Low Angle Life
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2021
Yesterday I got a call from one of my close skiing friends, "where we riding tomorrow?". I chuckled him off, "I'm sure there will be plenty of snow, AT ELEVATION" I responded knowing he lacked touring equipment and would only be looking to ride lifts. I wrote the day off, I had just planted the first of my spring greens in the garden and my mind had moved on to warm weather activities. Despite that, I kept my eye on the forecast, when I saw 12+ projected for the high peaks of western Ustler Country my mindset began to shift and powder fever set in. The storm was looking all too familiar, late season in the western Catskills can turn on like the flip of the switch and I knew I would need to be ready at the flip of a switch.
This morning I took my sweet ass time waking up, I wasn't in the mood to chase at first light and had work emails to attend to and a dogwood tree to get planted. After the tree was in the ground and the roots covered it was game on, I jumped in the truck and sped off anxious as ever, snow has that effect on me, especially a freak spring storm. Heading up the thruway I hit a headwall of traffic near Tuxedo that had me ready to call it quits, crawling for 35 minutes just to pass some asshole who didn't properly secure his boat and trailer...
I pulled into the lot below Lift 7 just after 2pm and was greeted with another truck with Jersey plates who clearly had the same idea. It was 32 degrees and still snowing hard, the top of the mountain was shrouded in a bank of fast moving clouds. I got my skins on and set off on an already established skin track leading up Dot for my first run. The snow was perfect for skinning especially on the steep upper pitches, nice and grippy with now unwanted backsliding.
Aside from the skin track there was only one other line through the snow on Dot, I had over a foot of fresh more or less wide open for my enjoyment. The stoke increased and I boogied my way to the top race hut on Dot to transition in a little under 35 minutes. Good pace considering this was my first and only tour of the season thus far... in mid April none the less.
The first ride down was glorious, heavy wind affected snow that popped you up and out every time you pushed in for a deep carve. Drifts had certainly formed but it seemed like at least 15"+ had fallen and there clearly was still some man made base beneath despite never sinking down that deep. I turned my way all the way back down to the car to transition and work my way up Seneca for round two.
A skin track had also been set on Seneca, despite that I ran into no one while I was out, not even my fellow NJ powder hound from the lot. Seneca was holding snow making whales that I remembered from closing weekend, with the bit they got and a good groom I imagine they could push lift service to May if they really cared to. Skinning up terrain you've only gone down via lift access really puts things in perspective and had me wishing those lifts were spinning. Still, I proceeded to the top of Seneca met with heavy winds at the top sweeping over the Belleayre ridge line.
I got back to the car just after 3:45, perfect timing to get to Kingston just in time for a "work obligation" that greatly motivated my ability to get up on the split today. I cruised east down 28 with a shit eating grin on my face, there is something special about getting something really good when you were expecting nothing.
This morning I took my sweet ass time waking up, I wasn't in the mood to chase at first light and had work emails to attend to and a dogwood tree to get planted. After the tree was in the ground and the roots covered it was game on, I jumped in the truck and sped off anxious as ever, snow has that effect on me, especially a freak spring storm. Heading up the thruway I hit a headwall of traffic near Tuxedo that had me ready to call it quits, crawling for 35 minutes just to pass some asshole who didn't properly secure his boat and trailer...
I pulled into the lot below Lift 7 just after 2pm and was greeted with another truck with Jersey plates who clearly had the same idea. It was 32 degrees and still snowing hard, the top of the mountain was shrouded in a bank of fast moving clouds. I got my skins on and set off on an already established skin track leading up Dot for my first run. The snow was perfect for skinning especially on the steep upper pitches, nice and grippy with now unwanted backsliding.
Aside from the skin track there was only one other line through the snow on Dot, I had over a foot of fresh more or less wide open for my enjoyment. The stoke increased and I boogied my way to the top race hut on Dot to transition in a little under 35 minutes. Good pace considering this was my first and only tour of the season thus far... in mid April none the less.
The first ride down was glorious, heavy wind affected snow that popped you up and out every time you pushed in for a deep carve. Drifts had certainly formed but it seemed like at least 15"+ had fallen and there clearly was still some man made base beneath despite never sinking down that deep. I turned my way all the way back down to the car to transition and work my way up Seneca for round two.
A skin track had also been set on Seneca, despite that I ran into no one while I was out, not even my fellow NJ powder hound from the lot. Seneca was holding snow making whales that I remembered from closing weekend, with the bit they got and a good groom I imagine they could push lift service to May if they really cared to. Skinning up terrain you've only gone down via lift access really puts things in perspective and had me wishing those lifts were spinning. Still, I proceeded to the top of Seneca met with heavy winds at the top sweeping over the Belleayre ridge line.
I got back to the car just after 3:45, perfect timing to get to Kingston just in time for a "work obligation" that greatly motivated my ability to get up on the split today. I cruised east down 28 with a shit eating grin on my face, there is something special about getting something really good when you were expecting nothing.
