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02-29-2004, 01:57 PM
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#1 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Wilmington, MA
Posts: 538
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Winter VT4K's in a day (2-28-04)
2-28-04
3:40am I arrive at the Main Lodge parking lot at Killington. Stinkyfeet and Sir Edmund are already there. While we are plotting our route up the ski slopes, we see several brightly illuminated groomers transversing the slopes... 4:02am We start up! Trails are well groomed and perfect for skiing (and hiking). 4:32am We are heading up a black diamond when we see a groomer heading down towards us (Yikes). We cross over to the opposite side to avoid getting in the way. 5:01 The 3 of us arrive on the summit. Such a beautiful night! To quote Carl Sagan, “Billions and billions of stars...” 5:11am We are glissading on our butts down a black diamond. Woo Hoo! What a blast! 5:19am We are back down, still shaking off the snow, and laughing at how much fun that was... 6:30am The 3 of us arrive at Sugarbush South and leave my truck. Then it’s off to Sugarbush North.. 6:44am We plot our route up the ski slopes to Ellen. Even though they don’t open for over an hour, there are many people about. We head up with the sun getting brighter and brighter by the minute. 8:12am We arrive on the summit of Ellen on this spectacular winter day. Nary a cloud in the sky! The LT heading over to Abraham looks broken out, so we start heading across the ridge. 9:40am We reach Mt Lincoln after heading 2.9 miles across the ridge. The ridge was mostly broken out, but had many false paths that people had taken. Lots of snow! The trees were booby-trapped with large accumulations of consolidated snow. If you touch one, 10lbs of snow will come crashing down. We head to Mt Abraham which is .8 miles away, but looks further. 10:06am We summit Abraham. Views are amazing! We can see the ADK’s, and most of Vermont. Lake Champlain is a brilliant white. 11:17am We reach the truck after heading down the ski trails. We followed the “Organ Grinder” for most of the way, and to avoid skiers we spend much of the time heading down the glades in the woods. Yee-haaa!!! 11:31am We arrive back at Sugarbush North to pick up our vehicles then it’s off to Camel’s Hump. 12:10pm We are at the Burrow’s Trail parking lot which is almost full. We leave our showshoes behind and start heading up the packed trail. 1:37pm We reach the summit of Camels Hump with views galore. This is the 1st summit of the day that we have seen other people on (and even a few drinking Budweiser). We take a short, relaxing break then we head down. 2:22pm Back to our vehicles, and we drive North to Mansfield. 3:25pm We stop in Stowe to grab some pizza, gas, and coffee. The 3 essential things to keep us moving... 3:57pm Arrive at the Long Trail parking lot at Smugglers Notch. We gear up and head up Mansfield (we saved the hardest peak for last). Long trail is broken out. 5:54pm We reach the summit as the sun is fading on the horizon. The colors are magnificent! We again have the summit to ourselves. It is bitterly cold and windy, so we don’t stay long. We decide to take the ski trails down (hoping to do some more glissading), so we head across the ridge and down the Cliff Trail towards the illuminated slopes. 6:25pm We are glissading down the black diamond moguls (trail is closed at night). Not as much fun as a wide open trail, and also a little painfull for us males... 6:52pm We arrive back at our vehicles, and kid around about heading over to climb Jay peak... Awesome, memorable day, with 2 fantastic people... A few statistics: Total time: 14 hours, 50 minutes Miles hiking: 20.3 Elevation Gain: 9700 feet Miles on trails: 11.7 Miles on ski slopes: 8.6 Miles driving: 132 Hours hiking: 10.9 Hours driving: 3.9 # of incredible skier wipeouts witnessed: 2 (same person)
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"If all the world's a stage, I want to operate the trap door" - Paul Beatty |
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02-29-2004, 02:06 PM
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#2 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Thornton, NH
Posts: 1,619
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What a day you had!
I am curious, has this been done before? |
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02-29-2004, 02:40 PM
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#3 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Marble Mtn. Wilderness!
Posts: 259
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Oh ya!!! Way to go guys and Stinkyfeet!!
It was the perfect day for your quest, congrats on finishing all 5! Your names came up more than once on Saturday!! All that talk about sliding down ski slopes.....black diamonds....yikes! I slide down a green trail and have nightmares for the rest of my life, what the heck would I have done on a black?! Way to go! |
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02-29-2004, 05:07 PM
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#4 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: At the end of the road
Posts: 725
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Frodo, StinkyFeet, Sir Edmund,
Outstanding! Nothing like two Grand Slams in the same winter. Amazing stuff. JohnL
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There is a road, no simple highway Between the dawn and the dark of night And if you go no one may follow That path is for your steps alone. R. Hunter |
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02-29-2004, 05:07 PM
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#5 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: H: Brighton, MA, Avatar :Brian and I at the 2005 Ski Gathering
Posts: 1,776
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WOW, I am astounded yet again, you guys are amazing and continue to make me smile. Glad you had a GREAT day!!!!
sli74
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LIFE, I shall persevere! Everytime you knock me down, I will get up stronger. |
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02-29-2004, 05:43 PM
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#6 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Merrimack NH... Avatar: Mt Washington January 2008
Posts: 1,484
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Just Amazing! Congrats - you picked a perfect weekend for it!
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Bob & Geri bobandgeri@rbhayes.net http://www.facebook.com/bobandgeri http://rbhayes.net/recent.htm |
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02-29-2004, 08:52 PM
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#7 |
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 5
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Which begs the question.....when do you take on the winter ADK 46ers? I have no doubt you'll flatten them, too!
I was skiing Killington Friday and thinking about the VT peaks. However, my glissading was limited to wiping out on the halfpipe on my skiis. Small world, sort of. |
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03-01-2004, 07:18 AM
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#8 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: No Reading, MA Avatar: Crater Rim, Mt Rainier, 8/4/2005
Posts: 2,351
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Frodo,
I totally forgot about you folks, otherwise I would have been looking for you! I was at Stowe for the weekend for some sorely needed R&R. Ran into one of Ed Hawkins friends on Sunday, descending the ski slopes (can't remember his name, but last name starts with "C"). Another well earned congrats to all of you!
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"So many roads to ease my soul." ~Hunter/Garcia |
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03-01-2004, 09:46 AM
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#9 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Maine Avatar: Pulka - not just for your grandparents
Posts: 1,420
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Great Job folks!
This begs the question: Are you going to run through the ME peaks in the next two weeks to get the 67 in one winter? Why not? spencer in awe |
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03-01-2004, 01:03 PM
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#10 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Kennebunk, ME
Posts: 124
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Amazing, simply amazing. They'd be dragging me out cause my knees would be swollen to the size of basketballs! Yeah, how about Maine? At least I can live through your exploits.
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03-01-2004, 10:43 PM
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#11 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Thornton, NH
Posts: 1,944
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Congrats Frodo et al. I remember that we talked about the possibility of doing the NE67 in one winter when Sir Edmund joined us on our Tri's-Whiteface-Passaconway hike in early January. And, Frodo has already been to BSP twice this winter, right? Go for it!
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03-02-2004, 10:15 AM
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#12 | ||
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,952
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Wow! I remember when somebody did Pico, Killington, and Stratton in one day and I thought that was a lot!
Brings back memories of leaving the Lincoln Mtn gondola station in the fog and hiding in the woods from groomers at Pico. Quote:
Question: with your speed on the double-diamond trails, do you think this trip is actually faster in winter than summer? Quote:
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03-02-2004, 11:36 AM
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#13 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Touristville MA, Avatar: メルシー
Posts: 424
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The question is, how much longer will the VT 4k's be of the current quantity? Read this:
Fosters News Article; Killington may secede to NH
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Dude, I don't even hike that much! We have, problem? |
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03-02-2004, 05:01 PM
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#14 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Thornton, NH
Posts: 1,944
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Re: Killington seceding to New Hampshire in trade for Moosilauke:
No, Vermont cannot have Moosilauke; maybe Stub Hill, but not Moosilauke! New Hampshire already bought all of the bridges over the Connecticut River so that they could pay for all of the maintenance expenses themselves (who needs a sales or income tax anyway, right?). |
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03-02-2004, 06:29 PM
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#15 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Aurora Boulderalis
Posts: 790
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Very nice goin', guys!
Hey, there's still time to knock off the ADK 46 before winter ends, wouldn't you say?  The elusive "Triple Crown of Icicles" is within reach ....
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You don’t have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things — to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated. - Edmund Hillary |
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