Gore Mtn, NY: 2/19/12

Ski Day 19: It seemed like a family reunion for the tree skiers today at Gore.  Branches of the family were everywhere calling out from the lift, exchanging greetings.  It was very cool to see all the smiles. I had a little reunion going on myself. Our family — Zelda, Neve and I — hadn't skied together as a team in almost a month.


Zelda eyes some sweet cord on Uncas

I did my usual popping in and out of the trees.  The Straightbrook trees have been the workhorse of this thin season, and somehow they've remained skiable for weeks with very little new snow...



Lower Steilhang was open, and I hadn't been down it this season - something that had to be remedied. Conditions were really quite nice and I was actually surprised by the simplicity of the solution to the headwall.



As Mike had reported yesterday, there was going to be blowing on the Darkside.  


Cloud rises over Hullabaloo

Hullabaloo and Darby were getting it. I was feeling weird about seeking out guns in late February. No matter as Hubba was still closed when we headed down towards the base.  

Echo skied so sweetly yesterday that I wanted to get Zelda down there EARLY. We dispensed with Sagamore and squeezed in four Echo laps. On the first run, when we got to the bottom of the Echo "headwall" Zelda looks at me with this big smile and says... "It's so MELTY!"


Zelda on Echo

Before noon we headed back to the base to pick up Neve after her holiday camp.  I tried to explain to Neve the trade-off involved in using the Adk Express and Wood In to access the summit.

Harv: "Neve do you want to wait in the gondola line ... or take the secret, magic, flat trail to the top?!" 

Neve: "Secret, Magic, Flat!"


Top of Lies

It was funny that when we got to the top of High Peaks Chair, Neve was drawn to the lip of Lies. Daddy it looks steep!

Headwaters is becoming one of my favorite runs on the hill. The top half is rarely crowded and the three of use can really ski it together without spending energy fending off traffic.  And when Zelda and I ski it alone, we each take a side and sort off watch the other out of the corner of our eyes.  Skiing side-by-side, if even for a few hundred yards - I really dig it.


Headwaters


Neve on Headwaters

Our plan was to head back to the base around 1:30 and work our way across the East Side with Neve. Twister, Showcase, Wild Air and Sunway. The Gondola had it's usual mid-afternoon line, but we were headed for the Triple. It also had a longer line than I've seen in a quite a while - maybe 10 minutes.  As we were about to board, a young liftie asked about Neve's pass.  We'd left it in her bag in the Northwoods Lodge, and were pretty surprised to find that two adults, with full season passes to Gore, with a five year old in between us, were asked to step out of line.  I have to say I was disappointed.  Yea it was a rule, and yea we were in violation of it...

Neve looks at me and says ... daddy I want to ride the POMA anyway.  

We skated up the incline towards the POMA, with me towing Neve.  After we arrived at the bunny hill, Zelda gives me a sparkle and says "I'll ski with Neve, why don't you see if you can find EDeO and the gang."

Nice!  Back into the singles line for the triple, up to Wood In and onto the High Peaks Chair.  Got a txt from PDQ as I was riding the triple, told her my plan (Darkside rest of the day) and then my phone battery died.


Windy Hill

I never connected with the gang.  But I did have some luck... when I went past Hullabaloo the rope was down...



That pretty much sealed it for me.  I did at least four laps. The trail was in fantastic shape and of course the blowby was being put to good use.


View from Hullabaloo



As a wise Gore philosopher once said ... another day in paradise.

Sick report. Those trees opposite uncas look sweet!

Very cool!

Love Neve's power wedge!

ml242 wrote

Sick report. Those trees opposite uncas look sweet!

Move along. Nothing to (ski) here...

DARKSIDED wrote

ml242 wrote

Sick report. Those trees opposite uncas look sweet!

Nothing to see (there). Move along.

those are semi private woods (the high line has been condemned by blow down)

Great family trip report. The photos of Neve look like the photos of my daughter. I really need to get out there. Looks like everybody is having a good time.

Thanks X. This was one of my best days of the season.  Zelda and I haven't had many opportunities to ski a solid block of time like we did on Sunday.  The conditions were exactly what she loves the most - carvable groomers. It was all good and Burnt Ridge was perfection.

ml242 wrote

Sick report. Those trees opposite uncas look sweet!

ml... I don't think it's exaggeration to say that over 90% of what you see in that image is skiable.  After skiing with you few times I think you would become a big Gore fan, if you hit it when the trees were really going - like in a normal season.

Harvey44 wrote

After skiing with you few times I think you would become a big Gore fan, if you hit it when the trees were really going - like in a normal season.

x2 on this!