Inside information

Here is the information repeated from today's Inside Line Newsletter emailed from the Stowe Mountain Resort
Powder Edition - January 29, 2009
Volume 18, Number 8
Buried!
With over 200 inches of snow before yesterday's weather event, this new storm dumped up to 20 more inches of the good stuff, setting up this weekend to be the best to date. It has snowed for the better part of the last two weeks, but in modest quantities. However, as good as it has been, it just got radically better, thanks to a major storm burying much of the region. It is the final week of the month and everyone around here knows that the skiing and riding in February typically is even better than in January. Hoo boy! There will be some fun stuff on tap this weekend. This week is Winter Rendezvous XXV in Stowe. Saturday the resort will host the “Main Event Championship Series,” a snowboard slopestyle competition with a premium prize purse and U.S. Open spots at stake. Expect great powder skiing and riding to boot!

About the Snow in Stowe
It’s not easy to ignore global concerns about the very real possibility of climate change. But in terms of empirical evidence, this winter here in northern Vermont continues a recent trend of very good, very plentiful snow conditions for skiers and snowboarders over the last decade or so. Snowfall continues to be strong and the numbers from nearby Burlington support these findings as Vermont’s largest city located in the relatively temperate Champlain Valley as received over five feet of snow already with temperature readings about five degrees below normal. Here in Stowe, the average depth of the snowpack on Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak continues to run ahead of the average compiled over the last fifty-five winters. Some winters snow comes in big bursts with intermittent dry spells but this year as was the case last year, snowfall has been very steady. Already better than 220 inches has fallen and past history indi! cates that the snowiest months, February and March, are still ahead. With this week’s just arrived storm the depth of the snowpack should leap well past the 60” mark, which most knowledgeable woods skier & riders regard as the benchmark for full on fun in the hardwood designated glades of Stowe, which have received such acclaim in recent years. As good as things are right now, it is only the continuation of a trend that has seen each of the last eleven winters reach a snowpack depth that exceeds the traditional average on Mansfield. Old-timers like to say, “it doesn’t snow like it used to.” In fact they are correct. It seems to snow more than it used to. Life remains very good in Stowe these days.

Resort Report
Trail Report: Lot’s of new snow! The bump skiing will continue to be some of the best in years. Those cold days with nightly snowfalls do wonders for the mogul lines and Starr, Lookout and Goat are really in great shape. This weekend the bump lines in the Tres Amigos and Lookout Glades should be the best they have been all winter. Nightly grooming continues to set the stage for high-quality cruising with Lord from top to bottom about as good as it gets. Lullaby Lane is always missed yet savvy veterans know that low-angle runs offer sweet snow when many others have been skied hard. It will be impossible to find much to complain about over at the Gondola. Chin Clip will continue to mix relatively steep with pretty deep and that natural snow remains special. The cruisers; Gondolier and Perry Merrill, should be really good and resilient despite the efforts of many to slide them into oblivion. Like to mea! nder? See if you can follow Switchback from its beginning off of upper Gondolier to its always soft conclusion near the base of Chin Clip. Spruce will be very good everywhere and please check out the edge of the treeline alongside the meadows for some very nice soft snow under your skis or board. Upper Spruce will be the best it has been this winter and possibly the rope might drop on the cherished but rarely open Sensation liftline. Whirlaway has been excellent all week and now it is even better.
Snow report: A very good week for skiers and riders to savor snow as it often arrives in Vermont, an inch or two every day. That pattern has given way to a heavy storm which dropped up to 20” onto the slopes of Mansfield by opening time today/Thursday. The reading at the WCAX snow stake alongside the Toll Road rose to 58” on Tuesday night and that number will jump considerably by the time we reach the weekend. The forecast looks rather good. Snow showers Friday and Saturday, a break for some much needed sun on Sunday and then back to snow Sunday night. Gee you might want of call in sick Monday morning.
Snowmaking/Grooming Report:. Most of the tough work is now behind the snowmakers but they were having fun this week burying various pieces of Stowe famous quartet of trails known as the Front Four. Liftline was nailed from top to bottom as well as the traverse line named the Hay Chute serving those double black diamonds. Just for good measure the crew set up a couple of guns at the top of the very steep upper National Headwall just to augment Mother Nature’s efforts. They also blew some snow down onto the 40-degree steep headwall of Starr. The real challenge will be to see if they can take the winch cat over the top just to you know smooth it a bit. Hey everyone in Mountain Ops enjoys a bit of a challenge now and then. Nightly grooming continues on over half the trail system. snow accumulation has been over at Spruce.

Lift Report: During the week the Quad will be the first lift running when it opens at 8 a.m. It opens at 7:30 a.m. on the weekend, the earliest lift operation in the East. The Triple opens at 9:00 and the Lookout double opens as needed. The Gondola is open usually at 8:30 and the Spruce Lifts cycle in beginning at 8:30 a.m with the Easy Street Double. All lifts at Spruce Peak are expected to be in full operation daily. The Tollhouse Double opens at 9 a.m. and the Midway Surface lift will be running this weekend. The Over Easy transfer gondola runs daily from 7:30 a.m. (7:00 on weekends) through at least 5 p.m.

Calendar
January 28-February 1: XXV Winter Rendezvous - The annual GLBT week in Stowe. Fun and snow are the main menu.
January 31: Main Event Snowboard Championship Series - A slopestyle event to be held on West Run at Spruce. Register 8-10 a.m. Spruce Base Camp. Competition start 10:30 a.m. Info at http://www.maineventseries.com
January 31: Chef Presentation - 1 to 3 p.m. at the Spruce PeakPreview Center
January 31: Torchlight Parade & Fireworks - West Slope is the venue and the Spruce Camp will be the place to watch the colorful display as a torchlight procession of skiers & riders winds down the hill at 7 p.m.
January 31: Vermont Woodchuck Cider Dinner - See your shadow under the moonlight at the Cliff House Restaurant and then celebrate six more weeks of winter with our Woodchuck Cider six course pairing menu.
February 1: Mural Painting with Jess Graham at Spruce Peak Another - workshop in a series to run all winter. (Inquiries to Dhatoff@ sprucepeak.com)
February 3: Ski Bum Race #5 - GS race series continues at Spruce Peak. 253-7704.
February 4: Woodchuck Wednesday - Celebrate the rest of winter with $35 lift tickets and a chance to win free skis or a snowboard in the Golden Goggles contest. 888-253-4TIX.

Music on the Mountain
This weekend’s music lineup includes Dan Walker at Spruce Camp and the Detonators at the Den in Mansfield base lodge. The Myra Flynn Band will be performing up at Jose’s in the Midway base lodge and you can catch old favorite Jim Charonko in the Fireside Tavern down at the Inn at the Mountain. Scheduled times for bands are from 2-6 p.m.