JF 12/21/2009

[method9455]

My girlfriend and I went up to Jack Frost today. We left a bit before 9 but took a detour to blast around a local meadow in my Subaru, apparently 10" of snow on grass is not a problem for it either. We got to JF at 10:30am and left at close (4pm). We considered going to Big Boulder after but didn't because we were tired & not doing park anyway.

 

Weather was about 28F with 15-20 mph winds. Bluebird at home and all the way to Camelback, but completely overcast at JF all day. On the way home it broke to bluebird again as soon as we got just west of Camelback, very strange. Some flurries, but the main factor was the wind. Sadly they didn't have much snow from the storm this weekend, maybe 3", we could really see the snow depth dropping on the side of the road as we drove west.

 

They were making snow on every closed trail, and about a third of the open trails, primarily on the west side for the beginner trails (which were groomed to perfection) and challenge. Every trail but Floyd's Folly can be open tomorrow or wednesday, they were grooming out the one next to One Park that was closed during the day. I'm sure Floyd's will be ready by the weekend so they'll be 100% open for the holiday week.

 

The wind was blowing everything around so you basically had that January packed/groomed manmade. It was not hard or icy, I was on my jib board with round edges and wasn't skidding around at all, but it wasn't soft on most trails. The exception was Challenge, the fan guns were going and the roll of the trail was blocking the wind from taking the snow away and it was real soft and nice, definitely the trail of the day. The trees on the right are sweet now that they are extended all the way down. Good glade to learn in because the trees are spaced very wide and there is just as much base in there as thick as a regular trail. Seriously there must be 30" of manmade snow in there.

 

East mountain was in good form, although Telstar/Solitude were a bit worse than the rest of the mountain. I think they just opened this morning and they were a bit bumpy.

 

The Elevator glade is legit, I didn't go in but it has a serious entrance.

 

I took the challenge glade cut through to under the east mountain lift, but once you got out of the range of the fan guns the glade was thin and I hit a lot of rocks, wouldn't recommend going there or under the lift just yet.

 

I did Elevator twice, love that it is cleared out. Definitely a trail where you have to think about where you are going to turn. Nice soft coverage, but still a bit thin there were some rocks poking through and its steep enough you often can't see them coming until you hit them. The run out isn't open yet either so you had to contend with some wet sticky snow and ungroomed snow boulders on the way out.

 

One park is well maintained but I only did two quick passes through so no comments on flow or the jump line. Not many features right now but the setup is:

1) Butter box or tree bumpy thing

2) Flat box or down-flat rail

3) Small (5') jump or upslope box

4) Small (10') or smaller (5') jump

5) Down rail or down box

6) Battleship rail or flat box

 

Overall, excellent day. My legs feel like jello and I remembered what the hell I was doing which I couldn't really warm up on opening day at Boulder. I'm going to take 1 more day before going to Colorado on January 4th, probably to Elk to avoid the crowds and see someplace new. I wish I could go a few more times but I don't have a pass and don't have much money, so that's all I can get in.

 

Pictures later

[phillycore]

Nice TR Kevin...

 

PICS pics!!

[ectobar]

I was there with my little brother. Challenge was definitely the place to be. The glades are so much fun, excellent work there.

 

We also took that unfortunate voyage down under the lift on the east side. Our boards were not pleased.

 

I thought I saw you on the east side from the lift eyeing up the elevator, but was only guessing from seeing your avatar. Guess it was you after all.

[method9455]

I was there with my little brother. Challenge was definitely the place to be. The glades are so much fun, excellent work there.

 

We also took that unfortunate voyage down under the lift on the east side. Our boards were not pleased.

 

I thought I saw you on the east side from the lift eyeing up the elevator, but was only guessing from seeing your avatar. Guess it was you after all.

 

Yea that was me. The first time I looked down the top I was disoriented, it looks completely different than it did before. Two skiers went down it before me the first time and basically stopped right above that little 2' cliff and basically stood there trying to figure out how to get out for a while so I was just standing there for a while. I checked out the pictures in the other thread and it looks like I was taking it a little more to skiers right than everyone else, you drop that little cliff by going right and have a bit too much speed to control with that little snow so next time I'm going to try left.

 

I should have posted last night to see if any PASRs were going up.

 

If my board could have been any more trashed it would have been, but it was actually my last day ever on the board I was riding so I didn't even look. I did get a thorn bush stuck on my jacket going through the glades, I don't mind on my pants but that sucked because my jacket is in good shape.

[toast21602]

i need to take a trip up to frost once to check this joint out. never been there, yet.

[AtomicSkier]

I too need to visit JF some time this break. Maybe after new years before JH.

[RajeevGuptaSucheeta]

It is time to come to america to do snowbord!!!

[method9455]

Flickr set which I prefer over the PASR pic setup right now

 

Snowmaking on the west side

 

River views

 

Entrance to elevator glade, it is pretty serious, we all know how pictures flatten out trails from the top

 

Showing how overcast it was at 4pm on east mtn

 

Blowing hard on floyd's with regular air/water guns

 

 

I've been wondering how the snow is getting on elevator, right now is it only blow over from the fan guns on rivershot? It's good right now (could use a little more snow), but later in the season I would love to see a fan gun directed at it once in a while to keep it nice. If it freezes over it is screwed because you can't groom it. It's probably steep enough to slide too, though with skiers running over it so much it will probably be ok. Definitely the most challenging trail in PA even though it is short. It is only slightly steeper than some groomed trails at Blue or Camelback, but cut out the grooming and add in some boulders and unevenness and you can't just point it straight and slow down at the bottom like you can on most steep trails.

 

Although I hope bad snowboarders don't find it and start side slipping down it, that would be absolutely awful.

[RajeevGuptaSucheeta]

Hell YEah!!!

Yes yes in the next month Mr Steez i hope it will be very good

[JFskiDan]

all the snow we are going to get this year will keep it nice. actually, i am confident that JF will do thier best to keep the trees and the elevator fresh.

[RidgeRacer]

Entrance to elevator glade, it is pretty serious, we all know how pictures flatten out trails from the top

 

Great pic. East Mt. rcoks.

[phillycore]

Hell yeah Kevin... Dom, Dan, Mike and I have to ski/ride with you at some point this year.

[RajeevGuptaSucheeta]

Hell yeah Kevin... Dom, Dan, Mike and I have to ski/ride with you at some point this year.

it will be wonderful to be back in america - first - i must make donuts in tobyhanna - then i could do snowboard once again - it will be just a few more days!