Bombadil
Active member
1-8-13
Parked at the Ellen ski area. I started up to the climbers right of the double chair (sugar run) to lower crackerjack/tumbler to the top of the express quad (map: http://www.sugarbush.com/images/skiandride/trailmap0910large.jpg). Here a couple of ski patrollers recommended I take Northstar (green) or Cruiser (blue), I took Cruiser and Elbow up to the summit. 50 feet from the top another ski patroller came by and asked if I had a pass, I was completely ignorant that I needed one but he let me continue on without one since I was already up at the top. Apparently there's a recommended route to follow as well, I'm sure I didn't follow it. I stashed my snowboard a few hundred yards along the LT by a lookout since it would have been impossible to hike the ridge with it on my back. The trail was well broken out by sidecountry skiiers to the first viewpoint maybe 0.5 mile along the ridge, then I had to break trail until near Castlerock Peak where sidecountry skiiers again broke it out. Same story heading over to Lincoln Peak but I came across a pair of hikers that had broken out the trail to Abe--jackpot! We thanked each other for their respective effort that would make each of our days easier and made great time heading over to Abe to watch the sunset. Returned to Ellen and grabbed my board. I may or may not have snowboarded down by headlamp, perhaps even doing some mogul runs in the dark for fun.
A note on trail conditions: trail was pretty easy to follow for the most part, but many big blowdowns and plenty of leaners on the trail. Only a couple of tricky sections of trail in open areas but since the trail sticks to the ridge it's straightforward.
Pat
pcushing21 at yahoo dot com
Parked at the Ellen ski area. I started up to the climbers right of the double chair (sugar run) to lower crackerjack/tumbler to the top of the express quad (map: http://www.sugarbush.com/images/skiandride/trailmap0910large.jpg). Here a couple of ski patrollers recommended I take Northstar (green) or Cruiser (blue), I took Cruiser and Elbow up to the summit. 50 feet from the top another ski patroller came by and asked if I had a pass, I was completely ignorant that I needed one but he let me continue on without one since I was already up at the top. Apparently there's a recommended route to follow as well, I'm sure I didn't follow it. I stashed my snowboard a few hundred yards along the LT by a lookout since it would have been impossible to hike the ridge with it on my back. The trail was well broken out by sidecountry skiiers to the first viewpoint maybe 0.5 mile along the ridge, then I had to break trail until near Castlerock Peak where sidecountry skiiers again broke it out. Same story heading over to Lincoln Peak but I came across a pair of hikers that had broken out the trail to Abe--jackpot! We thanked each other for their respective effort that would make each of our days easier and made great time heading over to Abe to watch the sunset. Returned to Ellen and grabbed my board. I may or may not have snowboarded down by headlamp, perhaps even doing some mogul runs in the dark for fun.
A note on trail conditions: trail was pretty easy to follow for the most part, but many big blowdowns and plenty of leaners on the trail. Only a couple of tricky sections of trail in open areas but since the trail sticks to the ridge it's straightforward.
Pat
pcushing21 at yahoo dot com
