Open trails offer good conditions

The depth of the snow blanket remains far less than anyone interested in adventure likes. Looking at the open trail list, which right now is hovering around 55 percent of the network, there are very few open trail options rated with black diamonds. Nose Dive is open as is Main Street, but Starr, Goat, Lookout, National and the center section of Hayride remain on the closed list. As for the woods, only the most optimistic of regulars, whether on board or boards, are inclined to venture in these days.

That, in a nutshell, is the tough side of the trail report but there is another way to look at this. A lot of what is open provides some good conditions. Perry Merrill has been open awhile but now Gondolier is providing that vital second route down from the top of the Gondola. Standing in the sunshine at the start of the bum race, your scribe could see plumes of snow feathering out of the tower guns alongside Liftline and that means that in relatively short order Liftline will join the list of open trails.

With modestly cold temperatures in the forecast for the next few days, snowmakers soon will move across the hill to Hayride and at that point it should only be another week or so before that estimable cruiser gets added to the open trail tally.

There is no question, however, that more than anything else what Stowe skiers and riders are desperate for is a big storm or two. The snowpack as recorded at the snowstake alongside upper Toll Road is still at 22 inches, a full foot and a half below normal based on the nearly 70-year history of the stake’s snow depth measurements. But a big storm probably would open a lot of the steep terrain simply because the wet glop that has fallen since Christmas does have one redeeming virtue, it can provide a pretty good hardpack under fresh snow. It might be wistful thinking but wouldn’t a nor’easter or an Alberta clipper do wonders for local morale?

Races get underway

On ski bum Tuesday, 100 skiers and riders were on hand to take part in the season’s first race. The Scribe, still on a very limited skiing option, served as the starter and he noted that spirits were high, doom and gloom were nowhere to be seen on a warm sunny morning. The troubles of the first two months — parking woes and bad weather — seemed far away.

The venue this week was the Comp Hill, which offers a great view of Little Spruce and the surrounding mountains and valleys. With a nice frosting of snow on the trees and bright blue skies only two things seem to matter — a chance to take two runs down the racecourse and the prospect of the first ski bum party of 2023.

The adage, “the more things change the more they stay the same” was reinforced by the individual results of this year’s first race. As has been the case for some years now, everyone continues to chase Dustin Martin of Pinnacle-Whitetails. Martin finished half a second up on Zach Mooney of Plate de Racestock.

Shaun Rowe and Karl Lipsky of FUBAR ran in third and sixth sandwiched around two other Plate skiers: Ryan Daniel and Jason Krupsky.

Topping the list of fastest women were newcomer Devon Laidman of Morgan’s Monsters in 18th place trailed by Sick Puppies’ Leelee Goodson in 22nd, Megan Papineau of Ski Essentials and Alex Welter of Fourruners. Pete Hussey of Elementality was fastest on telemark gear and Ric Cavillo of Bottom Notch O’s just edged teammate Bill Lockwood as the fastest rider on a snowboard.

Following a fine opening segment of racing the bums regathered at Charlie B’s for the opening party of the season. The Smuggler’s Bowl was captured by the quartet Pinnacle-Whitetails — Dustin, Mike Martin, Alison and Spencer Brown. Second place went to Trattoria La Festa — Alan Kovacs, Bob Marks, Stephen Edwards and Peter Penndorf — while the third spot on the podium went to Morgan’s Monsters — Bill Chilton, Damon Kinzie Jefferson Lawler and Devon Laidman.

Kim Brown, a ski bum by winter and a hacker by summer, lives in Waterbury Center.