After getting out of the shower and seeing flakes outside my window, mother nature took hold and I was forced to get into my car and drive up to <BR>the hills. <BR> <BR>MRG was my destination. I figured I could hike up, take a run, and be back in front of my desk by 1:00. Heck, I figured, if I could work 'til 10PM I wouldn't even have to burn a half day vacation! <BR> <BR>I was on the road just after 9 and at the bottom of the mountain before 10. I loaded up my pack with my trusty HS Race skis, now demoted to rock boards (K2 Composite Slalom, circa 1992, 200cm) and my Lange Banshees. The pack felt pleasantly light as my hike began. <BR> <BR>There were only traces of snow as I started my ascent. Even coming up over the App. Gap I was worried. There didn't appear to be a whole lot of snow. As I got to the intersection of Rockefeller and Bunny, the snow cover became more consistent and my confidence about the amount at the top rose. <BR> <BR>As I was on a bit of a time budget, I decided to take a direct attack on the mountain. Up Bunny to Beaver, over to Lift line (to give my legs a rest) and then up Catamount all the way to the top. The mid-station yielded a ground covered primarily in snow, not leaves or mud. Things were looking good. My trip up Catamount showed me some pockets where I could sink a leg in up to my knee. <BR> <BR>Finally at the top, I dropped my pack and looked around. Not a whole lot to see besides clouds and beautiful snow. I donned my cap, put on my ski boots for the first time this year and strapped in. <BR> <BR>The snow was thick and heavy, but the turns were blissful. I glided my way down that face which I had just come up, halted only briefly by a binding pre-release. (The must still be set to my HS weight. Oops!) <BR> <BR>I continued down the mountain running into first a pair of hikers with skis, then another solo, and then heard a group of three or four coming up by Fox and Vixen. Seeing as I was on Moody's, though, it's hard to tell. <BR> <BR>My travels continued down to Bunny which I took as far down as I could get. I nearly made it to the intersection with Glade. A nasty faceplant convinced me that it was no longer safe to ski. The last 100 yards had been mostly leaves, some rocks and dirt, with spots of snow. <BR> <BR>A quick hike back down to my car and I was back on the road returning to Burlington. <BR> <BR>The turns were worth every step up the mountain. I've never skied this early in October and to have that experience at MRG was an even sweeter treat. <BR> <BR>Special thanks to Nick for posting his Sunday adventures. It was great motivation to get off my arse and up into the hills again. <BR> <BR>Enjoy it while you can!
I do not even know the name of the trail but it is #26 on the map, and it was on the skiers left at the summit. We got up there at around 3:00 or so maybe later who knows, and we skied down that, and I think we might be the first people to ski from top to bottom this year, because we made it all the way down to the bottom, next to the single, a few scratches, oh well, but it was worth it.