Global warming may be on the minds of many but if these last couple of days are any indication winter is not giving up the ghost yet around here. Cars are getting harder to start, the plumes of blue smoke are streaming upward from chimneys all over the region and skiers and riders are donning the most cold-resistant gear in their closets.
The one good thing is that when it is really cold, it tends to also be sunny. So we got your bluebird days; no one promised us warm weather at the same time.
It took some bluster from Mother Nature to sweep the January thaw out of town and never was that more obvious than over Martin Luther King weekend. For the most part this year, wind has played havoc with lift operations only occasionally during peak periods.
This Sunday was the toughest day. In the valleys, precipitation was a mixed bag with some very cold rain pelting the few individuals brave enough to be outdoors. Up on Mansfield, it was all snow and it arrived in prodigious quantities during very short periods of time. The Quad on the mountain and the gondola were both shut down for a time by the wind, so pretty much anyone who wanted to sample conditions at the higher elevations was sentenced to the Lookout Chair. Yet in a stretch of about an hour it seemed that almost three inches fell.
Speaking of falling, the giant signboard at Little Spruce that shows the trail map and lift status got upended in the wind. A microburst, one of many vicious gusts on Sunday, howled in over the top of Spruce Base camp and did the damage. It takes a considerable amount of breeze to snap off a six-by-six or eight-by-eight post.
Despite all the obstacles, no one was complaining about the snow conditions. Usually, the January thaw can make a mess out of the snowpack, and this one certainly impacted the Front Five. To put it in simpler terms, if it is steep and it depends on natural snow for cover, then it isn’t open, at least officially.
But if there is snowmaking then it is a different story. Simply put, the snowmaking potency of Mountain Operations continues to amaze. Liftline has been just buried and the snow quality is fantastic. The most recent target was Perry Merrill and as one local reported to The Scribe, skiing those whalebacks was really fun. Rest assured that by the weekend, Perry Merrill will be in great shape for cruising.
The guns were also blowing all kinds of fresh snow over at Spruce. Main Street was receiving yet another coat, preparing the race hill for the heavy schedule of races coming there in February and March.
Ah yes, Tuesday, Ski Bum Race Day in Stowe. The Scribe, who like virtually everyone else in town has been suffering from the effects of the malaise, made his first venture to the hill in a week and he was pleased to note that the temperature had risen to a balmy 10 degrees. Daunting weather prospects seemed to not diminish enthusiasm in the least, however, and that was borne out by the presence once again of almost 40 teams and nearly 160 racers on alpine or Telemark skis and snowboards.
It was a day to have drawn a bib number putting you on the blue course and the fastest five finishers all were on the blue. In fact only three among the top 16 skiers raced on the red. Alas, it was the luck of the draw and your scribe fully expects to be accosted next Tuesday by racers clamoring once again for the opportunity to take two runs. The fastest man on the day, for the second time in three weeks, was the formidable Travis Apple of the original Poachers team who posted a 24.77. He was a full 1.1 seconds ahead of Graham Lonetto of Edgewise, who was fastest on the red course.
Unfortunately for Lonetto, there were four other very fast skiers on the blue side. Apple’s Poachers 1 teammate, Garret Lasher, was the runner-up with his time of 25.11. Josh Dillon of Edgewise, Dave Merriam of Out of Office and J. P. Seeley of the Race Stock team captured the 3rd, 4th and 5th spots respectively.
The women’s field remains highly competitive and this week Stephanie Abrell of Skier Shop continued her chase of that elusive title of fastest overall racer of the week. She has been inside the top five in a couple of races over the last few years but this week she settled for ninth place. Perhaps her biggest rival for women’s honors is Poacher Kristi Brown Lovell, another rocket. Unfortunately for the second week, Lovell’s thirst for extra speed caused another premature exit from the course, this one coming at the knoll. Hannah Williams of Poacher 2 was second among the women and Sick Puppies racer, LeeLee Goodson, signaled that she is back in the field with a very good run, earning her the third spot. Race Stock’s Laura Jenks and Audrey Bernstein of Winterfell rounded out the top five among the women.
This week, the Smuggler’s Bowl, much battered by its travels, appeared at the Town and Country, traditionally one of the most popular venues for the weekly party. Good food, race video and the hospitality of the Marron clan all combine to make a great party. For TBA, the best news was they won the bowl! Pam Ingraham, on a new snowboard, Louise Townsend, Elyse Werth and Dan Noyes were the top team as they bested Party Time — Kerry Lohr, Brad Goulette, and J T Vize. In third place was Bobos with Bill Cook, Nancy Wagner, Jon Bates and Sarah Bates.
Kim Brown, a ski bum by winter and a hacker by summer, lives in Waterbury Center with his very understanding family. Comment on this article on stowereporter.com, or email letters to news@stowereporter.com.
Ski bum results
Individual
Stowe, Jan 22
1: Apple Travis 24.77
2: Lasher Garret 25.11
3: Dillon Josh 25.28
4: Merriam Dave 25.78
5: Seeley JP 25.79
6: Daniel Ryan 26.03
7: King Shelby 26.04
8: Dodge Dave 26.23
9: Tasi Mike 26.30
10: Kinzie Damon 26.56
11: Marron Rich 26.56
12: Tyler Quint 26.61
13: Vallance Andy 26.92
14: Neagle Jeff 27.19
15: Goodson Leelee 27.39
16: Phelps Josh 27.40
17: Gramas Greg 27.49
18: Ashworth Tom 27.55
19: Goodson Matt 27.60
20: Timmerman Erik 27.85
21: Pacioni Jason 27.97
22: Webber Laura 27.99
23: Juzek Rob 28.03
24: Bates Jon 28.45
25: Manley Mike 28.51
26: Bernstein Audrey 28.68
27: Grove Ashley 28.88
28: Giebink John 28.94
29: Lehmann 29.02
30: Lyon Arturo 29.04
31: Levine Michael 29.16
32: Ebling Jon 29.32
33: Paradee Ian 29.36
34: Altadonna Chris 29.91
35: Beckwith Alison 30.46
36: Nash Barb 30.48
37: Karlin Matt 30.62
38: Macewan Keja 30.77
39: Apple Rob 31.02
40: Penndorf Peter 31.19
41: Martin Mike 31.64
42: Robinson Leelee 32.40
43: Grady John 32.53
44: Pearson Ed 32.61
45: Foltz Tom 32.68
46: Noyes Dan 32.92
47: Master Kass 33.02
48: Higgins Ian 33.04
49: Coppock Kitty 33.07
50: Ruppenthal James 33.12
51: Palmer Pete 33.39
52: Fosterfell Olive 34.37
53: Robinson Chris 34.62
54: Goulette Brad 34.72
55: Chenoweth Ginny 35.05
56: Fortenberry Dwight 35.73
57: Martin Deb 35.88
58: Lohr Kerry 36.45
58: Altadonna Lynn 36.45
60: Mckeon Bud 36.68
61: Calvert Cullen 37.02
62: Tba 38.20
63: Ogrady Connor 38.86
64: Grayson Jane 40.17
65: Hubbs Tom 40.39
66: Bates Sara 40.71
67: Martin Helene 41.66
68: Bowen Ashley 41.81
69: Beinhauer Anita 45.78
70: Townsend Louise 50.31
71: Penndorf Donna 50.39
Team
1: TBA -60.00
2: Party Time -59.77
3: Bobos -18.25
4: Whitetails -16.11
5: Skier Shop -3.84
6: Jamming JAGS -2.18
7: Out of Office 1.51
8: Grand Slam Tennis 4.07
9: Winterfell 10.93
10: Stowked 13.66
11: Stoweflake 14.35
12: Poachers 2 15.22
13: Friends of the Devil 15.87
14: Brew Crew 22.86
15: Stowe Mnt Club 23.33
16: Sick Puppies 24.17
17: Town and Country 29.73
18: What’s on Tap 30.46
19: Poachers 1 30.57
20: Trapps Lager 38.26
21: Green Eggs and Ham 44.68
22: Endurance 50.67
23: Dude Where’s my Gnar 50.68
24: Dodge Boots 51.04
25: Sugar Magnolia 51.92
26: Metropolitin Music 54.91
27: Edgewise 57.98
28: Poachers 3 62.27
29: Northern Lights 75.19
30: Race Stock 83.44
31: Altaholics 93.86
32: Hollow Heads 100.18
33: Cold Rain and Snow 100.29
34: Sugarman 114.73
35: B Team 142.84
36: Wonder Y 184.56
37: Faded Orange 186.57
38: Liquid Courage 216.56
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