I got a report from a friend that 7 Springs was hit by an ice storm yesterday so they cut their skiing short. I hope that you are all getting in some good skiing. Perhaps Timberline, being higher, got all snow.

Being on the cold side of that massive east-west front paid off us in VT. We had absolutely great skiing yesterday. This from the MRG page captures it well,

" On Sunday we enjoyed an unexpected POWDER DAY. They predicted 1-3" and we picked up a nearly a foot of fluff. A skier could get used to this kind of thing.Today MRG will be skiing very sweetly once again with nearly 100% of our legendary terrain wide open on packed powder skiing surfaces. The groomers hit the mountain overnight buffing out the vast majority of the novice and intermediate terrain. The expert runs are in phenomenal shape and will be loads of fun today. Forecasts are calling for chances for snow throughout the week so things could get even better. "

Sat. night's snow was as light as any I've skied anywhere. That's what happens when it gets cold enough. Even after it had been skied a bit and pushed into piles, it still skied almost like uncut powder with no clutch & grab as you hit the piles. However you had to be careful about speed since it didn't slow you much. My favorite trails at Mad River are Fall Line and Lynx, #'s 27 and 30 on this map. Set mouse on trail for a brief description.
http://www.madriverglen.com/maps/iMapLarge.php
Skiing aside they are also 2 of the most beautiful runs in America and were blown in really deep. Each has another fine run below to return you to the groomed, Creamery and Beaver, respectively. There are some excellent woods between Fall Line and Chute (the upper single liftline) known as Shithouse Glade, because the hidden entrance is behind the ski patrol privy at the summit. This year there is a moose living in those woods and people in the basebox were talking about skiing into steaming piles of moose droppings and some almost hit the moose, which might be a bad idea. The woods are low dense conifers; you can't see around them but must guess where the next opening might be and just dump yourself on the uphill hip if you guess wrong. Under those circumstances it is all but impossible to see a moose that is 2 turns in front of you.

The high yesterday was 17. As we left the mountain in late PM it fell through the teens rapidly and was 4 deg. when we got beck to my daughters's in Burlington just after sunset. Later this week it is predicted to get seriously cold.

Denis,

Definitely some steep, low visibility turns between Fall Line and Chute. With the occasional mini-ledge or large rock thrown in for good measure. If I do make it up there this year, I'll look out for the added obstacles.

What skis do you use in terrain like that when there is new snow? What approximate ski length and dimensions?

John, I'm using my favorite big ski, the same Volkl Vertigo Explosiv I was on when we skied together at Timberline. It is a fat (perhaps a mid fat by today's standards) with a 95mm waist. I got the shortest one, 165, so it wouldn't be prohibitively heavy for skinning in the backcountry and expected to pay a performance penalty. That does not seem to be the case although I have not skied it in a longer length. It's the most powerful ski I've ever ridden. I have Hammerhead tele bindings on it. Short and wide works real well in Mad River's woods and really well overall on all but the bluest of ice.