So Was it a Mud Slide or What?
Since Irene hit Killington more than two weeks ago, avid skiers and riders in town have been looking up at Double Dipper...and wondering...What the hell happened up there?
Since I am not one to believe anything I hear and have been blessed with insatiable curiosity, this morning's adventure took me on a roundabout adventure up to the Canyon. But first, breakfast at the S.A.D. Lounge....
... past some interesting terrain markers....
...and some beautiful views from different angles. It's fun hiking up things I haven't done yet. I get to see so many new things. Like hidden pockets of nature's magic.
Irene has definately encouraged me to be more creative in my adventures.
Next section was through some rediculously high grass on extremely steep terrain. Which was actually really good, because the high grass kept me from slipping down the mountain. Remember, things are much steeper without snow...
We had to cut across to stand on the rock at the bottom of Downdraft. How many times have we launched off that thing in winter...only to see a wildflower garden in summer?! Definately not what I was expecting.
After a two and a half hour journey, we were finally in the Canyon.
So we took a deep breathe and, not really sure what we would find, hiked back up the mountain to the top of the runoff that scarred Double Dipper.
Climbing up was the easy part. The wildflowers and grasses had been bent over an existing cascade of rocks.
Foot placement became precarious as grass hid deep holes between the rocks. Vespi, of course, kicked it into four paw drive and had no problems at all. Bitch.
At the top of the scar, there had been - not a mud slide - but a removal of all the plant life. A Plant Slide!!
Which had conveniently slid down to actually help shore up an already existing waterbar. Sucess!
Note: Waterbars make for safe places to take a quick break while on steep terrain. Beautiful views and a cool place to swim :)
We stopped at the bottom to chat with some of the workers. They have been putting the finishing touches on the New Cascade snowmaking pipe and have been having lots of fun with our steep terrain :)
I took the easy way out - and the Trail 8 bridge survived!! Surprisingly, Spillway looked great - after some hard work, of course. They already had prepped for digging the new pipelines, so everything kind of stayed in place. Sweet :)
And DAMN, does that base lodge look good!!
May You Find the Spirit of the Mountains Within You,
FemaleSkiBum :)
Since I am not one to believe anything I hear and have been blessed with insatiable curiosity, this morning's adventure took me on a roundabout adventure up to the Canyon. But first, breakfast at the S.A.D. Lounge....
... past some interesting terrain markers....
...and some beautiful views from different angles. It's fun hiking up things I haven't done yet. I get to see so many new things. Like hidden pockets of nature's magic.
Irene has definately encouraged me to be more creative in my adventures.
Next section was through some rediculously high grass on extremely steep terrain. Which was actually really good, because the high grass kept me from slipping down the mountain. Remember, things are much steeper without snow...
We had to cut across to stand on the rock at the bottom of Downdraft. How many times have we launched off that thing in winter...only to see a wildflower garden in summer?! Definately not what I was expecting.
After a two and a half hour journey, we were finally in the Canyon.
So we took a deep breathe and, not really sure what we would find, hiked back up the mountain to the top of the runoff that scarred Double Dipper.
Climbing up was the easy part. The wildflowers and grasses had been bent over an existing cascade of rocks.
Foot placement became precarious as grass hid deep holes between the rocks. Vespi, of course, kicked it into four paw drive and had no problems at all. Bitch.
At the top of the scar, there had been - not a mud slide - but a removal of all the plant life. A Plant Slide!!
Which had conveniently slid down to actually help shore up an already existing waterbar. Sucess!
Note: Waterbars make for safe places to take a quick break while on steep terrain. Beautiful views and a cool place to swim :)
We stopped at the bottom to chat with some of the workers. They have been putting the finishing touches on the New Cascade snowmaking pipe and have been having lots of fun with our steep terrain :)
I took the easy way out - and the Trail 8 bridge survived!! Surprisingly, Spillway looked great - after some hard work, of course. They already had prepped for digging the new pipelines, so everything kind of stayed in place. Sweet :)
And DAMN, does that base lodge look good!!
May You Find the Spirit of the Mountains Within You,
FemaleSkiBum :)
Location:Double Dipper, Killington, VT
The lodge looks AMAZING - I never would have expected it to look repaired that quickly. These pictures are remarkable. Your stories, you, the people you are living through this with, are even more stunning, resilient, awe-inspiring. Love.
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