Conditions unfortunately were only medium. Even though there was 4 inches of powder, it was on top of another 4 or 5 inches of snow crusted with ice. Consequently, the tracks were collapsing, ski edges were getting stuck in the sides of the tracks, poles kept getting stuck, etc. But that was only in some spots. I actually started out at the gate which is at the top of Stanley Brook Road near Signpost 29. (I think there's an incinerator there or something, they are always burning stuff.) I wasn't the first in, a couple of other skiers had already tracked it. One of them had the extra-wide skis. I actually met them as they were returning. The fellow with the wide skis was having trouble with the ice and the collapsing tracks.I told myself I would just turn around if conditions didn't get any better. Fortunately conditions change even when you climb only a couple of feet. Things got radically better after Signp
ost 15, which is at the bridge over Jordan Stream right near JPH. There was a lot of drifting and windblown ice from there to the stone bridge at the southern end of Jordan Pond. I had to ski through a drift that was probably 2 and a 1/2 feet high. Then climbing up to Signpost 14 the snow started getting faster. I had hoped that the Around Mountain Loop would be groomed because the map on the AWTA website said it had been on the 3rd, but I guess they did it before the storm because it was pristine.The weather was really crisp and beautiful with snowflakes sparkling in the air. (Photo) The climb up to the West Branch Bridge always seems easier on skis than on a bicycle. The view from there was spectactular. (Photo) The ridge between the West Branch Bridge
and the Cliffside Bridge was windblown and icy. I was unable to see the difference between ice and snow because it hadn't been tracked yet, so it was slow going but pleasant. When I reached Signpost 21 I met a couple of other skiers and lo and behold! The Amphitheater Loop had been groomed. It was fun skiing down to Signpost 22. Unfortunately the Little Long Pond loop hadn't been tracked (it is never groomed), so again it was slow going, but not as bad as it was starting out. I took the shortcut through the woods and arrived at the Cobblestone Bridge much sooner than I expected. Jordan Stream is frozen silent now, so you can't count on hearing it to get your bearings anymore. Getting up the hill from the Cobblestone Bridge was difficult, and when I reach the top I was glad to be able to ski back to the car in my own tracks. By the way, in that short amount of time, hikers and dogs had almost already ruined the single set of skier-made tracks. The distance was 4.4 miles and it took just over 2 hours.
