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Learning from the master of crafty
Sure we've got Morse Farm, Craftsbury and Trapp, but you haven't skied cross country until you've experienced 1,000 feet of vertical in West Virginia on skinny skis. And you can do that drop on the trails, or between the trees! Whitegrass Touring Center is like no other. So that's why I went back there last week even though the snow's all gone. Chip Chase, the wiry dynamo who runs the place, was busy cleaning up the trails and Syd and I once again lent a hand.
We brought back some good ideas for making our trails more bullet proof. And some photos.
Chip reuses boards to make covers for water bars. His crew drives a Pisten Bully over these simple structures - a few feet of snow on top helps. Because many of them are on Fish and Wildlife land, he has to pull them up in the spring. He also rakes out debris to allow water to flow off the trails. Harry's Heaven could use similar treatment. And since the trails are on Morse Farm land, these water crossings can be more permanent.
Here's another way to keep trails dry while letting the water runs its course - logs. Wow! How simple. And effective. (The big one in the upper right hand corner is dead fall and is not one of the improvements. That one will be gone by fall.) We've got lots of logs sitting around doing nothing out there so we may as well use them to extend our ski time when things get wet.
No, it's not Jed Clampet's truck, but it's close. Here we have Mr. Chase pushing the limits of trailer load and tire pressure by hauling three benches and one gargantuan cast iron wood stove in four pieces. Whitegrass features many warming shelters throughout its trail network. Places to stop and chat, eat, drink and recharge for the next leg of the journey. This particular stove was a bit large for its shelter so it had to come down the mountain for the summer. Next year it may end up heating a building instead.
Created by Dave on 04/11/08 at 08:14pm.
Sure we've got Morse Farm, Craftsbury and Trapp, but you haven't skied cross country until you've experienced 1,000 feet of vertical in West Virginia on skinny skis. And you can do that drop on the trails, or between the trees! Whitegrass Touring Center is like no other. So that's why I went back there last week even though the snow's all gone. Chip Chase, the wiry dynamo who runs the place, was busy cleaning up the trails and Syd and I once again lent a hand.
We brought back some good ideas for making our trails more bullet proof. And some photos.
Chip reuses boards to make covers for water bars. His crew drives a Pisten Bully over these simple structures - a few feet of snow on top helps. Because many of them are on Fish and Wildlife land, he has to pull them up in the spring. He also rakes out debris to allow water to flow off the trails. Harry's Heaven could use similar treatment. And since the trails are on Morse Farm land, these water crossings can be more permanent.
Here's another way to keep trails dry while letting the water runs its course - logs. Wow! How simple. And effective. (The big one in the upper right hand corner is dead fall and is not one of the improvements. That one will be gone by fall.) We've got lots of logs sitting around doing nothing out there so we may as well use them to extend our ski time when things get wet.
No, it's not Jed Clampet's truck, but it's close. Here we have Mr. Chase pushing the limits of trailer load and tire pressure by hauling three benches and one gargantuan cast iron wood stove in four pieces. Whitegrass features many warming shelters throughout its trail network. Places to stop and chat, eat, drink and recharge for the next leg of the journey. This particular stove was a bit large for its shelter so it had to come down the mountain for the summer. Next year it may end up heating a building instead.
Created by Dave on 04/11/08 at 08:14pm.
Do not consider any other activity today besides skiing the farm
Friday afternoon the snow was wet and sticky. Now it's crispy and groomed!
You need to ski that snow. It's that good.
Yesterday I was the Maytag repairman. One day pass. Not even a full price ticket - it was a senior! A family with a Sleepy Hollow season pass used their reciprocal benefit for a freebie. And a handful of local die hard season passers showed up. Still, it was lonely.
Not today. Today is one of those days you simply must ski. It's two days before April and it looks like December out there. All the trails are smooth. They'll have had five hours to cure before the first early bird arrives at dawn.
Here's the inside scoop:
- Maple, Fancy, Frog and Harry's will be lots of fun. Skate-wide with tracks in all the right places.
- All open fields have the deepest classic tracks.
- Sugar extension and Dot's skate loop are friggin' landing strips.
So stop reading and start skiing.
Created by Dave on 03/29/08 at 01:46am.
Friday afternoon the snow was wet and sticky. Now it's crispy and groomed!
You need to ski that snow. It's that good.
Yesterday I was the Maytag repairman. One day pass. Not even a full price ticket - it was a senior! A family with a Sleepy Hollow season pass used their reciprocal benefit for a freebie. And a handful of local die hard season passers showed up. Still, it was lonely.
Not today. Today is one of those days you simply must ski. It's two days before April and it looks like December out there. All the trails are smooth. They'll have had five hours to cure before the first early bird arrives at dawn.
Here's the inside scoop:
- Maple, Fancy, Frog and Harry's will be lots of fun. Skate-wide with tracks in all the right places.
- All open fields have the deepest classic tracks.
- Sugar extension and Dot's skate loop are friggin' landing strips.
So stop reading and start skiing.
Created by Dave on 03/29/08 at 01:46am.
Even I want the season to be over
Snow
Yes we have new snow and no it isn't the type we can whip into shape today. Maybe overnight. It's too wet right now.
Shop
We close the ski shop for the season at 5 pm Sunday, March 30. No more rentals. Bring your own skis and buy passes 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week upstairs at the gift shop. Season passers - you know what to do.
Trails
Water holes are emerging in the usual spots on Harry's, Dot's and Frog. That said, 99 percent of those trails are still in terrific shape. Skimmer and South Wind remain closed for sugaring. The other trails still have a solid base, which, at this rate, may feature prominently in this year's MTB races. And the carnage left behind from a coyote attack on a deer on Dot's has been picked over and most remaining nasty bits are covered with snow. Families may still want to ski a different trail if explaining the food chain is not yet appropriate for junior. Even I said "yuk."
Future
The future's uncertain and the end is always near ... sorry. I've had it with you people. I'm leaving! If you're nice, I'll come back next season. Watch this space, however, because I'll post useful information about trail work throughout the summer. We'll organize group trail work in the fall. We will clear trails BEFORE the snow falls. We hope to arrange more clinics, such as the one with Liz Stephen. Perhaps more events for us "regular people" who do not race or posses the genetic predisposition for such activity. You know, fun stuff. Something involving food!
Found
You wouldn't believe some of the stuff in our found items box. Most of it is now hanging from the beam above the counter for easier identification.
Finally, since I had only one customer all day, Cecil Taylor is on pretty loud. Does anyone think Taylor sounds more like Monk than Monk? (Does anyone have an mp3 of Taylor covering Bemsha Swing that I could, "borrow?" It's amazing.) By 4 p.m. I'll whip out some Mingus nonette.
Created by Dave on 03/28/08 at 02:19pm.
[ more ] Snow
Yes we have new snow and no it isn't the type we can whip into shape today. Maybe overnight. It's too wet right now.
Shop
We close the ski shop for the season at 5 pm Sunday, March 30. No more rentals. Bring your own skis and buy passes 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week upstairs at the gift shop. Season passers - you know what to do.
Trails
Water holes are emerging in the usual spots on Harry's, Dot's and Frog. That said, 99 percent of those trails are still in terrific shape. Skimmer and South Wind remain closed for sugaring. The other trails still have a solid base, which, at this rate, may feature prominently in this year's MTB races. And the carnage left behind from a coyote attack on a deer on Dot's has been picked over and most remaining nasty bits are covered with snow. Families may still want to ski a different trail if explaining the food chain is not yet appropriate for junior. Even I said "yuk."
Future
The future's uncertain and the end is always near ... sorry. I've had it with you people. I'm leaving! If you're nice, I'll come back next season. Watch this space, however, because I'll post useful information about trail work throughout the summer. We'll organize group trail work in the fall. We will clear trails BEFORE the snow falls. We hope to arrange more clinics, such as the one with Liz Stephen. Perhaps more events for us "regular people" who do not race or posses the genetic predisposition for such activity. You know, fun stuff. Something involving food!
Found
You wouldn't believe some of the stuff in our found items box. Most of it is now hanging from the beam above the counter for easier identification.
Finally, since I had only one customer all day, Cecil Taylor is on pretty loud. Does anyone think Taylor sounds more like Monk than Monk? (Does anyone have an mp3 of Taylor covering Bemsha Swing that I could, "borrow?" It's amazing.) By 4 p.m. I'll whip out some Mingus nonette.
Created by Dave on 03/28/08 at 02:19pm.