Jim Crowley
New member
To mariners throughout the world, the waters off the coast of Newfoundland are known as "Iceberg Alley" because of the sea ice that is carried along the Labrador current each summer. Icebergs begin their life as chunks expelled from the Greenland icecap into the ocean on the western coast of Greenland. The traffic in "Iceberg Alley" varies widely from year to year: in 1988 only 187 icebergs were spotted, but in 1994 the number skyrocketed to 1,765. Perhaps the most famous berg ever is the one the sunk the Titanic <BR>in 1912. <BR> <BR>Today I saw an iceberg while skiing at Logy Bay Lump, the ski area located 10 minutes from downtown St. John's. The Lump, operated by the St. John's ski club, was closed for the season, but there was still complete coverage on the trails. I didn't know what to expect at the Lump, as I had never been there before. After today's experience, I am disappointed that I didn't make a few visits this past winter. <BR> <BR>Lump Facts: 3 lifts (one rope tow, two handle tows), about 5 trails, about 200 feet vertical, base elevation of about 50 feet above sea level, a steep pitch on the expert trail and moderate pitch on the others, a few gladed portions, a few rock ledges, no snowmaking, no grooming, small base lodge, open on weekends only. I looked in the window of the base lodge and could see that rentals cost $10 per day (for 1980 vintage Rossingols). I could not read the sign for ticket prices, but I imagine it's in the $10 range. <BR> <BR>I showed up at the early hour of 11 a.m., just in time for the softening of the corn on all but the steep north-facing run. Temperature was just above freezing, with a breath of wind and wall-to-wall sunshine. Conditions were fabulous, smooth corn about 4 inches deep. I skied every run, plus the narrow line between one of the handle tows and the adjacent wooden fence. The highlight of the day was sighting an iceberg a mile or so offshore. Because icebergs don't appear until May, I wondered how many other people have made turns at a ski area with an iceberg in sight. The only other place that I can think of is the small ski area in Nuuk, Greenland. <BR> <BR>I had no need to worry about hitting rocks, as the Lump is the kind of ski area that thoughtfully covers rocks with old carpets, newspapers (The Pennysaver, circa 1987) and phone books. Small logs were kindly placed in rows between the rocks to smooth out the runs. I will try skiing there once more this season, perhaps on Tuesday, and I cannot wait try out the rope tow and handle tows next winter. <BR> <BR>After a couple hours, it was time to stretch the legs on the cross-country ski trails located closer to St. John's, directly above the city. I started out on the golf course but quickly moved onto the narrow, twisting trails. The snowpack is still incredibly deep, about 3-5 feet in the woods and 0-2 feet in open areas. Skating was good, although the snow was rather slow and soft because the 6-8 inches of snow the past week had not yet turned into real corn. <BR> <BR>"You know it's been a good <BR>winter when….." <BR> <BR>You know it's been a good winter when you go skiing on your normal route in May, after lots of snow has melted, and you discover that all winter long you have been skiing over not just one, not just two, but three cars (Delta 88 Royale, Crown Victoria LTD, and an unidentifiable rusting hunk, perhaps a Mazda). Moreover, there's still enough snow to ski over the trunk of the Crown Victoria. <BR> <BR>You know it's been a good winter when it's May and you can still ski over a 7 foot high fence topped with barbed wire that surrounds a military installation. <BR> <BR>You know it's been a good winter when you are standing atop a 15 foot high snow drift on a golf course and you hear nothing but the sound of birds, the wind, and "whack", the sound of a golf ball being driven on a driving range located a few hundred yards away. <BR> <BR>You know it's been a good winter when most people resort to shovelling snow off their front lawns in May, and the more ingenious people use their lawn sprinklers to make it go quicker. <BR> <BR>What an amazing season it has been up here in Newfounland, with a record snowfall and almost 6 continuous months of skiing. I doubt I will ever see another like it.