With the second busiest week of the year under way at work and a sizable snow storm barreling into Vermont, I had few options for mid-week powder pursuit. A day off from work was strictly off the table and post work festivities could not begin until well past dark. My desire for turn earning and adventure dictated drastic action in the form of my first ever Dawn Patrol. Unfortunately, there was no powder to be found due to mixed precip and a poor setup the day before. But turn earning is more about the adventure than finding perfect snow and my first ever skin into the darkness was a reward in and of itself.
My position requires strict timeliness to open my place of employment at exactly 7:45 A.M. This sad fact combined with a need for a shower and complete change of clothes made logistics rather difficult. Fortunately, I work at a College where access to a shower at the Gym is available at seven in the morning. I set my alarm for 3:30 A.M. to be safe but later learned the hard way that 4:00 A.M. not only would have been fine, but would have been better. After gathering my gear and getting the wheels rolling, I stopped by the local Cumbies for a quick breakfast snack. The employee ringing the register inquired "What are we up to this morning?" To which I replied that I was heading up to Burke to earn a ski run before work. I got a rather blank and dumb founded look in response.
Arriving at the Mid-Burke lodge, I found a plow hard at work getting the parking lot ready for the day's customers. The wind was howling and temperatures were pushing towards the lowest marks of the season. After a brief pause, I decided to ascend via Warren's Way under the poma line on groomed snow to avoid breaking trail. I found the groomed snow extremely firm and rather icy which caused skin slipping on only moderate pitches. I decided to cut a traverse back to Lower Doug's Drop and ascend the trail I was planning on descending. The skin up Lower Doug's Drop was wonderful though occasionally spooky in the head lamp lighted darkness. Far away in the distance, I spied tiny lights in the town of Burke and beyond. Soon I gained the switch between Lower and Middle Doug's Drop and the wind picked up on the more exposed upper slopes. Snow making on Upper Warren's Way was blowing into Doug's Drop decreasing visibility and increasing annoyance. Skinning was difficult but doable on the variable terrain and occasional steep pitches of Doug's Drop. I soon gained the Toll Road and finished my skin to the top of the Willoughby Quad via the flat groomed stretch of the Toll Road.
With poor visibility, high winds, low temperatures, and blustery winds, I opted not to make a true summit to the Summit Tower. Instead I packed up the skins, added layers, and prepared to wait out the night as I arrived at the summit too soon to safely ski down in the darkness. A cold half hour wait ensued with eerie sounds emanating from the trees. Finally, a faint light began to glow off the snow and I knew it was time to head to work! I took Doug's Drop top to bottom with particularly horrible form on the Upper section as I adjusted my technique to the variable wind slabbed and crusty snow. The visibility further hampered my skiing as I was barely able to discern impending terrain features, snow conditions, and other obstacles. After many desperation turns, I began to find my turns on Doug's Drop proper. Dropping into Doug's Drop, the snow makers peppered the air with dust particles which negated the increasing light from the dawn. As I approached Lower Doug's Drop, the dust particles cleared and the light of dawn was in full swing granting me excellent relative visibility. I finished out strong on Lower Doug's Drop with high speed narrow arcs through the sludge and wind loaded snow amongst the various other tracks poached the day before.
I made it back to my car and had the wheels turning by 7:08 A.M. with plenty of time to return to the College for a shower and to begin my work day. I feel like I cheated the daily grind from ruining my morning with its dead lines and tasks and drudgery. I was pumped up and elated heading into work and ready to begin an excellent day having started it at the highest point in the Kingdom. If only everyday could start that well.