Hickory Ski Center, NY 2/19/00

Jimski · Feb 24, 2000

(Note from the Administrator: This report was originally posted on 2/23/00. Due to our move to new servers, the date and time attributed to this post is incorrect.) After a fantastic day at Gore I was wondering what I could do for an encore. Almost any place in Northern NY or Vermont was probably at peak condition from the copious snowfall over the week. I had vowed that I would get back to Hickory sometime this season after the wonderful introduction I had last year. The thought that no one had been there from the previous Sunday was too much to resist and when it comes to powder days the concept of he who hesitates winds up losing out is only all too true. I know that Hickory doesn't open at the crack of dawn so I was able to leave close to 7:30 as I hoped to give the plows as much time as possible to do their thing. The trip down to the Northway was excruciating. On a level straight stretch with no one in front I could almost do 50 MPH but on the hills or with someone in front it was mostly 35-40. My windshield washers were frozen solid and even five minutes of dumping hot water on them before I left was to no avail. The Northway was no better. One to two inches of slush in the cruising lane found most people going around 45 MPH and the passing lane was probably six inches of loose fluff over glazed ice and the air currents from the car in front totally obscured vision in any attempt to pass. At one point I found my left hand all pins and needles type numb from gripping the wheel so hard. I almost had a recurrence of my Orford spinout on the Warrensburg exit ramp but fortunately it was much straighter and I was going much slower to begin with. I almost got stuck every time I stopped and had to start again in Warrensburg. I was going about 15 in anticipation of the turn into Hickory and slid right by it and had to back up. I pulled into the lot and next to a truck and tried to back up and straighten out and couldn't move either way at that point. Screw it-there it sits-I'm going skiing!!! I suited and booted up standing next to the truck so I could ride the T bar up free to ski over to the lodge instead of hiking. Their one and only little Thiokol imp type groomer was towing the rolling drainage culvert type packer up and down the T bar and lower half of the #1 Poma as fast as it could in anticipation of the huge crowds. I would estimate maybe 200 or so at the busiest. Not bad for a Saturday powder day. I picked up my ticket for a whopping $20 and was heading up the LOFTS-P (Little Old Faster Than Shit Poma) by 9:25. I almost got dumped going up that thing when I lazily let my super side cut Elans tip on edge ever so slightly while going uphill at probably 30 MPH. When I finally get off that thing I realize the left hand is going pins and needles again. My kingdom for the Mc Hyeship. <g> I head down the trail to the left for a warm up(yeah right) and over to check out Poma 2. Like the patroller told me at Gore the day before, they had indeed gotten some rain during the week. Conditions were most unique with probably a foot of powder on top of a quarter inch of crust on top of 18 to 20 inches of powder under that and not much base from before. It was a perfect day for all fat or mid fat type skis as far as I could see. I gotta get me some of those if I am going to do this more often. I could do the powder ok but when I broke through the crust and it anchored my ankles and I tried to shift balance and roll to the other edge the crust said no way dude and my knees said don't do that again if you want to keep doing this. A wise person once said discretion is the better part of valor so I decided to stick to the chowder and hit the moguls or whatever was under the snow with bottoms flat and change edge with mini airplane type turns. This worked quite successfully as the landings were back into the powder/crust which tended to definitely control my speed. One thing about this place is it is not cruiser-friendly. It is raw and unimproved with no bulldozing or leveling with stumps, rocks, ledges, boulders and even logs throughout the trails and with a little snow they become cleverly concealed as moguls. When you set an edge and heard that long scratching scraping noise it could be just crust or solid granite or a stump or an ice covered ledge. Another thing I noted was the types of skis most seen there. Far and away were old straight skinny long skis that people of an average age older than moi were just ripping up this stuff with ease. Of more interest was a disproportionately large number of X-Scream Series skis. Obviously they are the choice for this type of skiing but it would seem like entering your brand new Porsche in a demolition derby. Maybe you could be fast and maneuverable but sooner or later something is going to get you big time. There was no one, employee or otherwise, to be seen around Poma #2 so I took another run down the left side of #1 and back up and over to #2 again. This time there were a few eager powder hounds and a liftie hanging out and they said probably in another 20 minutes or so. This place is laid back! After a couple more runs I hit the base of 2 and just as I get in line a stick gets entangled in the phone line and derails the cable from the bull wheel. The liftie climbs the tower and inspects the damage and calls to the 20 or so people in line if anyone saw a little round thing go flying anywhere. Then he finds it laying right up on the walkway near the bull wheel and announces it will probably only be another 15 to 20 minutes. Anywhere else people would be flipping out but the attitude of anyone skiing there totally mirrors that of the operation, that being very laid back. By the time I get to ride up #2 I have pretty well covered every inch of the lower mountain. The two most exhausting places I have ever skied are MRG and Hickory. This time I determined to pace myself and try to make it longer than 1:00PM. After an early lunch I head back up and decide to do a post lunch rewarmup(so I don't start puking) on the long blue cruiser from the top. Half way down someone behind me hollers, and it's Miguel. I vaguely remember meeting him last year at Hickory, no less, and we recount a little of the adventures of that day. He calls him over and introduces me to Mattman and Jerry D or doctor of doom. These guys are gorging on the pow and bumps with intensity and encourage us to join them. It's amazing what a little camaraderie will do and off we go full tilt. We head for the top again and go right off the lift to Hare and down to Beatnik and Beatnik glades. Jerm, if you ever get to this place you will find these trails aptly named. Mattman's just a ripping the right edge in untouched powder hollering I love this place when he head on's what he thinks is a mogul and actually broadsides a boulder that is perpendicular to the fall line. I'm cranking moguls in the middle of the trail where I have a far better chance of knowing what is what when a figure covered totally in white hollers to get his skis. With a head first ejection in terrain like that I can't imagine why everyone wouldn't wear a helmet but C'est la vie. Doctor "D" appears to be a smooth and powerful skier who doesn't have any problem with anything the mountain has to offer. He always seems to be waiting for us with a big smile and no signs of any exertion. I get the impression that he's running on 1/2 impulse most of the time for the benefit of allowing us older guys to keep up. He looks like he could operate in the Duffy zone continuously all day if he wanted to. I suddenly feel the need to pick up on more gym and treadmill time if I am going to aspire to operate at a higher level like that. As we get back to poma #1 Dr. D leads into the line and I follow and wait for Mattman and Miguel. Mattman comes zipping along but Miguel is farther behind. He explains the legs aren't cooperating in unison very well and he really could use the break we had planned earlier. I know all too well how this place can sneak up on you and take your legs out. After the break we head up to get a couple of last runs in since it's 3:30 ish. As it finally approaches 4:00 I realize I still have a lot left and could keep going if I had more time. It must be the day three syndrome like at Orford on the Swampfest excursion where my body kicks into overdrive or something. It might also have something to do with my realization that this place is special and not only might I not get to ski it again this season but if it doesn't do well enough I might never get to ski it again. With winter not cooperating and the limited operation time it gets in it's a piece of Americana teetering on the brink of extinction. I purchase a cap on my way out to keep the experience fresh in my mind for as long as possible. For those of you who value the experience I suggest you make the pilgrimage at the earliest opportunity. It's one of those places that you really don't want to be saying, "gee, I wish I had gotten

Hickory Ski Center, NY 2/19/00

Jimski

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