Guest Mark Jeangerard Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 8:00am Saturday Willy, a level III AASI instructor leads the fakey clinic. We are at the top of bumps and everything he says just hits home. The smoothest I've ever been in bumps backwards. Soft/flat, as instruction is prone to be. I have a real problem with clinics on hard pack cordouroy becuase I think it is a sin to skid along on soft/flat setups, so... 9:00am I bake the clinic and get my new Madd 180 and do a few Open Slope runs. The snow is stiff, the Madd is unfreakinbelievable! 10:00am Lineup I dodge getting a class. I head up to the top of the mountain, Gayway to Open Slope twice on the Madd. I am now clinically insane. I've never had better carves in better conditions. It's all I want to do for the rest of eternity. But... traffic is getting thick. 12:00pm Lineup I dodge getting a class. I head up to the top and hike to the radio towers. 12,250 feet. Half clear sky. Half the most incredible, wind shaped, bright white and blackest black, wispy and at the same time heavy and dumping clouds I've ever seen in my life. ...and me without a camera. The mountain is covered, completey, the watershed is deep, Nambe peak is calling, and I head out the Big Tesuque, an out of bounds run that will take me to the road five miles below the ski area. I have a 2pm lineup and left my car up top. It's a gamble for a ride, but it must be taken. The Big-T is as good as it gets. On my 161 Pow I am getting fresh tracks in ankle deep pow that covers all the nasties. I get big open speed at the top, find out how to get to a rock I've been looking at from the top of chair one, bomb through the open pines, and find a line that I did once but have been looking for for a month through the aspen glades. They just keep opening up. The snow cradles me around aspen at speeds no one should go in there. I get a ride from a stranger 12 seconds after taking my snowboard off. 1:00pm I'm back early, there's traffic and I really don't have time to change boots. I decide to ride Thunderbird fakey. The top is steep and moguled. I clean it. Not pretty, but my first time backwards. Thanks Willy. The middle has some easy trees. Again, not pretty, but my first time in the trees backwards. Thanks Willy. Bottom moguls.... Smoooth. Catwalks and flats backwards to lineup. Thanks Willy! 2:00pm Lineup I dodge getting a class. I grab Mike to show him the premium line and the rock in Big-T. We bomb the meadow, blast the rock, haul ass through the pines, and find the best line ever through the aspen. It is bliss. But, it's 3:00pm at the bottom. Good luck getting a ride up. The ski area is the end of the road. Just so happens Lilly, Suzanne, and Fritz are there in Lilly's van with three of their new friends from another mountain. They had just celebrated finishing their level I PSIA skiing exam with a Big-T. Further merriment in the van as they have enough Sierra Nevada beer to go around. 3:20pm Mike and I take two more runs up chair one finding new and exciting tree lines along Broadway and Muerte. I'm going explode now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobdea Posted February 28, 2005 Report Share Posted February 28, 2005 Wachusett was open all night into the next morning and to top it off the best conditions I have seen there in years, hero snow in MA is RARE I rode the hell out of my Prior WCR, that board is a blast in good conditions by 11 there was next to no one on the hill I rode until 2:00 AM or so then drove home with no brakes okay well other than the riding my day sucked sometimes I hate cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDY_2_Carve Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Mark, Wanna hook up sometime? I live in ABQ (NW). I've been searching for NM hardbooters on this site. Guess you missed my prior post. Seen a few at Angel Fire but I'm always on the lift as they are carving or vice-versa. Almost caught two of em yesterday but they *poofed* on me. I have been going to Angel Fire every Sunday this season (well almost) and will surely be going more through March. Pass ends there 4/1/05. Was thinking about a Col. trip later this month or in early April when things start warming up down here. Also I was thinking about hitting Sandia sometime this week, maybe Wed. I think their base is almost 90" now. I normally work Mon-Fri but I gotta burn a sick day and hit Sandia before they close... Do you go anywhere else other than Santa Fe? I've never been outside the ski area there, but it sounds like a blast! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest James Pryor Posted March 1, 2005 Report Share Posted March 1, 2005 Nice story Mark and I can relate. I used to teach at Bear Mt. and sometimes you do not want to get a class/client. Last Friday was just epic AGAIN!! Perfect corduroy on Silver and cold dry snow. No people to speak of cause they are all on the runs with man made terrain. The sky was blue with legitimate snow ghost trees making for a picture perfect backdrop. Then about 10:30 a strange wind came from the Northeast. We got some energy from a storm backsliding over Arizona. Man it got black and started thundering and popcorn snow by noon. Really a psychedelic show, no acid necessary. Rode with a good friend and the views over the lake were just amazing. Another great day in the memory banks!! jim pryor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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