Harvey
Administrator
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2020
When I went to bed Saturday night, and when I woke up Sunday morning, my plan was to ski Greek Peak. In fact, that was my plan right up until I got in the car Sunday, when noticed that my all mountain skis (and a BRAND NEW pair of Black Diamond poles!) weren't in the back. Somehow I went all week without noticing they were gone.
I wondered, where the hell are those skis? I didn't remember leaving them at Plattekill, but I figured they had to be there.
Aside from the fact that I was leaving Greek Peak early — which is 15 minutes earlier than Plattekill early — there was almost nothing to stop me from calling audible at the line of scrimage. I set out for Plattekill.
Morning shroud
I was anxious about it. I arrived early
and went right to the spot where I would have left them, outside the door of the bar. Nope.
Down to the office, greeted by Shannon's smiling face, but no skis. Laz comes in and I looked to him with puppy dog hope in my eyes.
"Laz have you seen my skis?"
"Yes I did. I am always the last to leave.
I put them inside next to the water fountain, so they wouldn't get wet. I knew we'd be seeing you this weekend."
He smiled. I jumped up and down with glee.
Upstairs at the bar, there they were. I'd had some bad luck recently, my car was backed into by a neighbor, and I collided with an owl in flight. At first this seemed like more of the same, until this tremendous reversal of fortune came my way. It was a beautiful day.
It started out cloudy but it was clearing and the sky was very blue. I booted up. Overdressed for the lodge, I headed out.
Temps were in the low 20s, and the wind was ripping. The Face was in truly fine form getting snowmaking from the leeward (east) side. The guns were angled just so, to give the new snow the best possible chance to land on the trail.
First carpet
First chair
The double wasn't spinning yet so I put my skis on near the triple.
They dropped the rope on the magic carpet, and I was third.
I got fresh cord by taking an outside line, right back down to the triple.
Dean
Dean was there.
When Dean skis Plattekill, he makes first chair, so we run into each other a lot. He's a Mad, Plattekill and Bromley passholder. On the ride up, I tried to convince him that if he let me take pictures of him on the first run, I'd have what I needed, and I'd let him be after that. He seemed skeptical, and properly so.
The day before, I'd asked Laz, what he was going to be blowing on, hoping it would be something we could ski. If he was starting on Plunge, it would probably be too thin, but if he was blowing on Face or Northface, we'd certainly have at it.
He told me that it depended on the wind. Strong wind was forecast. If it was out of the east, he'd blow on Face and Northface, if not he'd blow on Sundown and Plunge.
The Face
The skiing was excellent. The full width of Face was skiable, with big whales on skiers right, a transition zone that held the best snow, and hard groomer flat surface on the left with a layer of new manmade blowing around on top. Dean was banging out beautiful fall line tele turns top-to-bottom. I was mixing it up tele and parallel, going up the sides and over the top on the whales to enjoy those fun weightless moments when you turn.
The double looked ready and we dropped down to ride it.
It was a very different experience on that side. Because snow was being made on Northface, not on the lift line, it was peaceful and clear. You could see how that snowmaking was creating a cloud. Laz and Macker were fighting back in a big way, and it was wonderful to watch.
The skiing zone, the best snow, was a bit narrower on Northface, but it was very rip-able.
Dean on Northface
It became a busy day and most skiers were riding the triple. There was maybe a five minute wait.
It was the kind of day when the importance of the magic carpet and Powder Puff was impossible to ignore. Of all the metal infrastructure at Plattekill, I wouldn't be surprised if — pound-for-pound — the magic carpet is the most valuable piece of equipment they own.
Powder Puff has been widened, and I wanted to see it. I'm often against trail widening as trees in vulnerable spots never grow back once they are cut. But in this case I think it's a good move. It makes it more like a trail and less like a road. It was getting a ton of action. The trail is 2 miles long and it was carrying a lot of skiers.
One of the highlights of my day... in line for the triple, Candace —one of the instructors — asked me to help with two little kids on the lift. They were extremely cute and very happy. A family from Brooklyn, they normally ski Stowe, but Dad was looking for something closer to home this weekend. It was their second time at Plattekill.
Lift Full, Trail Empty
Plattekill is amazing to me in several ways. One of them is that on really busy days you can often take pictures like the one above. The chair is full and the trails are nearly empty. Two years ago this phenomena inspired me to create this page about skier density.
After Northface went into the shade, it came down to who would last longer, me or the sun. I probably did 20 laps on Face in total.
I skied for 6 hours without a break, and then went into the bar for a sandwich and beer.
It was great to see Plattekill having a big holiday weekend, with all of her skiers smiling.
I wondered, where the hell are those skis? I didn't remember leaving them at Plattekill, but I figured they had to be there.
Aside from the fact that I was leaving Greek Peak early — which is 15 minutes earlier than Plattekill early — there was almost nothing to stop me from calling audible at the line of scrimage. I set out for Plattekill.
Morning shroud
I was anxious about it. I arrived early
and went right to the spot where I would have left them, outside the door of the bar. Nope.Down to the office, greeted by Shannon's smiling face, but no skis. Laz comes in and I looked to him with puppy dog hope in my eyes.
"Laz have you seen my skis?"
"Yes I did. I am always the last to leave.
I put them inside next to the water fountain, so they wouldn't get wet. I knew we'd be seeing you this weekend."
He smiled. I jumped up and down with glee.
Upstairs at the bar, there they were. I'd had some bad luck recently, my car was backed into by a neighbor, and I collided with an owl in flight. At first this seemed like more of the same, until this tremendous reversal of fortune came my way. It was a beautiful day.
It started out cloudy but it was clearing and the sky was very blue. I booted up. Overdressed for the lodge, I headed out.
Temps were in the low 20s, and the wind was ripping. The Face was in truly fine form getting snowmaking from the leeward (east) side. The guns were angled just so, to give the new snow the best possible chance to land on the trail.
First carpet
First chair
The double wasn't spinning yet so I put my skis on near the triple.
They dropped the rope on the magic carpet, and I was third.
I got fresh cord by taking an outside line, right back down to the triple.
Dean
Dean was there.
When Dean skis Plattekill, he makes first chair, so we run into each other a lot. He's a Mad, Plattekill and Bromley passholder. On the ride up, I tried to convince him that if he let me take pictures of him on the first run, I'd have what I needed, and I'd let him be after that. He seemed skeptical, and properly so.
The day before, I'd asked Laz, what he was going to be blowing on, hoping it would be something we could ski. If he was starting on Plunge, it would probably be too thin, but if he was blowing on Face or Northface, we'd certainly have at it.
He told me that it depended on the wind. Strong wind was forecast. If it was out of the east, he'd blow on Face and Northface, if not he'd blow on Sundown and Plunge.
The Face
The skiing was excellent. The full width of Face was skiable, with big whales on skiers right, a transition zone that held the best snow, and hard groomer flat surface on the left with a layer of new manmade blowing around on top. Dean was banging out beautiful fall line tele turns top-to-bottom. I was mixing it up tele and parallel, going up the sides and over the top on the whales to enjoy those fun weightless moments when you turn.
The double looked ready and we dropped down to ride it.
It was a very different experience on that side. Because snow was being made on Northface, not on the lift line, it was peaceful and clear. You could see how that snowmaking was creating a cloud. Laz and Macker were fighting back in a big way, and it was wonderful to watch.
The skiing zone, the best snow, was a bit narrower on Northface, but it was very rip-able.
Dean on Northface
It became a busy day and most skiers were riding the triple. There was maybe a five minute wait.
It was the kind of day when the importance of the magic carpet and Powder Puff was impossible to ignore. Of all the metal infrastructure at Plattekill, I wouldn't be surprised if — pound-for-pound — the magic carpet is the most valuable piece of equipment they own.
Powder Puff has been widened, and I wanted to see it. I'm often against trail widening as trees in vulnerable spots never grow back once they are cut. But in this case I think it's a good move. It makes it more like a trail and less like a road. It was getting a ton of action. The trail is 2 miles long and it was carrying a lot of skiers.
One of the highlights of my day... in line for the triple, Candace —one of the instructors — asked me to help with two little kids on the lift. They were extremely cute and very happy. A family from Brooklyn, they normally ski Stowe, but Dad was looking for something closer to home this weekend. It was their second time at Plattekill.
Lift Full, Trail Empty
Plattekill is amazing to me in several ways. One of them is that on really busy days you can often take pictures like the one above. The chair is full and the trails are nearly empty. Two years ago this phenomena inspired me to create this page about skier density.
After Northface went into the shade, it came down to who would last longer, me or the sun. I probably did 20 laps on Face in total.
I skied for 6 hours without a break, and then went into the bar for a sandwich and beer.
It was great to see Plattekill having a big holiday weekend, with all of her skiers smiling.
