Snow Basin weekend report (3/15/25)
Not that it will remain relevant after the warm up this week (and rain), but I am happy to say that I successfully skied Snow Basin last Saturday.
On the drive over, I wasn't expecting much, since we had already experienced earlier rain and consistently warm temps during the previous week. At the base, remnants of snow plowed in February remained marking the parking area. Looking through the trees, though, it appeared that a uniform covering of snow climbed up Sugar Run, beyond the bare ground below. I booted up the first pitch, threw my skins on and climbed the length near to the top. With just a couple of pinch points where the ground water overwhelmed the old culverts, the entire lenght of Sugar Run remained skiable! We had put in a couple of make-shift bridge crossings last season that spanned those streams, and proved effective enough.
With just enough coverage, I decided to go off-trail and explore the upper mountain---above the former ski area. While WMBA is not currently authorized to cut trails beyond the original ski area footprint, this does not prohibit 'attempts' at skiing pure backcountry conditions AKA "eating shwack" within the state forest proper. I climbed an old overgrown logging road up the west shoulder to the ridge and descended close to that line--- while hunting for a vertical descent that offered a consistent return to Sugar Run. One of the reasons, I believe, that the upper mountain was never developed (though it offers steeper terrain and an additional couple hundred vertical feet) is a flat shelf stretching laterally across the top of the former slopes, which is just long enough to bottom out all forward momentum across it. The westerly aspect of the mountain has the most possibility for maintaining an angle that could connect back with the ski area, and though I had to pole my way through several sections on Saturday, I think the possibility exists. Additionally, another descent runs off the same shoulder but pushes more direct west and steeply down to the Westfield River---and offers another area to explore in the future.
Through the thick shwack and back on trail, I made my first turns ever down the length of Sugar Run, which skied surprisingly fast and fun.
I've got to think that the season here is over now. I hope that folks got a few chances to ski our zones this winter. The window was tight, but I know more than a few folks that had some good days at Beartown and Snow Basin....
Thanks for all the work folks did to help out during fall work days and for throwing support toward the organization in general.
Check the next post for details on how to support next steps!