Tales from the Hinterland: 2013/2014 edition

Welcome back, my friends. TFTH once again invites you to enjoy some humble adventures on skis in the Hinterlandian woods. If you have never visited TFTH before, here's what you can expect to see:

Reports from the Hinterlandian snow-depth-o-meter:


'Schwacking in improbable locations:


Doggie stoke and more:


And that was just from today. Stay tuned!

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DackerDan wrote

Sick Bird Rider wrote

, here's what you can expect to see:

And here is what you won't see any of

Hey DackerDan did Mt Marcy grow a nipple?  Must be a cold day.



TD

Actually, DD, we have some amazing mountains here. They are just really old and worn down. Those ADKs are just young whippersnappers.

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We've had a bit more accumulation since yesterday. Even the deer are moving slowly:

Looks like a nice big body deer ----- shoot the damn thing!!!!



SBR, your dog is still one of the coolest ever

campgottagopee wrote

Looks like a nice big body deer ----- shoot the damn thing!!!!

Naah, it's much more fun to watch the dog chase them.

campgottagopee wrote

SBR, your dog is still one of the coolest ever

^^^ this morning.

Looks like some powder plundering is going to go down very very soon.  
Could you do me a favour and go set the skin track to Secret Hill.....Bonk Hill too.

Thanks  

T.D.

Telemark Dave wrote

Looks like some powder plundering is going to go down very very soon.  
Could you do me a favour and go set the skin track to Secret Hill.....Bonk Hill too.

Thanks  

T.D.

Bonk = done. Two runs, very schweet. Details later.

The dog stayed home for today's ski, it was just a little too deep for him. The little fella is going on 11 after all!

I broke out the "big" skis and broke trail from SBRHQ to one our private stashes, Bonk Hill. TD and I have been working on this little glade for a few years, and what it lacks in quantity (ie, vertical drop), it makes up in quality. Sustained pitch, excellent snow-holding aspect and easy access make this the go-to destination for the first deep day of the season.

Damn deer snaked my line:


I took it easy on the first run, feeling out how well the new snow was covering up whatever nasties we had not got around to cleaning up this fall:


I booted up for run two. The thicketeering was just too daunting a prospect for trying to set a skin track. The Fischer S-Bounds are an ideal ski for this kind of meadow-skipping: nowhere near as fat as TD's new boards but they turn very smoothly. I am a big fan of the Lite Spike binding too - no bending over required:


On the second run, I let the skis run a bit. In knee-deep snow it is hard to pick up too much speed. The lighting was a bit weird, and I have been playing with the HDR setting on my new camera, so the snow is a bit blue.


I took the scenic, and long, way back. It was a bit of a slog around the pond up the logging road.

Heading out to score some

Here's the cool snow wave curling off of my deck railing..



Td

SKUNKED!

Well not really, just disappointed by the local topographic discrepancies in snow accumulation.  

This is a spot only about 5k's from the location of the pics SBR last posted.



Set a skin track up, noted that my poles were planting on the rocks lying in wait below the snow, and prudently did a 180 and figure 11'd - with skins still on - straight back down.  

At least I didn't have to take my skis off. I'll have to go and loot SBR's stash.  

Later Bon and I went and scored some track set XC a few miles south.  It's all skiing, and of course it was fun.
That's the whole idea.  

TD

Wow. As the crow flies, 5.7 km away, according to Google Earth. Ah well, better you than me!

At least the snow is consistently blue.

Blue snow is ok. It's the yellow snow to watch out for.

Snowballs wrote

Blue snow is ok. It's the yellow snow to watch out for.

You know Snowballs, if the snow is yellow you need to drink more. TD

Heading back south to revisit the Nordic trails we skied yesterday..

The volunteers who maintain and groom (ouch, that word hurts..) the trail system have done a stellar job this early in the season.  

It's -20c this AM, so grip waxing (only classic tracks set) is easy peasy.  

TR to follow.

Telemark Dave wrote

Snowballs wrote

Blue snow is ok. It's the yellow snow to watch out for.

You know Snowballs, if the snow is yellow you need to drink more.  


TD

Right. Some of that Canadian beer would work That stuff is GOOOOOOOOD!

That -20c makes it seem colder than it is outside. You need to go back to F.

Love the shots.

x10003q wrote

That -20c makes it seem colder than it is outside. You need to go back to F.

Love the shots.

Deal.   When it drops to -40 I'll post in Fahrenheit.  

TD