Corn Kickoff

[underbrush]

Thought I'd go see how corny the snow got the last few days and hopefully get a few corn turns on this little south facing slide south of the notches. I needed something that could kick a few miles back, in more comfort than plastic, but I also wanted somthing that would be stiff enough to ski fun on the slide if there were good enough conditions, so I came up with a package. I dug out my old Merrill Super comps, grabbed some rock skis mounted with three pin hardwires, don't forget the bamboo touring poles, and some short narrow little kick skins. I've done this tour a few times, different set up every time, don't know why it took me so long to come up with this one, it worked great. Got a good kick and glide on the long rd portion of the tour, snowmobile pack corned up nice! The bushwack was a bit of mashed potato trench warfare, rock skis only 88 under foot and too late of a start. Frozen snow in the shade was totally supportive in spots, kept the hope alive that the higher elevation of the slide would stay firm enough long enough. I pushed on racing against the mashed, questioning myself every hollow step of the way, but I didn't really care, with warm spring sunshine hitting my shoulder all was good. Then, near the base of the slide, the snow firmed up. Freezing rain created a crust that buffered the heat from digging into the snow, and finally after all that work I was going to get some corn on a backwoods slide!

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[Brenda]

Nice! Looking forward to some hot buddahed cahn.

[Dirk]

Wicked pissah!

[RobRox]

yup, feeling that corn envy...

Nice work!

[yardsale]

Mashed potatoes before corn, at least at Bolton Valley today. We'll get there soon enough as there is plenty of base.

[underbrush]

With the corn conditions seeming to start to grow I decided to head a little further north but still facing south. I tried to ski this one a couple years ago but the sun never came out for a long enough period to soften it, I got to sideslip the lower third. Today I was hoping would be the day to get a run from the top. The conditions never really softened good near the top, but it was edgeable so I managed one from the top and two from lower down, got better every run. Kept waiting for this one side to soften, but the sun wouldn't come out and I got impatient and bailed, bluebird sky by the time I hit the parking lot. Corn was set up in a frozen 4" crust over finer softer snow, still could use a little time to set up good for those real sunny warm days. But still a lot of snow up there survived the rain. Gonna keep pushing north, hopefully for a long corny season!

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[underbrush]

With the winds and windchill sounding unbearable on the ridgelines,I took a chance and drove north hoping I would find some snow still hanging around in Crawford Notch. The Willey side looked loaded as I drove down in praying the Webster side would look the same. I could see the Webster side had a good start on the meltout as I came around the corner, but sections still looked good. So I decided to start with the early morning sun testing the conditions on a snow covered ice slab, it would give me a better vantage of the run I was hoping to get across the road. The snow seemed pretty good, softening but not too quick, still on the crunchy side. Made some fun turns on the slab and on another smaller one next to it more suited to skiing. As the shadow line crept across the winding gully across the road I knew it was time to get over there. I've been kicked out early in there as it warms quick and ice and rocks start falling. I made it to the gully just as the left side was sun softened and the right side was frozen. It made the booting good, just staying on the soft side of the frozen. A lower pinch and the rock choke higher up were were getting thin, but still good enough to pass today. The open pitch above the choke was melted badly, almost disconnected from the upper cliff lined chute, I would not make it up there today, and I didn't really care with a good bit of vert below me. Chopping steps over a low angle ice bulge in the rock choke was a blast! I had to go back for seconds on the better part of the run. With the drop of the first icicle I knew it was time to leave, too soon but at least I'd be leaving with a smile on my face!

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