Powderhouse Hill, South Berwick ME
Passed by this place early in the morning. Pulled off the road, peered into the cabin lodge, walked up the small hill with fresh power and boarded down. Repeat three times. Hopped back into car. Mission accomplished.
Baker Mountain, Moscow ME
Baker Mountain is an open field on a hill with an outbuilding declaring the club's establishment date of 1937. When I arrived after a hilly ride from Big Squaw and once again outrunning an impending snowstorm, I was greeted with boiler plate ice. I carefully made my way towards the lodge, looked around, strapped on my board and with a prayer made four turns on ice and called it a day.
Stopped at a roadside grocer/cafe just down the road and had a quick bite to eat with Maine's infamous loggers. Drove into the first town with a motel as the snow started to fall heavily. As I stepped out of my car, I heard a smacking sound as a car promptly slid off the road and smacked the embankment. Phew!
Stopped at a roadside grocer/cafe just down the road and had a quick bite to eat with Maine's infamous loggers. Drove into the first town with a motel as the snow started to fall heavily. As I stepped out of my car, I heard a smacking sound as a car promptly slid off the road and smacked the embankment. Phew!
Mount Greylock - Thunderbolt Trail
Boarded the grand-daddy of backcountry ski trails in MA yesterday. It was incredible! The trail is celebrating it's 75 anniversary with a big race on February 20, 2010. A local ski group has spruced up the trail with signs indicating the historic features of the run and even installed a snow fence in one section. On most days, you will be greeted with a hearty fire in the stone cabin's fireplace at the summit - reached after a 2 hour hike up the trail. The snow condition was good with powder at the top, some crunch in the middle and then packed powder towards the bottom of the run.
Mount Cardigan - The Duke's Trail, NH
I did my first authentic backcountry ski run last weekend (1/16/2010) on Mount Cardigan's Duke's Trail. It was a beautiful, picture perfect day with warm temps and blue skis. We booted up the Manning trail (1.6 miles) towards Firescrew summit. The trail was well hiked and skinned so we didn't need crampons or snowshoes. There was about a foot of snow at the lodge and as we gained elevation, the snow depth increased. The views from the snowfields below the summit were tremendous.
Drifts and boiler plates disguised the run in the beginning, but we followed faint windblown tracks down to the trees and found the 15 foot wide trail. Snapped on skis and tightened up bindings on the snowboard and we were ready for our grand descent.
Had been worried about the condition of the snow because the temps had been well above freezing at the lodge for a couple of days, but the snow up top was good with some heavy corn snow towards the bottom which was fine for the snowboard but a little more trying for downhill alpine skis.
Encountered a few gullies and dips that made my stomach drop in anticipation of a crash but survived upright. Had to take my board off a couple of times and walk - one for an open brook crossing and the other for a flattish section which could have been avoided if I had been going faster. Loved Duke's Meadow at the finish - nice big area to link turns and plow through the heavy snow. A total blast. One and a half hour hike up and half an hour down. Great experience!
Drifts and boiler plates disguised the run in the beginning, but we followed faint windblown tracks down to the trees and found the 15 foot wide trail. Snapped on skis and tightened up bindings on the snowboard and we were ready for our grand descent.
Had been worried about the condition of the snow because the temps had been well above freezing at the lodge for a couple of days, but the snow up top was good with some heavy corn snow towards the bottom which was fine for the snowboard but a little more trying for downhill alpine skis.
Encountered a few gullies and dips that made my stomach drop in anticipation of a crash but survived upright. Had to take my board off a couple of times and walk - one for an open brook crossing and the other for a flattish section which could have been avoided if I had been going faster. Loved Duke's Meadow at the finish - nice big area to link turns and plow through the heavy snow. A total blast. One and a half hour hike up and half an hour down. Great experience!
Backcountry Skiing
After you have grown tired of the groomed trails, the hefty lift price and the crowds, head to the backcountry. The CCC blazed many trails in the Northeast in the 1930's and many of them are still maintained by local enthusiasts. For good information check out David Goodman's Backcountry Skiing Adventures - Maine and New Hampshire and his second book, Vermont and New York for more indepth information.
Maple Corners, Granville MA
This is a delightful little cross country ski center. Small, but if you live in southern New England and the snow has crusted over, head to Maple Corners for some groomed skiing. It serves a nice breakfast and a simple lunch in its modest lodge. Try out the maple milk!
Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center, Grafton VT
The Outdoor Center is in Grafton, VT which is a picturesque Vermont village with general store, tavern, an antique shop or two and a couple places to eat. The Outdoor Center is probably a mecca for college skate skiing competitions. They advertise 30km of trails, but we laterally traversed the mountain three times and did just about all the trails in 2 hours. If you are looking for quaint, quiet, beautiful Nordic trails nestled among the Vermont country-side, you will be greatly disappointed. If you want a good work-out racing around several loops on trails as wide as a freeway, this may be one of the best in New England - especially if you want big hills.
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