White Friday

By: Greg
November 25, 2011 9:50 pm | Category: Quick Update, Skiing | Comment | Permalink

It’s that time again! That’s right, today is WHITE FRIDAY, that day when you get up early, get to the mountain, earn your turns, burn some turkey, and get the coolest deals on powder snow before the impending warmer weather takes it back! That’s just what K_C did this morning hoping to get a few last powder turns out of Charlie’s gifts. That a girl!
KC schussin on White Friday

Hey K_C, what are they letting pow-schuss go for on White Friday this year?

“ski ninety nine.”

Har har…
ski ninety nine

Incidentally there were no stampedes or mayhem when the doors to the smoothness opened. The only folks present were just a few eager turn-earners getting the best deals in town.
surfs up!

It’s amazing they just give this stuff away on White Friday…


What More Could You Ask For?

November 24, 2011 9:47 am | Category: General Interest, Quick Update, Skiing | 13 Comments | Permalink

Editor’s Note: Please welcome the FemaleSkiBum as she begins guest posting on FIS! We are excited to get her perspective, and welcome her to the world of FamousInternetSkiing! Look for more from her as she adventures around Killington and beyond!

there are places in Vermont
and I swear they exist
Where there’s no race for the powder
no need to shake your fists

At the guy ducking the maze rope
and hopping your first cabin
Instead of thoughts ’bout fresh tracks
you just wish you could stab him

But you could have strapped on some skins
As the sun rose overhead
Already halfway up the mountain,
and I just rolled out of bed

The snow it is deep.
The snow it is heavy
And I feel bad for the other guy
Still shoveling out his chevy.

It’s freaking glorious up here
In the wide open spaces
We hear the snowflakes falling
And feel them landing on our faces

I cannot believe that yesterday
these mountains were all brown
Covered in dead leaves
and trees that had just fallen down

But inch by inch
and hour by hour
This place has become a wonderland
with full schussing power

And that’s just how Vespi likes it.
Like a puppy pouncing for a ball
Cause we’ve got a foot of white stuff
now covering it all!

So we skied…
…and we skied
…and we skied a bit more
we skied for twelve hours
and not one minute more

I skied through the sunrise
and the sunset too
Even a few at the resort
but that place was a zoo

To feel each glisse,
and enjoy every single stride
You have got to earn your turns
you can’t go for a ride

Cause then you won’t have the time
to set it up right
Your super high-tech
ski pole measuring device

The snow keeps on falling,
there’s no way we can stop.
So the skins go back on,
another climb to the top

Then we’re joined by the BF
for a tour in the night
The peaceful ‘alpine glow’
and everything is perfectly alright

No screaming kids or
annoying tourists abound
It’s just you and the mountain
and you can hear every sound.

A true winter wonderland
and nature’s beauty all aglow.
It’s you and the mountains…
…oh yeah, and plenty of untracked, fresh snow.

What more could you ask for?

May You Find the Spirit of the Mountains With You,
FemaleSkiBum


The Schussin’ Turkeys

By: Greg
November 23, 2011 7:22 pm | Category: Quick Update, Skiing | 1 Comment | Permalink

“Gobble gobble,” said Barney, AKA the Surfin’ Turkey, AKA Christian. “After some won oh sk8, pow is great!”
the surfing turkey

Being the Skiin’ Turkey myself (the second half of the Schussin’ Turkeys) I couldn’t have agreed more with Christian; pow IS great.
the skiing turkey

Since our last day is tomorrow (being Schussin’ Turkeys, and all), why not go for a second lap?
pow is great

It was literally TOO Fun to stop for these Turkeys, AND we were worried about getting shot for dinner, so we took a few pics on the move (like on 10sk8)… look out for more of these soon!
shots on the move

It’s nearly impossible to beleive that just yesterday the mountains were BARE, but we will TAKE IT! We all hope you GAUGHT SUM today, and if not, there’s PLENTY to go around ALL WEEKEND! GIT IGHT!


The 10sk8 B4 The Storm

By: Greg
November 22, 2011 6:46 pm | Category: General Interest, Longboarding, Quick Update | 8 Comments | Permalink

“Is it ever gonna snow?” asked Christian as he picked a winner.
is it ever gonna snow?

Well, Christian… it’s supposed to finally snow up here. However, since won oh sk8 has been closed for about a week now, and it looks like it’ll be SNOW-COVERED (thanks for the pointer IACS!) for a few months to come, I figure we should make one last trip up there and smile while standing on the wooden doo-dads that our extra numbers got for us. Word? “Werd… let’s go stand on these things and SMILE”
werd

Wee!
wee!

(insert some lame “woot” noise here)
insert lame woot noise

Let’s see what tomorrow brings!! BRING IT ON! GIT SUM!


UPDATED Do you like your turkey warm or cold: Outlook for Winter Storm “Charlie”

November 21, 2011 3:44 pm | Category: Skiing, Weather | 25 Comments | Permalink

Well do you like your turkey cold? I do and apparently Ullr might as well. As I hinted last week, the potential existed for a major winter storm around the 23/24th. Well damnit “City Dwelling Dad/Father of 2”, if that isn’t going to be the case!

So here we go.
By late tuesday/early early wedneday morning, a cold high pressure system will slide just east, and flatten out as a storm gathers strength.
Previous model runs had this high either sitting right over the North Country and driving the storm to the south and east, or shrinking back up into Canada like little Mr. Costansza after a cold morning swim. Well no longer. The model consensus at this point is for the high to flatten and hold strong. This will drive the storm just to the south of the North Country. See the predicted track below.

As the storm deepens wednesday the cold air will hold strong across the higher terrain but barely. However the NAM explodes the storm midday wendesday.

This will allow midlevel cold air to hold strong as the deepening storm will induce greater inflow of cool air from the northeast. This will keep freezing levels across the ADK and Greens at about 2500 feet for the bulk of the event.

I’ve shown you the nam- and what’s important to note- the GFS and the Euro agree. The Euro REALLY agrees. Bulding:

and done built:

As the storm then wraps up, and swings out towards the NE, the classic backside upslope flow will linger into Wednesday night and thursday AM.

What does this add up to? Well first of all look at the pure water predicted:

That’s a wet storm. And truth be told, with the warm air movement and the resulting isentropic lift along with the storm’s track and moisture source I think those 12 hour water totals are reasonable. Wednesday could be a wet and wild day. I know…we don’t care about wet- we care about white. So how much? Well there is a reason I called labeled this Winter Storm Charlie. While this will be a heavy, wet snow, I strongly feel that the potential exists for the highest terrain and the northerly terrain to do very well. Above 3000 ft from KMart north to Stowe I think there is the potential for 6-12 inches of heavy snow to fall. In the ADK I think a similar 6-12 is reasonable with the chance for a pocket of more. Jay could be the winner here because of their northerly position and the potential for coldest temps so I’d maybe go 8-16 inches up high at Jay.

A few additional notes. 1) I’m def. concerned about this becoming a sleety mess. Model soundings flirt with the 0c line all the way north to almost 700hpa. So sleet is surely in play (along with of course straight bone chilling rain). 2) A few ensemble solutions take a much more southerly track. I’m leaning NAM here since the NAM really did well with Baker- the Halloween storm. But just be aware that a southerly solution is out there. 3) This doesn’t mean deep winter is upon us. This pattern still isn’t great.

Tuesday AM Update

Looks like the overnight models have converged on a more southerly solution. Heaviest precip looks to be trough central NY and Central to Southern VT. I circled that in black.

Now there is still ample moisture in the High Peaks (whiteface) and Northern Greens (Bush, MRG, Bolton and Stowe). Circled in yellow. Interestingly because of the temperature profile these areas – despite the differences in quantifiable liquid precip, could come out about equal on the rule test. I’m still comfortable with an overall 6-12 snowfall across the higher terrain. Jay looks less favorable than it did, the whites look a little better and central VT looks a little better. Were this to hold serve as modeled, Kmart’s summit along with the spine up to about the Bush would like be your best bet for finding a pocket of anomalous heavy snow.


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