Angus

went to the boston ski show last night - hadn't gone in years and was looking for something to get me out of the house last nite. Yes, I lead a very dull life! I wasn't really checking areas off a list but I'm not sure if I saw Stowe there?? But the reason I'm typing this is I noticed there were no Massachusetts ski areas exhibiting west of Wachusett. In previous year threads, we've discussed how BE, Jiminy, Catamount , Otis, Bousquet, etc - western Massachusetts areas don't even look for traffic from the eastern half of state. I am impressed that Berkshire East is opening this early. Great area.

You have to get up pretty early to beat Sugarloaf1989. The dog woke me up at 2:15 this morning to go out and when I came back in and checked my phone, the story popped up. I went to post but Sugarloaf1989 had beat me to it by about 40 minutes or so! Of course, I beat him to Sugarloaf by 7 years - Jan 1982, if moniker is indicative of his first time there. Saddleback is a great mountain. I've skied there when only the t-bar was running and had a great time. The Kennabago quad which was installed by the Barry's can be reached via a long traverse from the t-bar but the 'normal' customer wouldn't do it. The new chairlift which will replace to old double really makes the whole mountain easily accessible. I know the locals have been pruning and keeping at least some of the glades thinned out but suspect the glades will take some time to recover from 4 years of inattention. Great mountain, great for the W. Maine region and also provides an alternative to/and some competition to Sugarloaf which is good.

Just saw the NENSA Rollerski race has been cancelled in Stowe. NENSA posted a picture of some pretty serious erosion.

i love BV. it is a great mid-size mountain with a real mix of terrain, great snow and you get a lot of skiing in during the day due to lack of crowds. Although rare, if I spend a weekend up in that neck of the woods - I'll ski MRG, Stowe or Sugarbush really hard 1 day of weekend and spend the 2nd day at BV. Speaking of lift lines, when I ski at Sugarbush, I spend most of the peak ski day over at glen ellen - there are rarely lines and some great terrain.

Wow, the new gondola and summit restaurant dominate BW. I drove by yesterday and took quick glance.

Drove up to Meredith this morning after dropping wife/daughter at Logan. What a spectacular day on lake. Water still feels quite comfortable, will be taking midday dip. Hiking in Presidentials tomorrow.

sad to see missing roof shingles at the Saddleback base lodge. There was a flurry of news about two weeks ago but heard nothing since. That's a beautiful part of Maine.

Not to be a stickler, but I'd argue it's exit 23 - Meredith/New Hampton which is where snow builds in winter. This was definitely re-enforced last winter.

I stand corrected!

We have a European chestnut...suck to pick up in Fall. Friend of mine who is a forestry professor had acreage in Maine that was growing a hybrid American- Euro that was blight resistant. We have Ash trees that have been nearly killed by same blight that killed the Elms.

Cool night at the lake. Definite feel of late summer last nite and this morning. Air is spectacular right now.

Big roller ski (nordic) race tomorrow at MRG. Thinking I might take out my roller skis over weekend and re-awaken the muscles!

Really about Siberia? I thought Siberia has seen warming because I see news items of the area being an example of the runaway feedback loop that makes scientist really worry, permafrost melts releasing more CO2 thus accelerating warming. Is what I've read more of the hypothetical? Every once in a while I see a Woolly Mammoth being dug up in Siberia and press coverage points to temperature increases. And I'm not trolling, I'm a man-made warming earth believer!

woke up in metrowest this morning to overcast and a bit of humidity and drove to Meredith. Now sitting on lake with clear sky, refreshing wind and very comfortable temps.

Still a couple good strips of snow to be seen in Tuckerman Ravine from the Wildcat webcam. I had given some thought to skiing last weekend so I could check off July as 'skied in New England' but just went for a hike instead. Water temps in NH lake region - Winnisquam for me - is perfect. I stopped by the Tilton brewery today and bought some cans, pretty good.

I was in Gilmanton last evening before sunset and there was very clear boundary to the north with very ominous clouds. Sometime between 9:30-10PM, very heavy rain moved into Meredith with some great lightning. Was stunned when I woke up around 6:15 this morning to mostly clear skies. The lake water temperature finally got into the comfortable range this week.

Between crappy weekend weather, the 'honey-due' list, and trying to find some down time during my weekend, I've started to out-source my lawn mowing to a hard-working, industrious young man/next door neighbor.

LOL. Drove north this morning to Lake Como to escape the heat in Parma which reached 104ish. Here, 92-93. We drove up to 3,700' above lake and car thermometer didn't budge. The temps have been rising for the 10 days we've been here. Watching the sun set now against the mountains (7-8K), asking my wife about her favorite places for lobster rolls. A little less connectivity wouldn't be a bad thing! She confirms there is a lot of meat in a Red's roll. Personally, I've seen the line and nothing is that good!

I don't know when the summit snow fields normally melt out. From what I could tell from internet banter, there was more snow and more vertical this year than normal on Memorial Day. Literally, you park your car either in the summit parking lots or along the auto road and simply walk and/or down climb to the snow. I know the various MT. Washington advocacy groups this year have been asking people to be careful not to destroy the alpine flora and fauna by trampling over it. I'm guessing this a result of growing popularity of driving up and skiing when the auto road opens. I've skied in the ravine in late June once and I know there is typically a strip of snow that can be and does get skied on July 4th. There is still quite a bit of snow in the ravine and left gully which is safest option this time of year had plenty of snow last time I looked at a webcam. I find increasingly the down climbing with my gear on my back makes for a sore body the next day especially as I get older!

Who is Mandy Moore?

Part of problem is poor guide services. In past, from I've read in the usual assortment of recently popular mountaineering books, the guide services would compete, yet coordinate ascents so as to mitigate back ups on summit. There are now a # of new outfitters which appear to be low quality. They are local Nepalese outfits that take anyone. Also, there has been allegations that thr bottled oxygen recharging has been faulty. Reading a book at moment about Mallory's attempt post WWI. Kind of sad when you consider that the mountain, considered sacred by the locals, is being trashed all in the name of hard foreign currency.

Season ended on Mount Washington today. Left Pinkham Notch early and went to summit snow fields via Lions Head trail (summer route). I was pretty cooked when I reached the top of the snowfield just below the summit. Took a single run and then traversed and hiked over to Left Gully for a run down to bottom of bowl and then hike back down to the AMC's parking lot. Good # of folks in summit snow fields with auto road open. Surprisingly few people in bowl. My initial plan was to take a run on Hillmans but I was toast. Weather went from deep blue sky in AM to very light mist by end. Not many days downhill (less than a dozen) but 50+ on the skinny skis.

A little warmth so I can start swimming at the local pond - Walden - would be appreciated. We put dock in this weekend in NH...will be painful. Water temp currently 50.

another accident at Tuckerman Ravine this weekend requiring helicopter evacuation. Here is the report https://www.mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org/skier-fall-chute-2019-4-12/ Thinking my only visit will be Memorial Day weekend if weather cooperates, maybe a hike up to summit snowfields, take a couple of runs and then downhike to the bowl for a couple of runs.

It has been cold on Mt. Washington today. Currently, 23 on the summit.