Stowe Trip Recap

[Dan-]

We arrived in stowe around 5:00 and it was dumping, i could hardly sit in the car i just wanted to ride. We got into our condo and it was nice, ate dinner and just chilled, rented a few movies. Me and my buddy went to bed around 11. We arose around 6:30 and it was still dumping.

 

Stowe Day 1.

 

Got on the lifts around 7:45(everything was closed buy the triple chair). Took 5 runs down the trails, in atleast a foot of pow. I saw the double was going to open soon, so i waited inline for that until it opened and was probably the 10th chair up. And from there the day just got even better. We hiked to the top of the quad, in spots we were up to our waist in snow on the hike up. I saw another trail that wasn't lift accessable so we hiked that, waist deep all the way up( ill post pictures later) We took a little break half way up, and some locals were behind us, so we joined up with them to go up even further. We reached the peak of the Chin, and crested over it to recieve 80+ mile per hour winds blowing us backwards. Now for the Decent. We took an EPIC tree line, snow up to my armpits in places, and face shots like no other. Thanks to the locals(Dan and Steve) we popped back out on the trail of waist deep pow pow. We slashed that up with face shots again.. We then took nose dive and how pow all the way down, with visability of about 5 feet and no goggles( they fogged from the hike) i just had to feel the snow with my board to tell were the i was going. After we reached the base we were pretty much dying of hunger. We went back to our condo got some food and rested up. Went back out for about 3 runs, but everything was tracked so we headed in.

 

Stowe Day 2.

 

On day 2, again in the mourning all but the triple chair were on wind hold, so i headed for the tree's and did some crazy tree lines all day, in knee deep pow. We hiked a 10 ft drop for about an hour and got some sick pictures( which ill post later) We headed out of the trees around 1, and we were both exhuasted so we headed in.

 

All in all the trip was AMAZING, and I dunno how im gonna go without pow for almost a year now. Im missing it already. The snow totals up there, were about 10 inches at the base, and ALOT up top, as i said before some spots were chest deep. Ill get some pictures up later.

 

The best quote i heard came from the locals. "You guys definatly dont fit the tourist sterotype, going this burly on your first day out" Steve. That was after our tree line down the chin.

 

Ill have plently of stories for the lifts at blue. Ill be up either thursday or friday, i have to work the next 2 days.

 

And doug i saw your post in the other topic, about moving to montana, i know how you feel bro, I feel the addiction already.

[Dan-]

Yeah we got incredibly lucky, the locals said that this was there best storm all year.

[NJSkiFamily]

Of course it was the best storm all year......all the big holiday weekends are done.

[Dan-]

Stoked on day one

Our first chair up.

 

Here's 2 pictures. Im to lazy and the hosting site is going really slow, ill get some pictures of us hiking the chin, and pictures of us in the tree's later tonight

[lineskier99]

ya i just got back last nite from stowe the snow they got friday n saturday was awsome so much powder a couple of us went for a woods run on the side of spruce and we got lost n hiked about 6 miles back out to the road n on sunday a few of us hiked up about 800ft or so up off the gondala the skiing was sick with chest deep powder and a really nice view of the whole mtn.

[Wolverine21]

yep i was with him. the path up fro mthe gondola was epic. packed down, pretty easy hike for the most part. we didnt hike all the way up so we missed the main path down so i led us out and it was chest deep pow the whole way it was the sickest run ever.

[Sno Mountain Skier]

Ok here it goes.

 

Day 1- First run we head through some woods and then have to hike 20 feet because of a pond. Then second run we take only half of us go down and then we get lost in the woods. One hour and fifteen minute hike out of the woods. For anyone who knows, we went to the right of west run on Spruce and ended up at the gondola. The ride down was great, waist deep all the way down. Then had to hike on flats and a littl up hill. Now we go to the lodge. Holy shit chilly is expensive, a little cup for $8. O and the reason we are on spruce, is because Mansfiled and gondola are on wind hold all day. So i only took about 8 more runs that day and was tired.

 

Day2- We arrive at Mansfield and were psyched to get on the Quad and Gondola. Guess What, WINDHOLD.But then we went on the Double lift, and had a blast in the woods for our first, Hit a 10ft cliff so was pleased. A couple of more woods runs, and then went down part of toll road, and then to the park. TOll Road was a blast to fly down. But, the parks first jump, had so much pop. Hit was only anout a 30ft table, but put you about 15ft in the air. Next we head into the woods, and some guy tells us the Quad is open.We go over there and hit Liftline. It wasnt hard at all, Personally i think it should have been a single diamond. Then we cut over half way into Goat. That was a real fun trail. As we make our way down there, we see the cars for the Gondola were on the line. So we go to eat lunch and then head for the gondola. Got on there and then hit up Chinclip, One of my favorite trails there. After that we took a couple cruisers on the double and then were finished.

 

 

All in all the skiing was great. I just wish the lifts werent on wind hold the first day. I wish i didnt get lost and have to hike. But the bus ride blew, and we were all ready to kill each other on there.

[Dan-]

Im already planning a trip to either Jackson/Utah next year... And more pics to come fellas

[Dan-]

Begining the Hike on Day 1

Begining to Hike the Chin

My friend in knee deep pow pow hiking the chin

The Chin, we hike a little further, up past the radio tower, but go blown back after we crested over the other side

Locals we hiked with

We hiked this drop for about an hour

Knee deep in the woods

Dropping into Pow. I wanted to grab off the drop but there were 3 tree's at the bottom so it was sketchy as hell

 

I'll post more tomorrow

[Dan-]

Switch,

 

Nice pictures of the cold smoke powder. You got it good, based on 2nd hand reports, just about every nook and cranny of Stowe/Mount Mansfield has been explored. Today was Town meeting day in VT which is always the first Tuesday in March. Most VTers have off work and school on Town meeting day which can make for a crowded day on the slopes..especially for a Tuesday. Stowe has and remains my favorite ski area east of the Rockies. I can't wait to ski Stowe again this spring. This will be the 9th ski season where I ski a day or more at Stowe...

 

After this trip, i think ill be heading back there next year. My parents want to go back aswell, so ill get to go for free, but my big trip will be out west, UT, CO, WY, or Possibly BC.

[NJSkiFamily]

8 bucks for a cup of chili?????

 

Maybe that was priced in Canadian dollars.

 

The wind shutting down the lifts is a big problem in that part of VT. I don't know if that's true for the other places in VT.

 

I loved the story about getting lost and having to hike all around. I'm sure that's an experience you won't forget.

[NJSkiFamily]

When I'm up at Smuggs I hear people say that rich snobs from big East Coast cities ski Stowe. Maybe that's how Stowe gets away with $8 chili.

[Dan-]

I didn't see the inside of the lodges so i don't know how much any of the food costed. I always just went back to our condo and ate.

[NJSkiFamily]

I'm just teasing at Stowe's expense. The really sad thing is that most Vermonters never ski/ride because they can't afford the cost of a lift ticket.

[Dan-]

Speaking of Jay Peak. Have you ever skiied there doug. If so how is it? Ive been wanting to ride there for awhile.

[Dan-]

Yeah i saw alot of constuction over there. Whatever im there to ride, not sit in the lodge.

[Dan-]

Thanks Doug

[romemadman]

switch where is the chin if your looking at the trial map almost in the center

 

did u hike up the area that looks like it could be a bowl where the chairs don't run too?

 

jw

[Sno Mountain Skier]

did u hike up the area that looks like it could be a bowl where the chairs don't run too?

 

jw

Wolverine21 Hiked up it on our last day.

[Wolverine21]

yep, it was sick

[romemadman]

is the highest point hte chin or id the chin on the left

 

i really want to hit up stowe after hearing all these awsome stories