are rugged. BW expansive views are what I'd describe as majestic! I am less familiar with the glade skiing on the upper half of Cannon but what I've sampled I haven't really liked, I find it suffers from steep, tight lines with lots of low branches...so you are skiing, ducking and avoiding roots and rocks because folks basically have "slip, slided" their way thru previously. Great thing about BW's glades are they are all cleaned up, there aren't any stumps, roots and other stuff sticking out...they can generally be skied with a minimum of natural snow. The canopy is high and trees are generously spaced. I kind of remember and don't know the specifics but there use to be a MWV pass available to residents that gave them access to all 5 areas, don't know if it even existed but the nice thing about Wildcat, BW, Cranmore, Black and Attitash, they are all very different areas with different charms. I was talking to a Epic skier who lives in Bartlett this weekend on the chairlift and he was saying the lines have been so insane at Attitash and Wildcat that they have been skiing at Black this season and love it.

@tamarack My bro-in-law who works for a MA-based contractor was up in your neck of the woods last April, said the damage was fairly extensive. It gets mentioned frequently but the '98 ice storm for Maine was easily a hundred year event. For the first decade, the evidence of tree devastation was obvious whenever I drove between 95 and the coast, not so much anymore. I was working with a Montreal based telco at the time and recall the high voltage transmission towers collapses up in Quebec.

Nice day at wildcat yesterday. The mountain has adequate snow to have everything open although a few select trails, i.e. hairball is a bit sketch which I skied and someone told me not to bother with feline - isn't worth it. Anyway, the usual runs are all bumped up and were a ton of fun to ski. I was thinking about the conditions between BW a few weeks ago and Wildcat today. Just totally different, the groomers don't ski as nice whether it's the trails twists and turns, double fall lines or grooming/snowmaking and the natural terrain/ungroomed stuff is just more difficult terrain. With that said, they stayed all snow on saturday and snow was good. I am concerned that without snowmaking on some trails, i.e. upper wildcat; one good rain event will finish it for the season. fun time, definitely a feel of early spring. met a guy in line who came over from stowe due to stowe, he said he already had 75 days there this season. the mask wearing in the lift line was atrocious.

I've been watching the mwobs autoroad temp profile, 1,600' is now 37 but 2,300' is 33. It looks like Wildcat survived. Departure at 6am if all works out. Hoping for a fun day.

Friend just sent me a text that Jay shut down today due to winds and raining at moment.

I've never seen Katahdin in the winter in person but there is something striking about it as you drive in from south. if you are arriving via 95, the terrain is essentially flat most of the ride. I guess there is a bit of undulation thru Millinocket and then...there it is. Kind of like the OMG Corner on 27 as you drive into Sugarloaf...

I saw PF's post this morning and went to the webcams - it was dumping at both MRG and Wildcat sometime after 5am, I rechecked the wildcat webcam after the sun came up and before I walked the dog - 630ish and the the snow had temporarily stopped at Wildcat. Snowing hard there now via webcam. I've got a reservation at wildcat sunday so hoping for the best between now and then. My local metrowest nordic skiing is vanishing quickly :-((((

Heading out for a xc ski and think it may be heaviest snow of the event in the 01742

& that right there summarizes why being a winter weenie in NE is hard business!

Saw a video of a couple of guys skiing down 2222 in Austin this afternoon on twitter. This is Blizzard of '78 like stuff for Texas right now.

@wxeyeNH I meant to mention this but until yesterday, never realized what a good look you have from the top of ragged mountain over to your house. You can clearly see a # of large open fields above Newfound. Not sure how much open acreage is on your property. Looking from the west rather than from along 93 gives you a much better ideà of the elevation gain.

A nice day at BW on Saturday. Primarily stuck to West chair and Stickney tbar to minimize wait times. At ragged yesterday and was very impressed by their operation. They have made lots of snow and whole mountain was open but could certainly use snow in woods and non-snowmaking trails. My nephew made great strides this weekend, he's a typical 10 year old, won't acknowledge any advice regarding skiing (or anything) but is quietly listening. I just started taking him down the most advance terrain both mountains had - steeps, bumps, and trees and all of sudden it clicks! Also, he thought walking out onto the lake was a hoot and was very curious about the fishing houses on the lake. Meredith Bay was a small city given the fishing tournament.

Cancelled my Sunapee/Wildcat tickets and now plan to ski BW and Ragged where I could get tickets. Noticed that both Sugarloaf and Cannon reporting active snowmaking over last two days.

I have two reservations this week, Sunapee and wildcat and went to buy a youth ticket for my 10 year old nephew and there are no tickets available. I then went to other Vail resorts and this seems to be the rule. On one hand, irritated (at myself) which is outweighed by happy to see them limiting sales for safety reasons. I meant to add on my quick summary of my visit last Thursday to Stowe that mask wearing was excellent!

So, i don't really understand the rules but there are two guys left at Black Mtn (NH) who have been skiing/skinning for 2+ days. It's called Last Man Standing, crazy. https://www.instagram.com/stories/ski_the_whites/2504877580175451312/

The nordic skiing again was very nice this morning and we have a very nice pack in metrowest and there is a certain giddiness about it all until I remind myself how similar packs have been decimated by a single warm, high qpf cutter.

Franconia Ski Club is...famous, right word? IMO, getting her signed up with an explorer group where she tears around the mountain with peers is the way to go at that age. Agree with PF's comments above about keeping them interested.

nice day yesterday classic style nordic at great brook state park skiing for 2 hours. It was fun to ski in set tracks. this morning went back with the skate skis just as it began to snow. yesterday above freezing temps and sunshine had made the skate lanes a bit too icy but with a bit of new snow, things improved nicely and got in a 90 minute session. Headed out into the woods later this pm. the new snow will help there too. looks good for some extended local cross country which I appreciate.

@PhineasC Nope. I think they reported 17" so I bet things are much improved...I hope. Definitely, the lower angled stuff.

I skied a pair of 110-115 at a demo day maybe 5 years ago, spring conditions. It was a strange sensation, almost like surfing! But could definitely see how they would be fun. Haven't been out there in probably 7-8 years but always laughed when I walked into a Tahoe ski shop, there wasn't a ski in there less than 100 under foot.

Skied at Stowe yesterday. First day really able to ski 'hard' given the ample amount of snow. I was spent at 2pm but soldiered on until 4! The lifties offered to send me up the toll road double at 4 as the last rider of the day but I waived them off. I was 2nd person there in the morning although the lift was delayed 30 minutes. Took 10 minute lunch break eating a slice of pizza on the side of the trail! Some of the steep entrances are closed - Starr, Lookout, Goat but I had a ton fun accessing them lower - National to lower National may have been my favorite although Starr was really good but only skied it twice. Stuff like bypass in the steep sections was scraped off. I think this might have been my first, mid-winter visit to Stowe. I was surprised by the # of people. I spotted some trending fashion statements, the women seem to like wearing these embroidered, suede gloves, and the base area reminds me of a western ski area - just wow. Really fun day, great terrain and I was able to get out of bed this morning with minimal lower back discomfort!

been watching the wildcat cam sporadically, really haven't seen it not snowing hard. getting crushed now.

Wildcat needs snow!