I am back from the traditional final runs of the ski season on Mt. Washington, NH. It was the first trip to ski the mountain for littlest grandson Daniel, 6. Patrick, 9, was also there but Conor, 12, was on a Boy Scout campout. It has become a family ritual that each grandchild gets to go with Grandpa for his inaugural trip. We wait until they can clear the snow and open the Auto Road which happened last week. That way the approach to the top of the summit snowfields is very short you only have to climb back up what you ski. Pictures are from my daughter's facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=64669&id=1385804168&l=e9d704c3ed

Denis

RE: Final Fling


Looks like quite a day you your kids and grandkids had. I don't know how you do it but congratulations on packing a lifetime of ski adventureering into a season.

Cheers,

My daughter & family returned home on Sat. evening but the skiing was so good I stayed and skied on Sun. Found and skied another longer snowfield below Nelson Crag. There were never more than 4 people there at any time and I got to ski untouched snow. I hit the magic hour (actually about 2 1/2 hrs) where it was perfect velvet over a firm base. I used my Junk boards (an old snowboard cut in half lengthwise and each half mounted with a tele binding) and found them perfect for the conditions. I also like what they do for my skiing. Being so light and short they demand a close and very centered stance. They don't allow lackadaisical technique like "real" skis do. I got 4 runs and it began to get heavy right about when my legs tired.

I got there just a bit too late to see the moose. A young male looking lost and scared was spooked by the kite skiers and skedaddled at a full gallop down the snowfield. No idea what it was doing there since the tree line is well below and there is nothing to eat. It left big deep tracks. I hope it came to no harm and got back down to the woods. There were 2 kite skiers and they were working very hard to control their toys in a stiff wind. Each was lifted 6 feet off the ground at times but managed to dump a little air and come back down. At times they traveled at terrifying speeds. They scared me too, not just the moose. The "kites" were big wing like parachutes. The snowfield is actually 2 fields connected at the bottom. The shorter one was in the wind and was left to the kite skiers. The longer one was wind sheltered but was great skiing. It would have been dangerous to have kite skiers and ordinary skiers sharing the same snowfield.

Denis,
Wonderful pics and story. I echo Jimmy about the amount of skiing you get into these retirement years.
Jealous? Hell yes.
The Colonel