Wachusett officially closed for the season Sunday at 4PM.  But that was BEFORE they got 6-10" of fluffies overnight!

This AM's commute was drop the kid off at school (2 hours delayed), drive directly to WaWa, where there were at least 2-dozen cars in the lot, and at least a half-dozen cars with people hauling out their gear, making me think the were calling that decision back(?).   Nope!

Everbody in the parking lot were putting skins-on-boards, and as I rounded the corner on my way to skin up Smith Walton there were at least a half dozen people skiing or walking toward 10th Mt or Conifer. Clad in the cool cotton cargo pants and a knit tennis shirt I was wearing to work I had to restrain myself on the ascent, lest I get too sweaty to see clients, I followed a single boot track somebody hoofing it in alpine boots. (I didn't even find any gloves in the car- go figure!  The kid borrows everything, never bring it back.  :-) )  J

ust before the middle road cut I found a seasons pass thinly veiled by an inch of fluff between boot tracks.   Fortunatlely for the owner, I caught him on the Smith headwall, and returned it, since it was still worth discounts and other comps at associated resorts. (He said he was heading to Jay later this week!) The cover on the headwall varied beween 6" & 10" on a base of rock-hard rain-soaked refrozen on the better spots, rock hard (well) granite in the less-great spots.  Clearly not my ideal descent path.

At the top of the lift I watched with incredulity as a pair of AT skiers descended from the true summit with less than healthy crunching & scraping sounds as they bottomed out on stone.  They headed down Conifer, so I took off on 10th.  This was by far the best powder day of the season at Wachusett, and I had the whole trail to myself, with but three other down-tracks and one snowmobile track to mar the wind-smoothed surface ahead of me.

As good as it was, it was a "one run & done" day, given I was already showing up late due to the school delay.  It will be warmer this afternoon & tomorrow, but it should still be pretty good.  I had planned hit it again tomorrow (Tuesday), but I just got an email- looks like they'll be re-opening for the day (probably inspired by the veritable crowd of skinning traffic).  I suppose it's too much to ask that they not GROOM it?

dana

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