The Great and Improbable Mother’s Day Mother Load

By:  Greg
May 12, 2010


We thought for sure the powder skiing was finished for this year after the April 28th storm. We were wrong. On May 9th 2010–Mother’s Day–it dumped snow at elevation in northern Vermont. Temperatures at 3000 feet were in the low 20s during the storm, and at the top of Mount Washington temperatures were in the teens. This caused the Mother’s Day snow to fall with a lower density than the April 28th snow. In other words, it was happy skiing time. As mentioned in a previous update, we got a tip that Mount Mansfield had received 9″ as of Mother’s Day morning, and that it was still snowing. Needless to say we booked it up to the mountain as soon as we could. We couldn’t believe what we saw. What had just two day’s previously been fit for grass skiing, was now a glorious winter wonderland. We headed up Nosedive and found a mixture of powder, windbuff, and old snow for our sliding pleasure. Oh… and it was DUMPING too :D

I was on skinny old rock boards on Sunday because I didn’t believe it would be worth having my good sticks. I was wrong. My punishment was that I got extra deep.

Old K2 QX11s with 45% of their base material are fun and challenging to ski in powder.

Ultimately though skiing on these old boards was a great balance exercise, and not one I regret doing. What I do regret doing was being a complete idiot, and thinking I wouldn’t need snow pants. I was wearing thin track pants with holes. You can guess how awesome 20 degree cold smoke felt streaming into and up my pants. That’s right: DELIGHTFUL!

On Monday May 10th we all had work to do, but we also had powder to schuss. What better way to do both than a dawn patrol (and don’t forget dawn is VERY early these days)? The weird stuff in this picture is the chunks of new snow from Sunday that had melted and refrozen into an awesome field of speedbumps.

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Read about the author:   Greg
Enjoy this TR? Read another: TR: Spring From High to Low

Related Stuff:

  1. TR: The Great and Improbable Mother’s Day Mother Load
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  3. Mother Nature Comes Out For Mother’s Day
  4. Happy Mother’s Day!
  5. TR: VTah Part III – The Most Unreliable Great Snow on Earth!
  6. Rogers Pass Part 1: Hippy Powder and Great Views

14 Comments

  1. robrox
    wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 11:37 am  
    1

    May Powder…funny that an old fart like me can call it. This is some seriously strange weather. The wave like nature of this series…yes, “this” as in continuing.. and the funky Jet Stream Track make it just possible for another “October Suprise” in May.

    Don’t count on it…but weather geeks are busy cleaning themselves over this pattern.

    Fingers crossed, not tips!

    Happy Trails

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
    • Greg
      wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 11:45 am  
      2

      I didn’t stop believing for a second Rob! Will we see you for slackfest at least?

    • powhounddd
      wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 12:17 pm  
      3

      …any chance we can get some more?!!

  2. Dwyer
    wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 11:39 am  
    4

    Way to make Cathy proud!

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
    • cathy
      wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 4:50 pm  
      5

      You betcha!!

  3. K_C
    wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 11:41 am  
    6

    I think Christian is high fiving the pow down Goat

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
    • Greg
      wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 11:45 am  
      7

      He gave a lot of high fives that day. It it likely that the snow got a few too.

    • christian
      wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 9:06 pm  
      8

      you can do things like that when you don’t have to hold ski poles :P

  4. powhounddd
    wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 12:16 pm  
    9

    so good. This is the past and the future of schuss. Self-served, get it while it’s cold.

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
    • Greg
      wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 1:07 pm  
      10

      awesome thought… thanks powhound!

  5. christian
    wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 5:35 pm  
    11

    i just dropped my poles

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
    • Greg
      wrote on May 12th, 2010 at 5:40 pm  
      12

      The list for next year is like this as far as I’m concerned:

      1.) Ride Last Call and rap into CG

      2.) Get the poles shot.

      3.) GNF

      Stay tuned…

  6. Salt-E
    wrote on May 13th, 2010 at 1:58 pm  
    13

    are you skiing your qx-11’s?? Holy toledo!

    Respond to this comment/comment thread
    • Greg
      wrote on May 13th, 2010 at 2:34 pm  
      14

      schussing actually… but i don’t want to get too technical

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