Happy Valentines Day!
We started out today with a pre-key-swap, which, with a little confusion at first, seemed to work well. Pete and Alan took seven others and skied south from Harriman Dam in falling snow and temperatures in the teens. Just minutes into the tour one skier broke a ski and had to drive to where the southbound group had taken his car, get another set of equipment, drive back and chase the remaining SB skiers. He had apparently been tempted by the powder route down under the powerlines (the trail switchbacks here because the fall line is very steep) but his otherwise-perfectly-
Marie and I took the remaining fifteen (counting us) and skied south also at first, from Harriman Station (not Dam) to the MA/VT border. Here the requisite pictures were taken and we did our traditional ski circle, ski clap, talked about how it was a only 300 miles from here to Canada, found that about 1/3 of us had already skied all of that, about 1/3 intended too and 1/3 just liked to ski and didn’t need to ‘collect’ sections. Then we headed north.
We hadn’t even gotten to Rt 100 when we met the SB skiers (they didn’t have as far to drive) and had lunch with them. We met the broken ski skier and wife at Rt 100. After our Rt 100 road walk, and one slip and fall on the road, we had three miles of beautiful riverside skiing in falling snow, with the trail all broken out (it didn’t need much) by the SB skiers. The stream crossings were completely filled in and easily navigated by everyone. We’ll see how they do on Sections 3 and 4 though!
Five skiers then went to Alan’s and skied three more miles on groomed trails through beautiful woods, some reminiscent of European fir forests that tempted all of us to climb up into them and try to ski down (too deep).
Thirteen folks had a fun and well-earned Polish buffet at the Matterhorn Inn.
NOAA says it will about 6F Sunday morning, and then get colder and windier! Bundle up.
-Sam
