Bumps & Trees, Fog & Rain...Gore 1/4/15

What a fantastic Day!  Although I was hoping for 6+" of nice dense eastern powder...what we received at the summit was that, squished down to about 3 or so inches under a protective coating.  I got off the Straightbrook just after 9 and nothing but Headwaters was open...after skiing ball bearing down Pine Knot I wasn't sure what to expect.  As I skied under the double I noticed someone riding it so I knew it was open and took a route I had skied the previous two days, to get there.  It was Kinky Hot and soft(they actually.  The new snow (I guess I will use the term) made the exit much better than the previous days.  Riding up the Double

This is what I saw.  I was tempted all day but never skied it.   As I approached the same plan...ski patrol was dropping the rope on Lower Darby...3-4 inches of untouched with a light coating...I lapped that a few times.  Then I saw a track below me as I approached the top of the double so I skied Darby Old Style with a Twist...and did that a few times with different variations...including OPG.  Once Darby was all tracked, it actually skied better as the day went on, I headed over to ski the bumps on Hawkeye (although not sure if it was open).  Lies was not open yet so I skied Open Pit which was nice with fresh on the hard right.  This is what Hawkeye looked like on the way up...

Uh Oh
Just as I got to the top ski patrol was taking down the rope for both Chati and Hawkeye.  She said Chati was better so most everyone went that way  I went the other.  I lapped Hawkeye at least a dozen times before I moved to variations of Chati-Hawk and Hawk a mac.  Hawkeye the last three days had the best bumps in a long time and I wish they would have held the bump contest today.  Early on it felt like powder but sounded like a zipper.

Once my legs started to give out it was back to the Darkside for the shorter, somewhat wooded runs

I am not the only one who skis the woods alone, thewre was a few time there was only one set of track where I was...as I decided it was time to leave before I got hurt, I was clouding out when I saw one track on my left...soo

I had too
The next time through I Clouded out...but as I was going by Wild Air there was a warning experts only sign but the closed sign was on the rope all the way across so I kept going,  Quicksilver also had the rope up, but way high (I didn't have to duck) and no closed sign so I did.  Only a couple of tracks...it was nice and soft near the top but the ice crust got thicker and thicker as you got down.  It started sounding as a shhhh and ended like tearing cardboard but all in all an absolute fantastic day.  If it weren't for the heavier showers, It would have been one of the best days of the year...in any event it was in my top 5.  I really though there might be clearing mid day

but it didn't last

Yes, I was surprised by how good yesterday was. Empty, too. Those bumps on Hawkeye were great. And Lies was fantastic, too. And the woods.

Not enough for top five, but it was nice to ski soft snow after the ice/gravel/crowds mess on Saturday.

I really only stuck to Hawkeye, Lies and KHS on Saturday but did not think it was as bad as you thought...and you were going to go farther north...with that wind howling(heard it but never really felt it), I am thinking you made the right decision.  You probably skied more than me but the Friday at WF and Saturday Gore after that storm a few weeks back are the only days that stand out as better in my book so far...

I had that day I got "stuck" up top after the storm that was the best day so far, a backcountry day that was great, 5 phenomenal days at Killington, and a day at Bromley on New Year's Day that was really, really enjoyable. So maybe top ten of the short season so far.

And yes, I think the Gore over WF decision was probably the right call (and I was able to quit a little early yesterday and get home at a reasonable time to drink wine and watch football).

Absolutely the "stuck day" was no. 1  the day before at WF was my number two

I am honored to post in this important thread. A Suds TR: awesome.

(I was also pumped that you stopped to chat the other day!)

You definitely get your share of great days.

I'll have to remember to use "Chati-hawk" and "Hawk-a-Mac."  You coin those phrases?  Thanks for the TR.

CMR wrote

I'll have to remember to use "Chati-hawk" and "Hawk-a-Mac."  You coin those phrases?

This is Gore Lore from way back. So old no one knows who invented it!

Those conditions look amazing.   And nobody was there either.

Fantastic photos and a great report.