This past weekend was the annual party (aka Partee) of the SkiVT-List, at Stowe. It was the 14th renewal of this event and in many ways the best ever. There was a huge amount of snow in the woods, more than I have ever seen at any time in the season. Places that are normally rock gardens, log slides and cut off stumps were all just snow. Stowe will close this weekend with more than 70" of snow in the woods. Sat. was warm, soft and foggy. Afterward we had a mass tailgate with grills, sausages of many kinds and beer. On Sat night it got cold and froze up, so Sun. skiing was on groomed slopes, and we were all thankful they groomed. A certain amount of craziness is tolerated and even expected. The energy is infectious. I do a lot of backcountry skiing in WV, often alone. Alone, I would never ski so aggressively as here. I enjoy both experiences, just me against the mountain surrounded by silence, and the group energy and letting it all hang out. Pictures, taken by friends Ben Bloom and Kevin Broderick tell the story far better than I can tell it.

Story of "The List"
http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080321/LIVING/803210324/1004

The gang.
http://benjamindbloom.smugmug.com/gallery/4710825_eUP6m/1/278779731_VdAVV#278779731_VdAVV-XL-LB

Our green plaid leader.
http://benjamindbloom.smugmug.com/gallery/4710825_eUP6m/1/278779731_VdAVV#278810366_fSNLT-XL-LB
http://www.uvm.edu/skivt-l/?Page=.%2FFAQs%2Fgreenplaid.html&dir=.%2FFAQs

Woods.
http://benjamindbloom.smugmug.com/gallery/4710825_eUP6m/1/278779731_VdAVV#278816932_PF2b8-XL-LB
http://benjamindbloom.smugmug.com/gallery/4710825_eUP6m/1/278779731_VdAVV#278804122_A8obr-XL-LB
Rotten snow in the woods.
http://benjamindbloom.smugmug.com/gallery/4710825_eUP6m/1/278779731_VdAVV#278807519_E7rjw-XL-LB

Ledges? What ledges?
http://www.kevinbroderick.com/gallery/v/Sports/skivt-l08/20080412_MG_8846.jpg.html

Some of the 40 people ducking the rope at the top of Goat;
http://www.kevinbroderick.com/gallery/v/Sports/skivt-l08/20080412_MG_8821.jpg.html

Bumps? What bumps?
http://www.kevinbroderick.com/gallery/v/Sports/skivt-l08/20080412_MG_8825.jpg.html

Bump sequence,
http://benjamindbloom.smugmug.com/gallery/4710825_eUP6m/1/278779731_VdAVV#278833940_xK28W-XL-LB
http://benjamindbloom.smugmug.com/gallery/4710825_eUP6m/1/278779731_VdAVV#278834260_hBoD2-XL-LB

I'll be back next year. Sorry but I don't know how to do this so the pictures appear embedded in the text.

Thanks for posting! Looks like an awesome time. I just hate to see any resort close with that much snow!! Tailgate sounds pretty good too!!

I was going to try and post them for you but they won't allow me to get a good URL. Oh well. Thanks for posting!!!

Amazing pictures and scenery. Vermont is heaven. And even more with snow on the ground

It turns out that I misidentified that roped entrance. It was not Goat; it was "Old National". I claim the fog as an excuse.
http://list.uvm.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0804C&L=SKIVT-L&D=1&T=0&O=D&P=29807
http://list.uvm.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0804C&L=SKIVT-L&D=1&T=0&O=D&P=30372

History is a living thing at Stowe. No other US ski area has more history and nowhere is it more respected. So I stand corrected.

At some point in the day, in the fog, we skied Goat too. A different sub group skied "Old Goat", aka Pipeline. I've never done that one and not sure I could find it. Mansfield hides its secrets well.

This is why I love VT. Stowe is one of the places where skiing began in this country. And began the culture of skiing. And it still has that quiet, unpretentious New England class. And 150 years before, the runaway slaves, fleeing through the Underground Railroad, made Stowe's McMahon House a stop before fleeing to Canada through Smugglers Notch. And 200 before, American patriots climbed the notch on their way to attack the Brits at Ticonderoga. The place oozes history and dignity.

And at the same time, your pix of a couple of the Front Four were magnificent. As well as the rest.

Denis,

Where is Old National? That pic looks familiar but I can't place where it is located on Stowe. Near the top of Starr?

A belated thanks for your post on SkiVermont wrt my day at MRG back in February. I didn't check the web for a few days after my initial post. Hopefully next year I'll catch up with you and the rest of the Green Plaid Gang next winter. Some great terrain in Vermont and I like the attitude of the Ski Vermonters.

No, it's near the top of Goat. Both begin from Upper Lord, the main route that 95% of the skiers take from the top of the quad. Goat is on the skier's left side of the quad lift and Old National is on the right. ON basically adds 4-500 vertical feet of steep skiing and ends on the Hay Chute where present day National begins. Today you take Upper Lord, turn left on the Hay chute to access National and Liftline. Before they bulldozed that traverse, National and Liftline began at the Octagon.

I had to think about that but I believe I've got it right. You have to understand the drill. Wes is the leader. He waits at the quad unloading spot until all are gathered, then takes off. There are no or few words. Wes is a laconic fellow and he would rather ski than talk. After following him for a while like frenzied salmon swimming upstream, we'll see him stop but only so the stragglers can catch up. We all know that at any second he may take off again, usually under a rope or on a steep dropoff into the woods. There is minimum opportunity to look around and wonder; "We're the Fagowee?". Do that and you will lose the group. I have asked Wes whether this is a carefully calculated technique and he just grins.