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Beat The Heat With Memorial Day Weekend Skiing at Mount Snow, Stowe & Stratton!!!

David Shedd — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:42:22 +0000

Who would have known, months ago, that we’d have record breaking temperatures in New England in May? Apparently, the geniuses at Mount Snow, Stowe, and Stratton Mountain! They stockpiled snow in deep mounds expressly to make sure there was SOME way to escape the heat. Forget the beach…you can get a better tan from the rays reflecting off snow!

2009's Peace Pipe Jam was a show...and this year is expected to be even better! (Mount Snow photo)

On Saturday (that’s the 29th, if you’re suffering from heat stroke already), Mount Snow will be holding their “Peace Pipe Jam.” Apparently, the weather’s not the only thing that’s smokin’ hot. The event is FREE (yes, that’s free, as in you don’t have to pay to get in), with tunes, BBQ, and snow to play in at the bottom of, where else, Carinthia. This is the third year that Mount Snow has held the event, and the word from the mountain is to expect this to be the best yet! Save yourself some time and hassle when you get there, and download the waiver, sign it, and bring it with you…and walk right by the people who are waiting in line to get theirs.

Or, maybe Stowe is where you want to be on the 29th. They are having their annual Last Trick Rail Jam from 11 am to 2 pm on the remains of the halfpipe on Lower Standard at the base of Mount Mansfield. Expect boxes and rails galore, good tunes and a crowd that will throw props your way when you bust out big. Bring your sunscreen and summer attitude.

All of this snow, just waiting at Stratton Mountain for you to play! (Stratton Mountain photo)

Now, if you’re going to make the trek to Vermont anyway, grab a hotel room, pitch a tent, or sleep in your car, and head for Stratton Mountain on Sunday for “Mountain Mayhem.” Another pile of snow carved into sick terrain by the grooming gods, a DJ, BBQ, free stuff…oh, there’s that “free” word again. In this case, it’s the stuff that’s free, not the event…that’ll set you back a whole $20 to get in. Food, music, swag, CASH prizes for the best moves. Since you’ll have gotten warmed up the day before, you’ll be ready to rock the crowd and go home with all of the money and glory. At least, that’s the way it’ll play out in your dreams for the next few nights, but hey, if it doesn’t work out that way, you’ll still have been skiing while everyone else is sweating! Sign up for the event at Active.com in advance if you want to get a few runs in before everyone else does their paperwork. And remember your helmet…if you don’t have it, you won’t be skiing, boarding, or doing anything but eating BBQ, listening to tunes, and letting other people have the big fun! (And if you want some fun for now, go to http://twitpic.com/1ralyz and see what happened to the photographer behind the skier in the pic to the right.)

Remember, this is it until November…get your fix while you can!

GoLite McKenzie Reflexion Softshell Parka: Should It Be Called “GoTo”?

David Shedd — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:44:27 +0000

Typical ad shot; the McKenzie belongs outside, not on a mannikin! (GoLite photo)

We all have those favorite items, the ones that, when we don’t think about it, we automatically reach for. It might be a favorite knife, or a hat, or gloves…they’re the ones that fit right, that feel right, that make us feel confident that we can handle any conditions.

I’ve got a row of jackets in the mud room. Light, heavy, insulated, puffy, windproof, you name it. Great products, all of them…and at any given moment, one of them is just right for the conditions. But, when I’m not sure what the conditions will be, I always reach for the GoLite McKenzie Reflexion Softshell.

Why? Well, let’s start with the specifics. Try not to yawn…there’s a lot to talk about. The basic material is a DWR treated polyester with a very soft, rich feel to it. Behind that is a Sympatex waterproof/breathable membrane, with the back side treated with Reflexion, a Sympatex aluminum treatment that acts as a radiant barrier. The inner lining looks like a miniature eggcrate, making it soft and comfortable when I want to throw it on over a t-shirt.

On a chilly morning, the radiant barrier holds the heat my coffee is providing close to me (Tim Jones photo)

Okay, that all sounds great, but why do I keep reaching for it? Other parkas have all sorts of cool stuff, too, but this combination just plain works. In warmer weather, it’s amazingly breathable, keeping me from feeling clammy, and the pit-zips allow me to open up when I’m really working hard. When the rain starts falling harder than I’d been planning for, it keeps me dry (although be aware that it’s not a seam-sealed parka; it’ll keep you dry, but not in a monsoon). When the temperature drops unexpectedly, the radiant barrier adds a level of warmth that I wouldn’t expect at this weight and thickness. The styling is classy enough that I can throw it on for a night out unless a jacket and tie is involved. Urban environments usually include ridiculous winds in unexpected places…on a February Friday night, I can zip it up tight and stay comfortable on the mile-long walk back to the car. Then, the next morning, I can throw a pack on over it and head up a mountain. Interestingly, it retains campfire smoke smell much less than my other “go-to” softshell; and the fewer times I have to wash it, the longer the DWR lasts. Yesterday was one of those infamous New England weather days; 28 degrees in the morning, 50 in the afternoon, with snow, rain, hail, sun, and winds to 45mph during the day, and the McKenzie was the perfect “one jacket” solution.

Yes, that's a computer; it goes with me almost as much as the McKenzie does! (Tim Jones photo)

The McKenzie does have a couple of quirks, however. One is the fit. I ordered a medium; typically, a medium is, if anything, too LARGE on me. Nope. The cut on this jacket is very tight (one of the reasons it looks so chic in an urban environment). At first, I saw that as a significant flaw; I can’t put much on underneath it. After a while, though, I began to see the logic in it. You want a radiant barrier to be as close to your body as possible, to reflect your body heat back with minimal loss. So, even though this is a shell, it’s cut more like a midlayer. I can wear one midweight layer on my arms, and can also put a vest on, and that combination will see me through pretty much any active conditions, regardless of temperature. When I stop moving, though, the key is to layer OVER the jacket, not under it. Paradigm shift time. Because it’s cut so slim, my down puffy fits over it easily, and that combination will keep me warm into the zero-degree range without any problem.

When I need to extend the temperature range of a sleeping bag, the McKenzie is perfect for that; not bulky, breathes well, and the radiant barrier keeps the warmth from getting out into the bag. One more safety net created, without having to carry anything extra!

A simple, inexpensive modification turned my jacket from a great technical piece to a great everything one! (David Shedd photo)

The other quirk is the hood. GoLite designed the hood to be helmet compatible; this is a serious climbing shell, so that’s necessary for safety. And it’s a great hood, helmet or not…it’s easy to adjust, tightens down small around my face, and of course has plenty of room to pull over whatever hat I’m wearing if the winds start to howl. But, because of the nature of the material and the design, it’s a pretty big, bulky hood. That’s fine when it’s raining, or when I know I’m going to want it on, but it sometimes gets in the way of my backpack and can be a pain in the neck when driving in the car. And…it’s permanently attached. THAT’S the problem. When I want it, it’s there…and when I DON’T want it, it’s there. Now, that may not be an issue for you, and if it isn’t, great. But if it is, there’s actually an easy solution. I took it to my seamstress, and for a whole $28 dollars she took the hood off, installed a zipper, and now it’s perfect. The hood stays in a side pocket on my backpack, or in my car, or in a pocket of the jacket itself, ready for instant deployment at need.

Bottom line: I don’t know of any softshell that I’ve seen or tried that is as useful in as many situations as the GoLite McKenzie Reflexion. If you don’t already have a “go-to” jacket, you owe it to yourself to check this one out!

Active Seniors: Get Your Kicks On Route 108!

Edie & Warner Shedd — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:16:13 +0000

Huh? Isn’t that supposed to be Route 66? Well, yes, if you’re driving a car, but what if you’re going for a snowshoe adventure at Smugglers’ Notch? Now that’s a journey of a different color!

David has recently written quite eloquently about the pleasures of a skiing vacation at “Smuggs”, as the Smugglers Notch Resort is commonly and affectionately known. That inspired us to think about a snowshoe hike (or “swike,” as they like to call it at Smuggs) there, so when we heard that Tim & Marilyn were going to be up there, it seemed like a perfect time to combine a hike and a visit! We met Tim and a couple of very friendly and helpful employees in the rental shop. One of them, generally known as just PK, was to have led a nature trip that morning, but it was snowing enough that most people canceled. Thus it was our good fortune to have him as our very affable and knowledgeable guide.

PK helps Edie figure out a new binding system (Tim Jones photo)

We were outfitted with TSL snowshoes which, it turns out, are actually manufactured in Vermont. These proved to be just a bit narrower than the Tubbs snowshoes that we used at the Trapp Family Lodge, and the binding system was different. Incidentally, we were interested to learn that more people rent snowshoes than skis at Smuggs. There are probably two reasons for this. First, there are likely a lot of people who are reluctant to try skis, which they regard as riskier and more difficult to use than snowshoes. Second, skiers are more likely to own their skis than are the more casual snowshoers.

We were told that, because of snow conditions, we would travel up Route 108, rather than on some of the other trails. That may seem a bit strange to the uninitiated, so a bit of explanation is in order. Route 108 goes up from Jeffersonville, Vermont, through Smuggler’s Notch, and down into Stowe. The road is closed in the winter for reasons that are readily apparent to anyone who has ever traveled this route! While the Jeffersonville side, where Smuggs is located, is a steady, moderate upgrade, the Stowe side is very steep, with incredibly sharp turns, often between massive boulders. In fact, it’s this area that gave Smugglers’ Notch its name, because smugglers were reputed to hide their goods (probably mostly illegal liquor) in the so-called caves in the notch. These are not true caves in the limestone tradition, but rather great jumbles of boulders left by the glacier, some of which form cavelike structures (a fun place to visit in the summer!).

A shuttle bus brought us up to the point where the road was closed, and we donned our snowshoes there. Then, with a moderate amount of wet snow falling, we set out up Route 108. The trail was wide and had been groomed occasionally, so it was well packed and easy going. However, we appreciated the excellent set of metal claws on the underside of our snowshoes, as the packed trail might otherwise have been rather slippery.

Intrepid explorers enjoying a snowy day at Smuggs (Tim Jones photo)

As already noted, the uphill slope was quite moderate – in fact more moderate than we remembered from having last driven the road quite a few years ago. As we snowshoed along, PK pointed out the long, extremely steep slope to our right; this led down to a fairly wide, flat valley floor. This marshy area, PK told us, has a beaver lodge, and he sometimes takes snowshoers down there on nature walks. We were surprised that snowshoes would hold on such a steep slope, but the TSL snowshoes have an exceptional set of metal claws underneath – well able to provide non-slip traction under those conditions. We were unable to see the beaver lodge through the snowflakes and the trees, but we elected not to attempt such a steep slope, good traction or not! Instead, we chose to continue getting our kicks on Route 108, and proceeded upward.

The scenery, though partially obscured by the snow, was lovely, with a steep, wooded slope rising to our left, and a steep, high slope to our right beyond the marshy valley. As we progressed, the steep slopes began to turn into impressive cliffs, which showed that we were drawing close to the Notch itself. At that point, we decided that we had had enough, so we turned around and headed back. As we descended, PK regaled us with various stories and bits of interesting information. One of these tales was particularly bizarre.

One night, a group having a torchlight ski were headed back down the Route 108 trail toward Smuggs, when, to their astonishment, they saw a set of automobile headlights coming up in their direction. They soon reached a car, driven by a young woman, that was firmly stuck in the snow. She had ignored a large “Road Closed” sign and managed to drive around a long, horizontal bar similar to those at railroad crossings. When asked why she had ignored such very obvious warnings, she said, “Well, because my GPS told me to go this way.” GPS systems were presumably designed to be used with at least a modicum of common sense, including recognizing when a road is closed for the winter! Incidentally, it required a trail groomer to pull the hapless woman’s car back down to the pavement. Well worth it for the crew, though, as they got a great story that they’ll be able to tell for decades!

On the descent, Warner’s right foot twice came out of the harness, due to slippage in the heel strap. This had also happened at Trapp Family Lodge, and clearly indicated that his rubber bottom L.L. Bean Maine Hunting Shoe, although great for most purposes, aren’t the best choice for snowshoeing. Instead, something with a firmer structure is required – a deficiency that will soon be remedied.

Edie really enjoyed the TSL snowshoes because they were a little narrower than the Tubbs snowshoes that she had previously used. Warner, more accustomed to snowshoes, didn’t notice any difference. We both appreciated the excellent traction provided by the metal claws underneath the shoes, but we agreed that we found the harnesses on the Tubbs snowshoes easier to use. It was yet another reminder to really pay attention to the details if you’re shopping for snowshoes of your own.

A seed is planted; a late winter waterfall provides an idea for more walks! (Tim Jones photo)

Once again, we found that snowshoeing on a packed trail is a great way to get out and enjoy the winter weather. It reaffirmed our interest in either putting new harnesses on our own (long unused) snowshoes, or buying new snowshoes, so that we can do some off – trail snowshoeing in the woods around our home. The snow has now vanished, however, due to the unseasonably early spring. That means we’re now setting our sights on other adventures that appeal to us, and might offer you good opportunities to get some exercise and enjoy the natural world, as well. Hmmm, perhaps hikes to scenic waterfalls might be a lot of fun; in early spring, some of the small ones may be spectacular with the snowmelt. Stay tuned!

“Little Hotties” Insoles–A Quantum Leap In Foot Warmth!

David Shedd — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 21:35:16 +0000

I suffer from cold feet, and no, I don’t mean that I chicken out of things. I mean that my feet get cold, with a capital C, and stay that way, even when other people around me are comfortable. The theory is that frostbite when I was a kid damaged my circulation; that’s certainly possible. But, regardless of the cause, the fact is that I really have to pay attention to keeping warm, or I’m utterly miserable.

One of the things that I’ve found useful for years is disposable toe warmers with adhesive on one side. They’re easily available from several manufacturers, they’re inexpensive, and they work for hours. Whether I’m cycling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, whatever, they add warmth to the toe area of my boots. Unfortunately, though, they have a problem. If you put them UNDER your feet, so the warmth is rising, they’re miserably uncomfortable when you’re walking. So, we all put them on top of our feet, where they’re a whole heck of a lot better than nothing, but not as useful as they could be.

Can something this simple really make your feet comfortable for hours in cold weather? The answer is a resounding "yes!" (David Shedd photo)

Enter the Little Hotties Cushion Insoles. On the face of it, they look like a typical decent quality insole, shaped to fit a typical foot, with the usual arch support and heel cup. A little thicker than typical, so probably a bit warmer. Nice, but nothing special…until you turn them over, and that’s when the “aha” moment comes. Right directly under the ball of your foot is a little plug that just HAPPENS to be the same size and shape as, you guessed it, a Little Hotties toe warmer! Pull the plug out, take a warmer, stick it in adhesive side first, and slide it into your shoe; voila, instant heat!

The insoles happened to arrive the day before I did one of the Saturday morning bike rides, which has me leaving my house at 6:30 and riding about 14 miles in to meet the group for some serious pain. And, when I got up, it was 30 degrees. Not a great temperature for my feet, but perfect for testing the insoles. Into my race shoes they went, and rather than putting on heavy booties as I typically would for that temperature, I wore my Sugoi Ti booties, which are wonderful, windproof, and remarkably warm for their thickness and weight, but are NOT designed for subfreezing temps. And…on the way in, during the ride, and on the way home, my feet stayed comfortable! Because the heat source is by the ball of my foot and not the toes, the very tips of my two middle toes felt a little cool for a while, but that was it. No discomfort, and 4 hours later, they were still producing useful heat.

Insoles, toe warmers, and light booties make even lightweight racing shoes comfortable below freezing. (David Shedd photo)

That by itself would be enough of a test, but Mother Nature wasn’t through with me. April 9th, I did a bicycle race called the Tour of the Battenkill in upstate New York…62 miles of hell. But, at least the weather forecast was good; temperatures at race time were supposed to be in the low 40s, not a lot of wind…great racing conditions. And, I was fully prepared for them, which of course means that when I woke up at the Mount Snow Grand Summit hotel in the morning, it was snowing. And at race time, it was 34 degrees and a 15 mph wind. And, you guessed it…no, I didn’t have clothes, and particularly footwear, for those conditions. I had the Sugoi booties mentioned above, perfect for the conditions I was supposed to be riding in. But, I’d thrown the Little Hotties in, and a set of toe warmers, almost as a joke; I really hadn’t expected to need them. Into my shoes they went, onto my bike I got, and throughout the race, at least my feet wore comfortable (the rest of me was in pain, but that’s what I get for doing a race like that early in the season!). The race was miserable enough without any help; with cold feet, it would have been sheer torture.

Basically, these are, to me, a “no-brainer” for anyone who cycles in cold weather. There’s no downside to them, period. But that’s not all they’re good for. Anyone who expects to stand around in cold conditions watching kids playing football, or goes to watch an XC ski race, or is an ice fisherman, should have them. If you can imagine a time that your feet are going to be cold for an extended period, you should own them. The price is so low for the performance that there’s just no good reason not to get them. The only thing you need to be aware of is that they’re likely to be a little thicker than your current insole, so make sure you don’t have a tight shoe. Or wear a slightly thinner sock than you usually would…you’ll MORE than make up the difference with the heat from the toe warmers. The little plugs go back in, so if you want to use the insoles without the toe warmers, you can do that; keep a pair of warmers in your pocket, and if you unexpectedly find yourself in a situation where you’re stuck standing around in the cold, you’re all set! It really is that easy, and they really do work that well. My feet will never be as cold again!

The Balsams “Great North Woods 30K Classic & Tour” XC Ski Race…A CULINARY Delight???

David Shedd — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 21:06:17 +0000

Anyone who has ever been to a cross country ski race, and seen the beanpole thin racers, knows that XC is NOT about the food. So, how would The Balsams, a resort that is famous for their culinary expertise, manage to combine the two? When word came to us that they were reviving an old tradition of the “Feastival”, we simply had to check it out!

Non-racers line up to try the delicacies out on the course (David Shedd photo)

It turns out that we shouldn’t have worried. These people are true artists when it comes to innovative ways to get us off our diets…and they outdid themselves this time. The Great North Woods 30K Classic is exactly what it sounds like, a 30k XC race. But, the twist came in having 5k and 10k “tour” loops for the spectators…otherwise known as “diners.” In true Balsams fashion, they had 4 food stations out on the course. Now, it’s common in races to have tables with energy drinks, granola bars, that type of thing…but homemade energy bars? Or polenta with ratatouille (“a vegetarian option for the racers”…yeah, right)? How about white chocolate bread pudding with caramel apple sauce? The good news was that the 10k course was distinctly NOT flat, so in theory we worked the goodies right back off…in theory.

Racers climb the long first hill of their race at The Balsams (David Shedd photo)

The race itself is an impressive affair, with well over 100 racers appearing to test themselves against one of the more difficult courses on the XC circuit. Add to it the fact that it was snowing right up to the time of the race, and off and on during the race, and the difficulty ramps right up! Multiple times over the opening kilometers of the course, we passed racers who had stopped to change their waxes. In fact, the racers who were overall doing the best were those with waxless skis. That goes against most conventional wisdom, although the fact is that modern waxless skis, if prepped correctly, are surprisingly fast. The good news for us, given that we were of course on waxless skis, was that we could be certain to get to the food stations before they ran out of anything! However, that’s a silly idea from the start…The Balsams does not run out of food, ever. And a good thing it was for the racers, as they burned more energy than they had expected. One top finisher, when I spoke to him after the event, likened it to a 50k race he’d done recently in terms of effort.

Chef Josh Berry (right) with one of his band of merry men (David Shedd photo)

Unfortunately, we missed seeing the winners cross the line. Even though we only did about 15k to their 30k, it took a LOT of extra time to fully enjoy the efforts of head chef Josh Berry and his crew, who not only cooked the food, but were actually out on the course serving it! We weren’t the only ones to enjoy it; a flock of robber Canada jays was stealing things out from under Josh’s nose, to the delight of the passing skiers. But, we made it back in time to watch many of the racers come in, drenched with sweat and exhausted from the difficult course. Many of these racers are weekend warriors, and probably race for the same reason cyclists and runners do; they enjoy the effort, the competition, the camaraderie…and, just this once, the food!

Laughter and cheers could be heard throughout the hotel at the awards ceremony! (David Shedd photo)

The level of camaraderie was even more evident later in the day, when they had their awards ceremony inside. Laughter and cheers were the most obvious sounds coming out of the “Switzerland of America” ballroom, although there might have been other reasons for that. First and foremost, The Balsams was serving wine for their event; that certainly could have helped! Or, perhaps, they were anticipating the meal to come, since many of them were staying to find out what they’d been missing out on the trail.

The Balsams dinner buffet is justly famous; incredible quantities of incredible food, in a stunning setting. There’s certainly something for everyone, and it’s common to see plates piled high by people who can’t help trying just one more thing (and who can blame them?).

Redifining the word "irresistable" is The Balsams dessert table (David Shedd photo)

But, it was a different scene on this evening! Picture roughly 100 XC racers who have just put in hours of brutal racing, late in their season where they don’t have to watch every single ounce…and then put them into a room with unlimited food. I’ve been to The Balsams before, and I’ve never seen the staff running so fast to try to keep up. There was a constant stream of food coming from the kitchen to replace what the swarms of racers were eating. As always, the mood was happy; it’s hard to not enjoy an atmosphere like that. It’s not surprising at all to see how many racers showed up for the event; with the potential for that kind of enjoyment afterwards, who wouldn’t want to use a race as an excuse to stay a night?

All in all, there’s no question that the Great North Woods 30k Classic & Tour was a solid success for both racers and spectators. And, knowing The Balsams, I’m expecting nothing but improvements for next year’s event. We’ll be there, possibly even to race…but even if you don’t want to do that, we’d highly recommend that you go, do the 5k or 10k loops, and use it as an excuse to stay, maybe even to take a day to enjoy their wonderful downhill area. There’s never a bad reason to go to one of the grand hotels…but when you can combine XC skiing with world class food, what more could you ask for?

Active Seniors: Becoming Eagle Scouts

Edie & Warner Shedd — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:21:35 +0000

Don’t be misled – we aren’t yet in our second childhoods, seeking Merit Badges! This is the real thing: searching for actual eagles. This little adventure began when we heard about an annual event in which volunteers went out to search for, and count, bald eagles. We were too late for the nationwide count, but learned that New Hampshire was the only state to hold its own late-season count about a month later. So, we phoned New Hampshire Audubon , which jointly sponsors this event with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and spoke with biologist Chris Martin. We asked if there might be a site we could monitor which would involve some walking, so that we could get a little exercise and enjoy an outdoors experience. He responded that there was an eagles’ nest in Barnet, Vermont (New Hampshire owns the Connecticut River to the Vermont shore, so they count eagle sightings along the Vermont side close to the river), which might involve some walking, and sent us a map.

With map in hand, and armed with trekking poles (a good thing, as it turned out!) and binoculars, we arrived in Barnet on the appointed day. The map directed us to a farm road leading into a corn field along the river, with instructions to drive to the end of that road and then walk, all the while watching for eagles and checking to locate the nest. Unfortunately, the map lacked a scale, so we really couldn’t tell how far we had come on the farm road, which led to later confusion. Lesson one; always try to find out what the map scale is before you go out!

A nice day for a snowy walk, but not so great for seeing eagles! (Edie Shedd photo)

We found ourselves looking upriver at a field a hundred yards or so wide and stretching far into the distance, where we could dimly see what might be farm buildings a mile or two away. The river was to our right, while on the left were the railroad tracks, followed by a high, very steep slope covered with large pine trees; it was in one of those trees, near the top of the slope, that the nest was supposed to be located.

We consulted the map. It indicated that the nest was roughly opposite the upper end of a fairly sizeable island located in a moderate bend in the river. Edie thought that we were there, looking at the island, but Warner said that no, from his reading of the map, we were merely looking at the far bank of the river. And so, trekking poles in hand, we set out to hike up the field in search of the island.

We quickly found that the footing was truly nasty. The temperature was above freezing, so that the light coating of snow was crunchy but slippery. Added to that, there were strips and patches of even more slippery mud, while each corn row was slightly elevated, with sheared-off corn

A gray, forbidding day and a slippery cornfield make for a challenging walk! (Warner Shedd photo)

stalks about eight inches high! In that going, the trekking poles were a lifesaver. They gave us balance and helped to keep us from slipping; without them, walking would have been a near-nightmare. In retrospect, it might have been a good idea to have our YakTrax with us; in the future, we’ll carry them until the frost is out of the ground!

Even with the poles, walking was no picnic, but we progressed fairly steadily, though we stopped from time to time to look for eagles, or at least the rather flat-topped pine that had been described to us as the site of the nest. To add to the fun, it was snowing moderately, with fairly large, wet flakes that greatly hampered visibility.

After some time, we had seen nothing that looked like the bend where the island was located, and the river stretched ahead as straight as a string. Accordingly, we moved over to the riverbank edge of the field, the better to see through the shrubs and willows that lined the bank. Alas, we still had no indication of any island. By this time, our car was a tiny dot in the distance behind us, while ahead the farm buildings seemed no closer. Finally, an estimated three-quarter miles from the car (we really need to get a pedometer!), we decided that we must have come too far, and turned back. As we laboriously hiked our way back, we began to hear high pitched cries that we both thought might well emanate from our quarry. We tried to scan the skies with the binoculars, but the snow made visibility very poor. Still, we were encouraged to think that maybe there might be an eagle somewhere in the vicinity.

A small hint that there MIGHT be an eagle's nest in the area! (Warner Shedd photo)

When we arrived back at the car, we walked over to the river to see if the island might actually be there. Sure enough, there it was. Why hadn’t we done that in the first place? Because Warner said no, of course the island wasn’t there. He’s supposed to be the experienced outdoorsman, so Edie deferred to his judgment. Now he had to pay the price and listen to her heavy-handed humorous comments about his navigating ability. Sic transit gloria mundi! It will take Warner’s reputation some time to return to its former status – if ever.

Our heads were bloody, but still unbowed. After all, we had heard what we thought was likely an eagle, so we shifted to Plan B. In Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado, the Lord High Executioner sings, “My object all sublime, I shall achieve in time…” and that is precisely what we did. Chris Martin had included, with the map, the information that the eagles’ nest could be observed from a cemetery up on the high ground in Barnet village, so, with a sense of some good exercise accomplished, we drove up to the cemetery, which is of very modest size, unlike the cornfield! The weather started to improve as well; the snow stopped, the skies lightened, and it suddenly seemed like maybe, just maybe, our luck was going to turn.

There may be no thrill in nature greater than seeing a mature bald eagle! (Warner Shedd photo)

On walking into the cemetery, Edie quickly used the binoculars to zero in on a rather flat-topped pine just beyond the back edge of the cemetery. Then she triumphantly exclaimed, “There’s an eagle – isn’t it beautiful!” Sure enough, there in the upper portion of the pine was a huge nest – probably at least five feet wide – with a magnificent mature bald eagle, pure white head, great yellow beak, and all, sitting on one edge of it. What a thrill that was! A mature bald eagle is something special to behold, and we felt very fortunate to see it. It’s amazing how just seeing a creature like that can make us feel more connected to nature, and now we can’t wait to go back and see the chicks once they’ve hatched! We watched it for quite a while as it perched there, totally unconcerned about us. All in all, it was a great adventure: plenty of walking, a chance to become more familiar with the trekking poles, and that gorgeous eagle waiting for us at the end of the trip. As we headed home, we talked about what a change we’re already feeling; just a few trips, and we’re walking much farther, in more dificult conditions, and much more confident in our ability to get out and enjoy during the winter! Best of all, with spring coming, we’re going to be ready to try all sorts of things that we haven’t done for years, and all sorts of new ones. Of course, winter isn’t over quite yet…maybe we’ll find more to do before the snow goes away!

Resort Review: The Balsams Wilderness Ski Area

David Shedd — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:50:59 +0000

The Balsams ski lodge is as charming as the slopes (David Shedd photo)

Tucked away in what some might call a Godforsaken corner in the northern tip of New Hampshire (which others might call “Heaven”), The Balsams Wilderness Ski Area is part of a whole resort complex. The Balsams itself is one of the old-style “grand hotels”, like the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, Eagle Mountain Resort, or Wentworth-By-The-Sea (not to be confused with The Wentworth, a grand hotel on a smaller scale). And like the other grand hotels, it’s a step back in time to a more gracious age to visit there. The hotel and its staff are welcoming, the food is spectacular (and bountiful enough to make you need more than just skiing to work it off!). But perhaps the finest part of the hotel is that when you check in, they ask you if you’re going to ski…and if you say yes, hand you a ticket good for as long as you’re staying there.

The location is definitely part of the attraction; The Balsams used to be known as “the Switzerland of America”. It would be worth the trip from the east through Grafton Notch and Dixville Notch even if The Balsams weren’t a wonderful mountain to ski. And if you were to come from the west, it would be worth driving a few miles past the ski area, turning around, and coming back, just to see the views. through the notches, and of the resort itself But if all you did was look at the views, and forgot to stop and ski, you’d be missing a treat!

Lovely views, lovely trails, and "notch effect" powder combine for great times (David Shedd photo)

So…exactly why is that a big deal? Well, The Balsams is one of those “small” mountains that combines charm, fun, challenge, low skier count, and virtually NO run-out at the bottom of the hill to give you more than you’d expect from the statistics. Speaking of those, let’s get them out of the way with now. The area has 16 trails, 5 (official) glades, 1000 feet of vertical, one double and one triple chair that access the summit, and a rope tow for the kids. Prices are, like the resort, a throwback to an earlier time; weekend and holiday tickets are a whopping $38 for adults. Terrain is about 1/4 green, 1/4 blue, and the rest is divided between single and double diamonds. It’s definitely old-style New England skiing; there are no straight top-to-bottom cruisers. Rather, there are trails that wind around the hill, taking advantage of the natural terrain features rather than what a bulldozer has created.

The last two times we’ve been to the Balsams, we’ve had powder skiing. Real powder skiing: groomed trails with deep, soft, smooth, flawless corduroy, ungroomed trails with pillow-soft bumps, and glades filled with powder. The Balsams is blessed with what is called locally the “notch effect.” As often happens in mountain notches, swirling winds wring moisture out of the air in the nicest possible way…fluffy snow! Even with the bizarre weather of the 2009/10 season, there was no thin cover. Even in the areas that had been scraped off in the double diamond runs, no rocks or stumps were showing through. That’s a real confidence builder for me when I want to jump into a glade, or come down the lift line! Knowing that I can choose my turns based on where I want to put an edge in, rather than worrying about my edges being taken off, removes a lot of stress, lets me ski and enjoy more terrain.

Where but at The Balsams would there be as many horses as skiers in the lift lines? (David Shedd photo)

The beauty of The Balsams is that powder conditions there last beyond that first mad dash for first tracks in the morning. The location definitely helps keep crowds away–this is a long way from any population center! And lack of “big mountain” amenities like detachable quads and the like means fewer skiers and riders make that long trek. The last time we visited, we were skiing on a powder Sunday, during school vacation week for both New Hampshire and Vermont, and lift lines were tiny. And it happened that our visit coincided with a major PSIA recertification clinic, so there were probably 100 instructors out there. Without them around, there wouldn’t have been any lines. Luckily, since they were working in groups, they were staying on the widest trails…which left the most fun ones for us to play on!

A massive fireplace adds to the rustic ambience of the lodge (David Shedd photo)

And play we did, as we always do at The Balsams. With no lines, no traffic on the slopes, and great conditions, it was simply a matter of catching our breath on the way back up, deciding which fun we wanted before we got to the top, and off we’d go! Slow chairlifts or not, a few hours of yo-yoing The Balsams will have you feeling every muscle in your legs. That’s when you head in to the lodge.

Not surprisingly, it’s a charming affair, with an open, rustic layout, a monster fireplace, and remarkably good, reasonably priced food. An hour of relaxation there and it’s time to go out and finish your legs off. Don’t worry about the conditions deteriorating as you enjoy your leisurely lunch; on mountains with non-detachable lifts, the lower skier counts means that post-lunch conditions will typically still be excellent, as they were for us. A couple more hours, and you’ll be ready to head to a well-earned dinner… and if it’s at The Balsams Hotel you’ll remember it for a long time! Day trip or overnight splurge, you simply can’t go wrong at this resort.

“Shoulder Season” Synthetics: REI +25 Lumen & L.L. Bean +20 Katahdin Sleeping Bags

David Shedd — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:19:18 +0000

Most people tend to think of camping as either “winter” or “summer.” But, the fact is that while those are just the high points, there are a lot of great trips to be had in the in-between times. In the winter, you have short days; in the summer, you’ve got leaves, which block the view, and bugs. Lots of bugs, in some places. Plus, a lot more hikers, so less privacy.

Beautiful bargain bags...but do they perform? (David Shedd photo)

“Shoulder season” is a term from the tourism industry to describe the times when weather and tourist counts are sort of iffy, but it’s worth being open. The same term works pretty well to cover early spring and late fall, so get used to seeing it here!

Arguably the most important choice that you’ll make to thoroughly enjoy shoulder season camping is your sleeping bag. Temperatures and conditions vary widely; you can go to bed at 60 degrees, and wake up at 10. One minute it can be sunny, the next rainy. How can you possibly plan for that???

In our experience, the best solution is a bag rated in the +20/25 degree range. With a little effort, it’ll keep you comfortable down to the 10 degree range, but if the weather turns warm and it’s 50 all night long, keeping the zipper open will keep you comfortable. We also like synthetics for shoulder season camping; with the likelihood of rain, snow, or major sweat, having that safety net of warmth-when-wet gives synthetic fills a real advantage over down.

Since, for a lot of people, this is a bag that won’t get used as much as their summer bag and price counts, we wondered if any of the bargain bags out there are really any good? A quick search showed two very promising choices, both relatively new to the market. The REI +25 Lumen and the L.L. Bean +20 Katahdin both sell at full retail for the bargain price of $139, and weigh within 2 ounces of each other (on our scale, the Lumen comes in at 2 lbs 11 ounces without stuff sack; the Bean at 2 lbs 13 ounces). Can either of them perform well enough to give you an enjoyable shoulder season sleeping experience?

So, we asked for test samples. Out of the box, they’re both beauties. The Lumen is a two-tone blue, with the typical REI attention to detail. Included is a handy little zippered pocket so you can find your headlamp or “necessaries” in the middle of the night, and loops on the bottom side to attach to your sleeping pad if you’re a “roller”. Fit and finish is what we’ve come to expect from REI; no loose seams, hanging threads, anything like that. The LL Bean Katahdin is a burnt orange (be careful in fall camping; you might get mistaken for an extra-large maple leaf), with finish quality matching the REI. Both bags have a box toe area for comfort. The one detail that’s dramatically different, though, is that the L.L. Bean bag has a draft collar; the Lumen doesn’t. At this temperature range, that’s something we’d normally expect to see in a bag. But, the Lumen has been through the new EN13537 testing to prove its rating, so it should perform. There’s only one way to find out…into the woods!

We got lucky, having a perfect night to test bags with this temperature rating. At bedtime, the outdoors temperature was 30 degrees; in the morning, it was 20. A water bottle inside the tent had flecks of ice in the morning, so we clearly had sub-freezing temperatures, but not enough to make a whole bottle freeze solid. In other words, a typical 25ish degree night!

Wilson, our newest employee, shows the shallow nature of the Katahdin's hood (David Shedd photo)

I crawled into the Katahdin and snugged everything down. The bag fit nicely and felt cozy; however, the hood was a pain in the neck. As “Wilson” clearly shows, the hood is a little shallow; I couldn’t easily get it down over my forehead, and when I did, it was hard to get the other end up to my chin. If I fully snugged it down, it worked fine, but it’s a detail area that Bean needs to work on. The zipper is another area that was mildly irritating; it had a tendency to get snagged. Not the end of the world, particularly in a bag of this price…if the bag performs. The draft collar, on the other hand, was perfect, wide enough to easily snug down around my neck without making me feel trapped. Once settled in…asleep I went!

Like Wilson, I couldn't get my forehead covered, but was cozy warm anyway (Tim Jones photo)

And stayed that way, until Tim woke me up around midnight. He’d crawled into the Lumen, and didn’t feel warm, so added more layers of clothing…and still didn’t feel warm. 4 hours later, he’d been sleeping very little, so decided it was time to make me miserable, too. We compared notes, then traded bags…we wanted to make sure that it wasn’t that he just happened to be sleeping cold for some reason. Into the Lumen I got, and settled in, pulling

Notice how much deeper Wilson sits in the excellent REI hood, and how close the top of the bag is to his "chin". (David Shedd photo)

the excellent hood tight (we’ve noticed before in the Halo/Radiant test that REI has hood design down to an art), and noticing that the zipper was MUCH easier to use than the Bean version; kudos to REI on that! Tim cozied into the Katahdin; 15 minutes later, he’s comfortably snoring away…and I’m cold. What in the world is going on here??? I added my down puffy, my down booties, and threw a disposable handwarmer down in the foot area, and was able to reach an equilibrium where I was cool, but at least not shivering.

The hood fits, and Tim's face is well furred...but he's still frigid. (David Shedd photo)

Clearly, the Lumen was not living up to its +25 rating in real world conditions, in spite of the laboratory testing. Could it be something quirky about its Thermowave insulation, a type we weren’t able to find anything out about? All we know is that it’s a continuous filament insulation, as is the PrimaLoft Infinity that the Katahdin uses. Both use shingle construction to eliminate cold spots, so there shouldn’t be a difference there. The only thing that we can both think of is that the EN13537 testing system is possibly flawed, and doesn’t take into account the movement of people in real life situations (our full assessment can be found here). Would the Lumen perform better with the simple addition of a draft collar? While we can’t know without a side-by-side test of one with and one without, our belief is that yes, that’s a major problem.

Ulitmately, here’s our assessment of the two bags. The L.L. Bean Katahdin +20 is a flat-out bargain. It performs to its rated temperature easily, is light and compressible, and better built than expected for the price. Improvements to the hood and zipper would make it an outstanding bag, regardless of price. The REI Lumen +25? Unfortunately, we can’t recommend it for that temperature range. Ergonomically, it wins easily, and might be a winner in a test of +35 bags…but we wouldn’t use it ourselves if we had any concerns about the temperature dropping below freezing. Our gut says that it was designed to meet the testing norm…and that the test is flawed, causing the bag to not perform to the stated temperature rating.

X-C The Way It Used To Be

Tim Jones — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:31:54 +0000

Dexter's is a a quaint country inn, snow, and miles of beautiful cross-country trails for "classic" skiing. What more could you ask for? (Tim Jones photo)

Once upon a time all “Nordic” or cross-country skiing took place wherever there was snow. The only tracks were the ones laid down by the first skier of the morning, the only “grooming” took place when skiers sidestepped or herringboned up a hill. One of my first jobs, in fact, was to go out after every snowstorm and lay down tracks on a couple of kilometers of cross-country trails through the woods and sidestep up the steeper portions so paying customers could have an easier time of it. Wish I could still make money doing that . . .

Then came the idea of machine-groomed trails with or without one set of pre-laid tracks. The first cross-country ski “groomer” I ever saw in action was a snowmobile that would now be considered an antique, towing a homemade contraption of chicken wire and 2×4s which smoothed the snow and laid down a set of tracks to kick and glide along in . . .

This simple notion eventually evolved into cross-country ski trails with parallel sets of tracks for “classic” kick-and-glide skis, and, with the advent of skate skiing, to cross-country trails as wide as super highways with two or more tracked lanes and a groomed middle lane wide enough for skate skiers to pass each other.

It’s sort of like the evolution of Alpine skiing, where climbing the hill to earn your turns gave way to rope tows and Poma lifts, then double chairs which eventually evolved into today’s high-speed detachable quads, six-packs and gondolas.

When there’s snow enough, there’s infinite backcountry where the only tracks you see are the ones made by squirrels and the skier in front of you. And there are also plenty of places with wide, perfectly groomed trails. I gave you a list of some of my favorites awhile back.

But are there still any “retro” cross country ski venues that supply all the comforts (like a place to warm up and re-fuel) and still do just enough grooming to allow you to let your skis sing without racing on a superhighway?

The answer is, most definitely, Yes!

No skate skis allowed! The trails around Dexter's are groomed for "classic" skiing only. (Tim Jones photo)

This past winter, I went exploring and discovered the Norsk Cross Country Trails at Dexter’s Inn in Sunapee, NH . This is a lovely old inn located close to alpine skiing at Mount Sunapee in Newbury, N.H.

On their website they state very clearly that they groom for “classic” kick-and-glide skiing, not skate style. And the only skis they rent are longer touring skis—none of these newfangled short racing ski models. My Alpina Discovery Backcountry skis were perfect.

There weren’t any other skiers braving the storm at the Dexter’s Inn/Norsk Cross Country Trails, but these snowshoers were out early enjoying the new snow and getting some exercise. (Tim Jones photo)

It was snowing hard as I drove up. This was only two days after a “hurricane” that had left much of southern New Hampshire without electricity. The trail crew had already cleared branches and fallen trees and groomed about eight kilometers of trail. After getting my trail pass ($10) I hit the tracks and really stretched out to warm up, covering all the trails they had groomed through the quiet woodlands. Then I went exploring slowly and carefully (I was skiing alone) on some of the trails that hadn’t been cleared and groomed yet. From all I could see, this is a lovely trail system that could keep you exploring new routes for a couple of days, at least.

Beautiful, quiet woodland trails, pleasing scenery whenever the snow stopped, it was a perfect morning of cross-country skiing. There’s still plenty of snow and some time for you to “go retro” this winter. Life isn’t a spectator sport. Get out and enjoy!

More Retro Options

If you use classic touring skis and like the “Retro XC” idea, I can think of two more places right off hand that you might really enjoy.

The Landgrove Inn in Landgrove, Vermont (which is about as off-the-beaten patch as you can get and still be in southern Vermont) is another lovely, quiet country inn with a very nice snowmobile-groomed “classic” trail system (and a terrific dining room!) Marilyn and I stayed there one February when it was raining too hard to ski and we still enjoyed ourselves, so imaging how much fun it would be with snow!

Medawisla Morning. There are miles and miles of classic ski opportunities at the AMC Maine camps. (Tim Jones photo)

The other tremendous option are the wilderness camps that the AMC runs in Maine. Medawisla, Little Lyford and partner West Branch Pond Camps all offer excellent “retro” cross country skiing right around the camps, and you can even ski from camp to camp if you wish (they’ll move your luggage for you!) They will be opening a new camp—Gorman Chairback— in 2011, which will make the experience even better. This is a real adventure, one everyone should try sometime.

I’m sure there are dozens of other “Retro XC” opportunities out there! If you know of others, please send me an email (timjones@easternslopes.com)!

Resort Review: Smugglers’ Notch

David Shedd — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:40:50 +0000

Ignorance is bliss. And diamonds are NOT always a girl’s (or boy’s) best friend . . . particularly when they’re black diamonds . . .and especially when there are two (or three!) of them. But, more about this in a moment.

The "nice" sice of Smuggs; a family enjoying Morse Mountain (Smugglers' Notch photo)

Smugglers’ Notch is clearly a mountain with a Clark Kent/Superman complex…a true study in contradictions. One one hand, there’s gentle “Smuggs”, home of Mogul Mouse, Billy Bob Bear, unlimited hot chocolate, and the Family Fun Zone; very mild mannered. But on the other, there’s “Smugglers’ Notch” with all of the adventure, rough-and-tumble, and rugged character that the name implies.

Want more contradiction? The centerpiece of Smugglers’ Notch is Madonna Mountain. Such a charming, sweet, warm name for a mountain with some of the most savage terrain in New England. Superman himself might find that The Black Hole was his skiing Kryptonite. And that’s the real joy of Smuggs; you get to pick which personality you want to live with at any moment, rather than having to wait for Superman to show himself.

Dead center, Madonna Mountain lurks, waiting for the unwary (Smugglers' Notch photo)

Smuggs isn’t really a contradiction; it’s a total experience, one unlike anything else in the East. This resort has, for decades, focused on creating a village atmosphere, providing virtually anything that a family could want right there at the mountain. Unlike most major Eastern resorts, Smuggs’ lodging is totally condo based…no hotel. That gives great flexibility for accommodating large families or groups, plus a greater sense of privacy and a more relaxed atmosphere.

That, of course, made it a great place to take our family during vacation week in February. There were 5 of us; me, Susan, Rob (19), Matt (17), and Dan (12). We stayed at The Tamaracks, in a two bedroom condo (they have larger units, too) that’s a few years old. The condition was outstanding; if I hadn’t known better, I’d have thought it was brand new! And the layout was perfect for a family; one master bedroom with a lovely bath, a large kitchen/dining/living area with a gas fireplace, and a second bedroom with 3 beds. That’s unusual…I don’t think I ever remember staying at a place with that layout. It meant that instead of putting someone in the living room on a pullout, everyone had a nice bed. A nice touch that…no whining, no fighting, and no waking kids up when we wanted our peaceful early morning cup of coffee!

Of course, if the kids HAD been up, we’d have had escape options. Everything at Smuggs is reachable by shuttle; park your car, put the keys away for your stay. We could have gone down to the Morse Mountain Grille for coffee and breakfast, or into the Green Mountain Deli…both open at 8. The Country Store, a remarkably fully stocked place if you want to cook in your condo, has coffee available at 7:30, but you’ll have to walk for it; the shuttle doesn’t start until 8:00. Luckily for us, the boys had NO interest in getting up early, so we had our quiet time to get ourselves put together, and then figure out exactly when to get who to where.

And confusing it was, because we had 4 of us in lessons at Smugg’s “Snow Sports University!” Of course, with Smuggs’ typical attention to detail, the lessons for the young kids start earlier than those for adults, making it easy to drop them off and get to your lesson on time.

A teenager actually ENJOYING a lesson; Matt (center) listens to a pro (David Shedd photo)

Dan was in what’s called the “Notch Squad,” an all-day affair with a small group and an instructor. True to Smuggs’ form, lunch was even included. He was in the lessons for 2 days, and had enthusiastic, fun instructors who really made him feel confident. Dan’s been a somewhat timid skier; lots of V skiing and not that much enjoyment, although he’s certainly tried hard. And, at the end of the second day, I picked him up and took him out for a couple of runs, just the two of us. Afterwards, I took off his helmet just to make sure it really was Dan…his skiing was unbelievable! S-turns on his edges down blue runs with the usual late-afternoon chowder, zipping off into the glades, skiing the edges of the trails; it’s hard to believe that he made gains THAT obvious in just two days. Clearly, Smuggs has the teaching young kids routine down pat…but what about teenagers? Well, Matt was in the “Mountain Explorers” group, which is a 1 1/2 hour small group session. It would be best to characterize his mood about taking a lesson as “grumpy”; his big brother was off playing on the slopes, and he had to go to school. Well…it wasn’t too much later that he, his instructor, and one other student whizzed by us, then stopped a few hundred yards down the mountain to talk. I, being a nosy sort, headed down…and it was obvious that he was paying close attention to what the instructor was telling him. When asked later, he said that the instructor was “cool”, and had some “sick moves.” And, when we later ended up on a double diamond, Matt was in control and having fun, clearly he’d gained both skill and confidence from his lesson.

Bennett making absolutely sure Susan understands what he wants her to do (David Shedd photo)

Susan, who is a talented athlete but an inexperienced skier, went for a 2-day MAX5 school. That’s a 2 1/2 hour lesson with one instructor and a maximum of 5 students. Her instructor, Bennett Greene, at first thought she didn’t belong in the level 5 group that she was in, as she was easily handling blue terrain. But, after a couple of runs, he realized that she was making up for bad technique with sheer power. That’s when he started in on her. Over the two days, he took her from the classic “Z” shaped turn that’s caused by abrupt overpowering of the ski at the start of the turn to smooth, controlled, carved “S” turns. For me, it was fascinating to see the variety of techniques he used. He’d watch her ski, stop her, and explain what he wanted her to do. The reality is, each different point he was making had exactly the same goal…but he was fine-tuning them to her learning style. One in particular resonated with her; Bennett called it the “bicycle”. Since she IS a cyclist, thinking in terms of how she shifts her legs in the bicycle pedal stroke was intuitive for her…and immediately, her turns changed. And once he had her confident in those turns, why, it was time to take her into the glades!

Now, imagine this. You’re a skier who works hard on blue trails, skidding your turns, feeling questionable about your control. And then, less than 2 days later, you’re working your way through a blue glade, feeling in control, taking it turn by turn, not being scared but having fun. That’s what a top-quality instructor can do for you…and Smuggs has put untold time and money into making sure their system is as good as any in the East. It worked for Susan…and even for me. Spending the two days listening in was an eye-opener. For instance, I’ve never been a good glade skier, but after a day with Bennett, I started going into them and having fun, too! Good thing I did, as it turns out…but more on that later.

The fact is that virtually any skier can be improved by lessons. We all have bad habits (look at the Olympic skiers; they’re constantly being coached!). Yet, we virtually never take them. Why? Dunno. Compared to lift ticket prices, lessons are cheap, and if they make things easier for you, if they keep your legs fresh so you get an extra run (or two!) each day, how much is that alone worth?

Now, we didn’t spend the entire day in lessons. After lunch, we were free to play on the mountain, so the 4 of us (Dan was still in his lesson) headed up Madonna. We’d been skiing on Sterling, which has excellent terrain, but Madonna’s the big league. True to form, we quickly made an interesting mistake, and headed down Upper F.I.S. Lovely trail, fast and a little bumpy. Oh, wait, it’s a double black diamond that deserves its rating! Susan had never been on a double diamond before. At the very top, she reverted to her old form: tentative, leaning back into the hill, a typical scared and out-of-control skier. But at the first stop, a quick reminder of “what did Bennett tell you to do?”, and suddenly she was headed down the fall line, completing her turns, controlling her speed. At the bottom, she was laughing! That’s a spectacular gain in self-confidence, beyond the actual gain in skill level. Three experiences with instructors at Smuggs, three winners! Matt, already a strong but cautious snowboarder, came down F.I.S. with more ease and style than I’ve ever seen from him; his gain, like Susan’s and Dan’s, was both in skill and confidence.

Hard to see with white-on-white, but Doc Dempsey's is a stunning run! (David Shedd photo)

Of course, Susan wasn’t the only one to find herself in terrain she wasn’t expecting. I’d been warned in advance about the challenges of “The Black Hole” (a triple diamond), and the double blacks surrounding it, Freefall, Madonna Liftline, and Doc Dempsey’s Glades. Being a cautious sort (some would say “chicken”, and I wouldn’t disagree), I looked at the brutally steep and mixed boilerplate/powder bumps of The Black Hole, and decided that maybe I’d wait for another day. But, those doubles…they looked like fun! And, they were. Conditions were excellent, Mother Nature having provided us with close to a foot of new snow overnight. And I’ll say it right now…anyone who can’t find a challenge in those trails had better be starring in Warren Miller movies. They’re steep, they’re narrow, and they’re NOT “tamed” by bulldozers; these are real, old style New England trails. Doc Dempsey’s, in particular is a hoot and a half. The first plunge is barely glades…I don’t think that there are all that many trees that WANT to live on a slope that steep. Then, it turns into almost a cave, with deep snow and huge bumps under fir trees. Absolutely gorgeous! And with Bennett’s help, my glade skiing had improved enough that I felt confident and actually had fun working through the terrain.

After that much fun on Doc’s, I was prepared to head back up and do it again. That’s when I made my mistake. Standing in the lift line, I started talking to a local and his daughter, and they offered to take me into some, um, unmarked glades (Smuggs’ policy for off trail use is, effectively, go for it, be smart, enter and exit only from open trails…which we did) down at the bottom of Freefall. That’s a scary thought for someone new to the glades, but how often do you get a free guide? So, up we went. Rather than take a normal route to Freefall, he took me through some glades to get there, got a little lost…and we came out on something very different than I had ever seen on a ski hill. Thanks to the Flaik GPS system that was strapped to my leg, there was NO question about it; I went back later, and yes, it was The Black Hole. That is one intimidating trail; looking down it reminds me of being on top of the Empire State Building. Nothing for it, though, but to get down. Turn by turn, working carefully, I confirmed one thing; it absolutely, unequivocally deserves its triple diamond rating! Halfway down, my legs were burning…but it was worth it. Seeing the confirmation on Flaik’s website was exciting; yes, I HAD skied it! We didn’t complete the whole trail, as my guide wanted to shoot off into the glades, but did the steepest upper section…which was enough. By the way, if you’d like to see how the Flaik system works, go to www.flaik.com, username dshedd, password Smuggs1; you’ll be able to see my whole day. Very cool technology! And, now I want to go back and get better at The Black Hole. It’s not just a straight, steep trail…it’s actually fun.

So, now I’d survived “The Hole,” but what about those glades? Well, a combination of new confidence, a local who knows them well, and a foot of fresh snow is a pretty good recipe for a good time. Acres and acres of beautiful mixed hardwoods and softwoods, steep terrain, and soft landings…it was stunning. And for the first time ever, when I looked at my watch and realized it was time to head for Morse Mountain to pick Dan up from his lesson, I was disappointed to have to move out of the glades and onto the regular trails. It was just another “wow” moment from Smuggs…or, more accurately, from Smuggler’s Notch. I’d truly found the “Superman” side of the resort, and started to understand the fanatical devotion of the season’s pass holders that I’d been speaking to. Many of them drive by other excellent resorts to get to Smuggs, and it’s the untamed, timeless beauty of that section of Madonna Mountain that keeps them coming back.

On the other hand, there’s the returning vacationers who have their own reasons for coming back to Smuggs. One family told me that they were on their fourth year in a row,and the main draw for them was Airboarding! That’s right, not even skiing: it was the fact that they could also have silly fun bombing down the slopes on a ridiculously fast sled, and then jump on the chairlift and head right back up again.

One crazy Airboard instructor, showing us how to fall off correctly (David Shedd photo)

Of course Dan and I just HAD to try it. I’m going to warn you about two things before you try it, though. First, spend some time at the gym doing upper body workouts…it’s HARD to turn those sleds when you’re going fast! Second, wear your warmest, most waterproof boots, and make sure that your pants are plenty long; in fact, if you have gaiters for snowshoeing or hiking, wear them. I’ve never gotten that much snow in my boots that fast, even when I was a kid. But, it’s silly fun, particularly when (not if, but when) you fall off and go rolling down the slope…the instructors actually teach you the best technique for rolling back up onto the sled. If you’re like Dan and me, you’ll be falling off just to try it…sort of like Eskimo rolling a kayak, without worrying about drowning! There were times I could hear Dan cackling from a hundred yards away, he was having so much fun.

You know it's been a good day on the mountain when all they have energy for is Facebooking their friends to tell them how much fun they're having! (David Shedd photo)

When you come right down to it, there really is something for everyone at Smuggs. From easy terrain to perhaps the most rugged in New England, from Airboarding to pools and hot tubs, the Fun Zone, Teen Alley, you name it., You’d have to try to find a way to not have something fun to do. Our biggest problem was that we were only there for 2 nights; we just didn’t have the time or energy to do everything! Even the inexhaustable teenagers decided, on night two, that maybe just hanging around in the room after dinner would be just fine. Thanks to Smuggs’ resort-wide WiFi network, they managed to connect to their usual network of friends and taunt them for missing out on the fun. One thing’s for sure: I want to go back! Trying some of the things we missed, repeating some of the things we liked best, just enjoying the experience they’ve put together for their guests, they all sound good. Bottom line: we all have a “warm fuzzy” feeling about our trip to Smuggler’s Notch. Okay, so maybe they really are right about that whole friendly “Smuggs” thing . . .but Madonna’s still out there waiting, calling to me . . .