"Damn, I wish it was still October." Not often are these words spoken in New England by skiers. But based on short and long term forecasts, there is a distinct possibility that October will have been a better month to ski New England than November. Which is not to say that the skiing on Mount Mansfield on November fifth was not more than satisfactory and excellent for November. But it sure was no October 2006.
Austin, Marc, and I all arrived at the Gondola lot early Sunday morning for some skiing on Mount Mansfield. Snow Guns were firing hard on Upper Nose Dive and on the other side of the mountain. We opted to ascend via Nose Dive and make plans for the descent once we were higher up. A short hike up Nose Dive was required before we could put skins to the snow and beginning skinning. Snow coverage was still substantial and wall to wall after a short hundred vertical feet of dry land. It is still hard to believe how much snow has stuck around for so long considering the date!
Snow guns were blasting on the upper turns of Nose Dive, so we stopped just below the snow making equipment and changed over to downhill mode. We tracked down Nose Dive and ducked into some trees that featured acceptable coverage and a thin dusting. Lines were tight due to lack of snow, but the base was solid and covered up any potential hazards. We ducked out of the woods back onto Nose Dive and tracked down to Cliff Trail where we changed over to up hill mode and tracked up Cliff Trail to the Cliff House.
After a short break at the Cliff House, we finished our tour by making tracks down Chin Clip. The snow on Chin Clip was just as abundant and deep as on Nose Dive, but the quality was much less. The snow on Chin Clip was rough, frozen, and variable due to lack of sun and colder temperatures. Despite the rough quality of the snow, turns were enjoyable and several interesting and fun jump options were available on the sides of the trail.
Despite the forecast calling for a short warming period this week, natural snow above 2500 vertical feet should survive the warmth and man made snow will mostly be retained at higher elevations with minimal melting near the summits. Day Number Six is officially in the books with the 2006-2007 season off to a slamming start. Turns this coming weekend will be harder to earn as natural snow continues to fade and lift openings are being delayed. But at this point, every turn earned in November going forward is bonus considering how the season has started.