MRVexpat

If he can't snow, nobody can.

Got out into the Bolton BC on Saturday for my first tour ever in that area. Lots of terrain to be had! We skinned up to Stowe View and then dropped into the Cotton Brook area via Paradise Descent. More of a cut trail than a glade run for the first several hundred vertical feet before it opened up more as the terrain first steepened, then mellowed out. The real fun was had on the south facing aspect of the ridge that separates the Cotton Brook basin from Nebraska Valley. Lots of great ski terrain there that wasn't too steep and the 2-3" that J Spin mentioned skied well on top of a light crust. We were tempted to drop the other side of the ridge into Nebraska Valley for a nice long descent but were running out of time. After skiing the southern aspect back down to the Cotton Brook basin we skinned up to the Catamount trail and made our way back to the Bolton base area via some glades off of Gardiner's Lane. All in all a great day!

So awesome, that's what its all about. I miss Sundown, some really fun trails there for a small hill.

Welp, that didn't progress as planned...

I'll be up this weekend and have a cool tour planned in the Bolton/Nebraska area. The base certainly seems to be substantial enough for good skiing, so here's to hoping we get the LE to at least make most pitches enjoyable.

Looks to be coming down hard on the Sugarbush webcams but radar imagine is inconspicuous. Is there a correlation between the type of radar tilt utilized and what can be displayed from a particular pulse of moisture?

These storms aren't exactly an ideal scenario for immediate skiing enjoyment but do wonders for the base/tree skiing as we head into the meat of the season. Looking forward to a carbon copy this weekend. Throw some orographic snow on top and we're in business.

Mt Watatic ended up with close to a settled foot by the time I got there yesterday AM. Just about the bare minimum there. Thankfully it isn't too steep and 108 underfoot helped. Not sure there will be anything left after these next two...

Just came thru Cambridgeport. Ground white in minutes. Dumping.

0.0" in Cambridgeport. Starting to rip fatties at times and coating up mulch beds etc. We'll see what today brings.

What does timing look like for this? Have tentative dinner plans in New Haven at 5 and then driving back to Boston right afterwards. Have snow tires and AWD but just wondering when peak intensity may hit along 91/84/pike?

Thanks. Yeah I've heard of Temple before when browsing NELSAP and have always been curious. Just not sure of how skiable that place is after 8-12" of what I assume would be medium density pow. The beauty of Watatic is that the local crews keep it very well manicured. Really only need 6" and some fat planks to have a good time there.

Mt. Watatic in Ashby looking like a decent bet for a jack out of all of this. Ratios should be real solid there with 1200-1800' elevation. Thinking about going for a ski tour Sunday afternoon or Monday AM. Only question is plowing/road conditions. @ineedsnow, this is your hood? Any insight into plowing frequency? I have winter tires and 4WD which helps, but would want to ensure at least a pass or two of that area by Sunday PM.

Agreed

Bummer about those powerlines though.

Can't ask much more from late November. Was able to perfectly time the opening of Heavens Gate at Sugarbush yesterday.

bush rocked. 1'

Its Maine's MRG (they do allow snowboarding though). Lots of glading efforts going on there so when it snows the trees are a go. Great vibe and very impressive terrain for a smaller hill and there is an adjacent GBA glade for uphill enthusiasts.

Tough to accomplish both without some compromise one way or another but based on my experience the Rustler is a better all arounder than either the Brahma, Enforcer or Mantra. As far as length, 180cm would probably be ideal here. These guys are out of Stowe and put out really solid reviews. Wonder if PF knows them?

104 Free? Amazingly versatile ski. Shouldn't be as quick and maneuverable as it is for all of that power and stability.

I suppose this all depends on your goals. Do you want something to compliment what you already have in the Brahma (a stable and energetic carving/all mtn ski for sure) to unlock another side of your ski game OR do you want something similar to the Brahma that excels at many of the same things but in slightly different ways? Many people who opt to start to build a quiver go for the former. Another thing to consider is that a stiff ski 188cm long does preclude you from excelling at off piste or bump skiing to a degree, or at least makes it much more difficult to up your game if you're not already an expert. Having skied all three skis on your list, the Enforcers 94 and Mantra M6 will do well to accomplish the things your Brahmas are already good at with perhaps even more power and stability, just in a slightly wider package. Going for the Rustler 9 or even the 10 will allow you to experience a completely different side of the sport with their increased maneuverability and performance in slightly softer snow while still maintaining plenty of power and edge grip as long as things aren't too firm. Again, this is if your goal is to truly try a different type of ski and build a quiver that will allow you to enjoy a wider range of conditions. I would also strongly consider sizing down if going the Rustler route. While their increased tip and tail rocker mean you will have less effective edge, a shorter and wider ski with more rocker could be a game changer in trees/bumps/tighter terrain.

This is the worst weather imaginable for outdoor activities. Happy for everyone who counts having a sweaty sack as one of their hobbies.

The benefit of having your dad retire is you now have a private amateur ski photographer at your service. Got up to the Loaf this weekend! Still a bunch of snow up there. Sunday had decent conditions despite the mixed weather event/re-freeze. Just got to zoom around the mountain. Place is unlike anywhere in the east.

Quite a bit under. I think Bolton is around 300" and Stowe/Smuggs average a bit more. Very poor start but last 4-6 weeks have been great.

Hey I was also there! Wish I knew the mountain a bit better (2nd time there, first in about ten years and actually the day Nemo was touching down, and with full coverage) but I was about the 10th skier down red line and then had a great run in the wardrobe trees. I thought the snow was on the heavy side of medium density and a touch wind affected but that made it all the more surfy! Overall four great runs before the power cut out.