TR: Harvest 2/18 and 2/19

[laseranimal]

2/18-2/19

Harvest: reap results: to reap the results of past or prior actions or behavior, whether good or bad


After getting my fill of lift served powder earlier in the week, and with my pass being blacked out, it was time to get some exercise. I’m normally an early riser when it comes to touring as I’d rather get in and get out before the masses arrive, but my schedule this weekend was rather tight as I had baby watching duty until noon and short windows after that, so it was time to have an adventure close to home!

Saturday was a quick hitter, 3 laps 3540’ vertical. I arrived expecting to find the trailhead parking lot jammed, and was not disappointed. With the blue skies and new snow, I was expecting to have to share, but I wasn’t expecting the lot to be almost full!



I managed to snag the last spot and within 10 minutes was skinning to the top. The sunshine felt divine and it felt more like late March or early April then mid February. On the way up I hoped my efforts would be rewarded an early taste of corn snow nirvana, I mean after deep POW is there any better snow then late season corn? But unfortunately corn wasn’t to be on the menu; instead I was treated to a buffet of cut mashed potatoes and suncrust.



Not my favorites, but sometimes you just have to eat what Mother Nature serves up. I actually was happy to have the company of a band of tele skiers who were lapping lower angle pitch at the top of the trail which had a nice covering of velvety white frosting, which transitioned to the aforementioned mash and crust down low. I was content to make top to bottom laps, and just deal with the funky snow on the steeper lower pitches. As my old Cross Country coach used to say on our low mileage days, today was just a day to spin the wheels a little bit.



After Saturdays cruise, I was in the mood for something a bit more adventurous on Sunday and after re-reading Lou Dawson’s most excellent boot Wild Snow I decided it was finally time to cross the Thunderbolt trail off of my life’s to do list. I’ve never actually climbed to the summit of Greylock, each attempt has been thwarted by weather or time issues and with another small window to work with, and I was worried this was going to be yet another failed attempt. Once again getting a late start I didn’t arrive at the foot of Greylock until noon, and again the trailhead was hopping with snowmobiles, skiers, and snowshoers so there’d be plenty of company on the trail.



I started up with a mixed group of skiers and snowboarders but quickly outpaced them and had the trail to myself.



The climb up was uneventful, save for the exceptionally amusing steep icy switchbacks which were post-holed to death by people not using either skis or snowshoes, which made climbing just a joy, I’ve never felt that ski crampons were all that necessary on the East coast, but today’s adventures might just make me invest in a set. I’m usually not one to complain about backcountry etiquette, but for gods sake don’t post-hole in the skin track, not only is it a major pain for everybody else who comes after you, its completely inefficient for the person who’s post-holing on switchbacks. Bootpacks should go STRAIGHT up the fall line, not cross back and forth; you’re just making more work for yourself. Ok rant over. I reached the summit shortly before 3 and took refuge in the Thunderbolt shelter where it became harder and harder to pull myself away from the warm fire inside.



But I had places to be and given the snow conditions, I wasn’t expecting a record breaking descent in terms of speed. So I pushed off and began to get a feel for what those 1930’s skiers had to deal with, and after finishing at the bottom, I have SO much respect for those guys on wood planks and cable bindings, cause that run is steep and challenging on modern fat skis and plastic boots, I can’t even imagine what it’d be like to race down that thing in leather boot on a 230 cm planks
I doubt I shattered any speed records, and I wouldn’t call either of the days the best tour of my life, but sometimes its just fun to head out and go skiing and take what you get.

[macdadmorgan]

I'm going up tomorrow mourning (2/25). It will be my first time on the TB, although i have skied in the woods on the Mt. Williams side. Is the trail head on Thiel Rd? Do you skin up the TB it self, or did you go up Bellows Pipe? Finally gonna cross this one off my list as well.

[awf170]

Nice TR.


Do the power lines look anywhere near skiable yet?