Wachusett 2022-23

skelley19

Looks like a great evening. The reason for the lack of crowds is likely due to February vacation week so no school ski clubs there. Also I think they cancelled Nastar night races last night.

snowphoenix

Tuesday 3/14/23

https://newenglandskiconditions.com/viewreport.php?reportid=3100

Yesterday was likely Wachusett's best powder day of the season! I skied from 4:30 until closing at 7:00, but it didn't really start getting dark until the last half hour or so. The mountain had received about 20'' of snow when I arrived, and about 4'' more had fallen before I left. According to today's report, they got a total of 26'' from the storm.

The snow wasn't soaking wet, but it was quite heavy and choppy which made for a good number of wipeouts. I was able to do one run on Oxbow Chute before patrol closed it for the night. Conifer Connection had a nice soft packed surface, while Look Mom had sections of untracked snow on the edges of the trail. There was pretty much no ice anywhere except for the Polar Express's unloading ramp. Temperatures were in the low 30s and there was a moderate wind blowing uphill near the summit which was a bit of a nuisance while skiing, although it didn't bother me during the lift rides.

The Polar Express usually had a 1-2 minute line, but the Minuteman Express looked less busy. The Monadnock Express was pretty much ski-on all night and the Vickery Bowl triple was closed.

It was a really fun evening and with all the snow from the last few weeks, I think there's some great spring skiing in store for New England.

The Minuteman Express

Riding up the Polar Express

Oxbow Chute

Ralph's Run

Look Mom

10th Mountain Trail

Salamander Cutoff

Conifer Connection

Smith Walton

NewEnglandSkier13

Glad to see them getting some more natural snow, I know they've needed it these past few seasons. Although I grew up not too far away, Wachusett is somewhere I have still yet to ski. Looks like it has some good intermediate cruising terrain.

tedede

Having worked there, I'd avoid while the school groups are visiting. 2500-3500 students. Unless you like driving 128 during rush hour :)

NewEnglandSkier13

tedede;c-59975 wroteHaving worked there, I'd avoid while the school groups are visiting. 2500-3500 students. Unless you like driving 128 during rush hour :)

That's something I don't miss about eastern Massachusetts skiing. At Bradford, you could barely move in the lodge when the school groups were there.

skelley19

tedede;c-59975 wroteHaving worked there, I'd avoid while the school groups are visiting. 2500-3500 students. Unless you like driving 128 during rush hour :)

Yes, best to avoid M-F from 3-7ish from January until Mid February. Weekends get crazy too but most other times are ski on or close to. I am bias since it's 20 minutes from my house but it's a fun well run mountain with some really interesting terrain.

I was up during the storm from 1230-430 yesterday and it was crazy good. Glad I had a powder board as it was DEEP and thick. Here are a few pics:

Check out the picnic tables at the base:

And the full size trash/recycling cans at the summit:

Fresh lines were not hard to find:

Lower 10th, Salamander Cutoff and Oxbow Chute:

NELSAP

Speaking of Wachusett, there was a rescue of two teens who went off trail after the recent snowstorm:

https://abcnews.go.com/US/2-young-skiers-rescued-after-stuck-snow-3/story?id=97901201

skelley19

Yes they must have gone off the backside and gotten really lost to end up "2 miles from civilization". The snow was deep getting stuck was most likely a factor as well. When I checked the Snow Report yesterday it had a line stating "**Frinedly reminder that we ask skiers and riders to stay on all of the marked trails!**" which I had never seen before. I assumed it was people skiing in the woods as there are no marked glades at Wachusett but after seeing the new story it made sense. Glad it had a happy ending.

Edit: Sorry just read the story after posting which had the information about them going off the backside and getting stuck. I read an earlier version of the story yesterday that did not have that information in it. Not sure why they waiting so long to call for help but probably figured they would get into trouble. Even if they were able to make it to the bottom on their own they would have been on a remote road about 5 miles from the base lodge. I bet they were trying to get to one of the summit up/down roads which takes you back around to the front side of the mountain eventually as I sort of showed on my 1/23 post above. Even those likely would have had too much snow to avoid getting stuck but it would have been a much simpler rescue as the cat could easily get there.

skelley19

A sad day at Wachusett this morning. I was up there for a little bit in the early afternoon and conditions were still pretty firm and very "grabby". I don't know but guessing conditions were a factor. A skier I rode the lift said he saw the scene from the chair earlier and it was where Oxbox Chute merges back into Lower 10th. My heart goes out to his family and friends.

https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/tragic-loss-skier-dies-after-crashing-into-tree-wachusett-mountain/GYZI6DYQF5HVFJPVNID46W75FA/?fbclid=IwAR1cxJztF03PeHpm1i3CAXL8mQgIIBZdc9fQoMVaL7LE3_QSpTuu9C47yHk&mibextid=q5o4bk

skelley19

Friday 3/24

The mountain was still 100% open, conditions were excellent and I had some extra time on my hands so I decided to do somethingI haven't done in a few seasons. Ride every single trail on the map plus a few that are not (no ropes were ducked). Conditions are still great up there, get it while you still can.

snowphoenix

This morning I hiked to the summit of Wachusett via the Pine Hill trail to see the sunrise. I also went over to the top of the Polar Express (a bit downhill of the main summit clearing) just to see if any snow was left on the ski trails. There were just a few patches visible on the upper parts of 10th Mountain and Smith Walton; the sections of Conifer Connection and Roper's Road that I could see were toast. It was hard to believe the area only closed a week ago and I wonder how much snow melted in just the last 48 hours alone.

Pine Hill Trail (originally cut as a ski trail by the CCC in 1936 according to NESH)

The sunrise

Upper 10th Mountain

The summit area and Upper Smith Walton

newpylong

Probably most of it. I had a good foot everywhere until Friday. Now none except my plow banks.

skelley19

I hiked with some friends on Tuesday and boarded down and it was pretty much wall to wall coverage with no breaks in the snow from the very top. We hiked again Friday and the difference was amazing. We had to walk down a decent ways to find snow to strap in and there were about 4 large gaps that I unstrapped for and a few smaller ones that I turfed. Still fun but hiking season came to an early end this year it appears. We typically get another week or 2 of hiking before the snowpack gets as bad as it was Friday.

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