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Waterville Valley Cross Country Ski

Conditions on the North End was frozen granular and a bit icy but was still worth doing since this was more about the comraderie after all!

Saturday, January 24, 2015
Waterville Valley, NH
Moderate
Hosted by Gandalf

The trip report

Five of us started cross-country skiing around 10:30 at the North End. So, the trend continues-those of you south and east of Waterville Valley got real snow, while we got just a dusting. But, you know what? We're still skiing!

The sun was trying to make an appearance in the clouds and the temperatures were in the 30’s. Conditions on the North End was frozen granular and a bit icy but was still worth doing since this was more about the comraderie after all. It was still a nice ski. Right before lunch, we went up the black rated Upper Osceola trail and given the frozen granular conditions it was an exhilarating descent!

Jon’s sole of his boot detached but he used some rope to lash it back together. The trail patrol even remarked how fashionable his boot looked! It did not give him perfect control, but nonetheless he continued skiing the rest of the day.

Mike’s new skis that he bought last week at the Waterville Valley Nordic Center were not gripping the snow and was making it difficult for him to go up even the slightest elevation and impossible to make a snowplow for any steep descents. He brought this up at the Nordic Center at lunch. They discovered that they sold him a ski for a heavier person thus the ski was not compressing against the snow. They repeatedly apologized and gave him a new pair with the correct size.

We had a late lunch at 1:30 at a sandwich shop in the Town Square and then set off on the South End to finish the day. The South End was thin and very icy. Mike took a tumble and the trail patrol was right behind him to assist him getting out of his skis. At that point, Mike and Jon decided to turn around while Keith and Joe were up for the challenge at the sketchy hairpin turn! As we met up each other at the Nordic Center, we started getting a dusting of snow making the woods pretty.

After the hike we had après-ski beside the fireplace at the GO Center followed by a delicious pasta dinner prepared by Jon. A nice day all in all! It looks like the next storm may actually hit us, we are holding our breath...

Event photos (59)

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About this event

Waterville Valley has a superb network of groomed trails. One of the best in the New Hampshire!

Click Here for more information of the Waterville Valley Nordic ski trails.

The ski area also provides ski rentals. We’ll have lunch in the Waterville Valley ski lodge however still wear a day pack so you can de-layer as needed, carry water and have some snacks to replenish energy.

We ski a combination of easier and intermediate trails. There are loops in varying difficulties so in some cases we split up based on skill levels and meet-up at a pre-determined location. We can make it work for you and ensure you have a good time!

After the Hike: We can gather together at our Waterville Valley house around the fireplace for food and drink. Bring a change of clothes and you can take a shower to clean-up. Bring your own beverages and if you like, snacks to share. If you would like to stay for one of Jon's dinner feasts, we ask you reimburse us $5 for our food costs. 

Lodging Option: Bunk beds are available at our house near Waterville Valley, NH for Saturday night at $20 per night. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. We have limited space in the fridge to store your beverages/food so it's best to bring a small cooler. Space is limited so email me ASAP to reserve a bunk!

Who came along (5)

Gandalf SUSTAINING
Gandalf
Thornton, NH
UMassgrad01 GUEST MEMBER
UMassgrad01
North Andover, MA
barabas7 GUEST MEMBER
barabas7
Coventry, CT
A member
Profile hidden
jkelaghan SUSTAINING
jkelaghan
Plymouth, NH

Comments

Gandalf · Jan 23, 2015
Up here, we're not getting snow until 3pm and all that will be coming down is an inch. So unfortunately, we'll be skiing in the existing marginal ski conditions. There should not be any problem driving up here in the morning.

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