Cautious Exuberance at Mad River Glen

Lynx: Second Run of the Day

My calves were still throbbing from Thursday’s powder romp. So I cured them–Hair of the Dog style–by dropping into FallDice to Glade for a warm up run. My previous pain suddenly seemed so much less than my current state of agony. It worked! The light powder was exquisite and I yelled my approval loudly. The shock eventually numbed the pain but my performance and stamina were severely taxed. On the next run, I found delicious chopped up powder with occasional untracked on Upper Antelope to Lynx to Beaver.

Tree lines of all varieties and elevations were safely skiable using cautious exuberance. More of the former is safer but more of the latter is a heck of a lot more fun. Almost everything was in play from upper elevation tight softwood corridors to low angle thwack jungles. Mid-mountain birch options skied the best and retained the most untracked lines. My third run selection was stupendous: barely tracked to untracked to single tracked. I returned to this location on my fifth and final run to claim second tracks and close my eights. Untracked snow depth varied depending upon the last time each line were hit. Anything from a few inches to knee deep. Hell yea.

Tree Skiing at Mad River Glen

After the first few runs, I found the best snow on piste to be under the Single on Liftline. Due to its bony appearance, few skiers were hitting Mad River Glen’s premier arena. So the powder remained fresh even though obstacles were few and far between. Somehow I forgot about my sore calf muscles. But I was reminded with a vengeance when I decided to launch a few cliffs.

Most trails quickly began bumping up with packed powder and some loose powder. Mad River Glen is always a treat to ski in powder prior to its epic bumps begin taking shape. This weekend was the beginning of the end of the brief bumpless stage during this early part of the season.

Despite the holiday, crowds were generally manageable. Arriving for first chair has its perks including snagging two runs before the Single line queue maxed out. But even with the Single line maxed out, its really hard to care about the wait. While waiting in line, I looked around the base area. The atmosphere was decadent. It gave me goosebumps. It made me realize that there was no place else I’d rather be.

Tree Skiing at Mad River Glen

3 thoughts on “Cautious Exuberance at Mad River Glen

  1. Love it Steve. Glad you got yours, and glad to see MRG back to its full beauty. Finally. It was beginning to feel like mid-December skiing in mid-January. Hurray! Now go heal those calves.

  2. We were just discussing billski’s point on a lift ride on Saturday. Good winter so far. Would be awesome if today was Christmas.

    Great report Steve. Especially love the closing paragraph. Maybe I’m getting old, but this season I’m digging the lift rides and most of the whole experience, not just the skiing itself. Can’t wait to get a chance to get to MRG.

  3. Thanks for the comments, guys!

    Harv- I was thinking about you at Mad River. You’ll love it there for sure. Plus its the telemarking mecca of the northeast. Can’t wait to see a Harvey Road TR from Mad River some day! The experience has always been important to me which explains my preference in ski areas. Some areas I don’t ski much even though they have excellent terrain because I just don’t like the vibe. It definitely can make a good ski day feel epic when the vibe is just right.

    I never have much expectation for January. I don’t see January as a particularly pleasing month. Its usually cold and we usually get at least one or two nasty thaws or rain/freeze events. Often times, trees are not skiable until late January. I have seen January’s start off with only 15-20% of trails open at most mountains. Last weekend looked pretty bleak but by next weekend it will be above average quality for the month, go figure.

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