If it were just me I probably would either have hit MRG (the radar looked pretty good last night) or gone up into ME chasing the higher snow totals recorded Tue-Wed. But my boys were off from school today and I figured Bretton Woods -- which they (and I) had skied for the first time in January -- would be a good choice in terms of appropriate level of challenge for their current ability. Plus if conditions were at all variable (I knew it hit the high-30s at the base yesterday), a place with a reputation for thorough grooming would be a plus. And an easier drive than other options at about 2:15.
BW had reported 9-10" Wed and from the forecast it seemed if we got lucky there would be an inch or two more last night. When we arrived at 8:15 a.m. I was surprised and psyched to see at least 4" of fluff outside the lodge. There was more up top, and BW's official report was 5-6" -- POWDER DAY, from first tracks to fresh lines we still were finding the last run of the day. (Wildcat, on the other side of Mount Washington, reported more snow Tue-Wed but got only a dusting last night; Saddleback, which I didn't finally rule out until 5:30 a.m. today and would have been a 3.5 hr drive, got just an inch.)
Temp climbed to the high 30s at the base, high 20s at the bottom of Rosebrook Quad. It snowed most of the day, flurries/light with a few brief moderate bursts, no additional accumulation. The sun only peeked out occasionally and there were only a few wind gusts, in the afternoon. By the afternoon the untracked patches on the bottom half or third of the mountain started getting slightly sticky; up top the fresh stuff stayed fluffy all day.
My boys showed the powder hound gene, mostly sticking to ungroomed trails or sides. They skied better than ever and got a few new black diamonds under their belts. For a place known for grooming BW left plenty untouched, including all of Upper Express/Fabyan's and Range View -- outrageous fields of lightly tracked boot-deep powder. And lots of great snow on the edges pretty much everywhere.
Not shabby at all for April ...
BW had reported 9-10" Wed and from the forecast it seemed if we got lucky there would be an inch or two more last night. When we arrived at 8:15 a.m. I was surprised and psyched to see at least 4" of fluff outside the lodge. There was more up top, and BW's official report was 5-6" -- POWDER DAY, from first tracks to fresh lines we still were finding the last run of the day. (Wildcat, on the other side of Mount Washington, reported more snow Tue-Wed but got only a dusting last night; Saddleback, which I didn't finally rule out until 5:30 a.m. today and would have been a 3.5 hr drive, got just an inch.)
Temp climbed to the high 30s at the base, high 20s at the bottom of Rosebrook Quad. It snowed most of the day, flurries/light with a few brief moderate bursts, no additional accumulation. The sun only peeked out occasionally and there were only a few wind gusts, in the afternoon. By the afternoon the untracked patches on the bottom half or third of the mountain started getting slightly sticky; up top the fresh stuff stayed fluffy all day.
My boys showed the powder hound gene, mostly sticking to ungroomed trails or sides. They skied better than ever and got a few new black diamonds under their belts. For a place known for grooming BW left plenty untouched, including all of Upper Express/Fabyan's and Range View -- outrageous fields of lightly tracked boot-deep powder. And lots of great snow on the edges pretty much everywhere.
Not shabby at all for April ...