Last Weekend on the Snow

April 6/7 was our last weekend on the snow this season. We were able to ski with Patti, Mike and Ben on Saturday. We all had vouchers and skied for free! It was epic full winter conditions, highs in the twenties. It was a bluebird day. I can't think of a more fitting end to an incredible season!!

Twenty-two Weeks of Intensive Skiing

Well, from November 17 to April 7 the only thing we have done besides school is ski race/train (thus the lack of posts). Well, I should say Gianni raced/trained, while I mostly ran support. He had a total of 76 days on the snow this year, most of them training. I would say he skied about 4 totally free skiing days, raced about 15 days and trained all of the others. He joined MMSC this year and really loved it! The competition in northern Vermont is the stiffest in the country. 

Some of the highlights of the season for Gianni were racing GS at Whiteface two days and placing really well at the Sugar SL, lowering his SL and GS points significantly. He really enjoys racing and is eager to keep it up. He is off to Mt. Hood in June to train and then off to Chile at the end of July for some more serious training with MMSC.

First Winter Weekend at Stowe

We went up to Stowe this weekend for our first winter trip of the year. Gianni trained both days with MMSC. We saw Sir Spamalot with the Wassers. Ben was really funny. While Gianni skied on Sunday, I climbed Mt. Mansfield. I summited just after 10am and was the only one up at the top. There was an inversion in the valley. Gianni was somewhere on those trails in the above picture. It was a great weekend and so nice to catch up with the Wassers! More photos here...

Dryland Training at Cochran's

Gianni spent the day dryland ski training at Cochran's with several members of the US Ski Team.

Weekend in Stowe - No Skiing

Spent one last weekend in Stowe. Hiked Mansfield and enjoyed hanging out with the Wassers as usual!

Ski Season Comes to an End

Gianni enjoyed this second season alpine ski racing. He moved up an age group and was competing against kids older than him and with 4+ years more experience racing. Again, he showed steady improvement over time. He just missed championships by one skier: he was the first alternate (though pill to swallow, but a great lesson). He had some good success late in the season in northern racing, capping it off with a fifth place finish in his last race. Can't wait for next season! Didn't take many pics this year, but here are a few.

Sugar Slalom

Last day on the snow. Good times! Taken at Stowe Mountain Resort

Another Day in Paradise

Good Day

@Stowe

Sunrise @StoweMtResort

Taken at Stowe Mountain Resort

Early Season Hike

I hiked Mansfield today while Gianni warmed up on the ski slopes. I should have brought my skis. It was really nice!!!

Good Old Days

Good old days - roof jumping @Stowe

Weekend in Stowe

We spent the weekend up in Stowe with the McWassers. Spent a day on the lake and another on the mountain. Good times! See all photos here...

Last Ski of the Year

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Gianni and Ben enjoyed one final day on the slopes together. It was a perfect spring day at Stowe!

Brad Haight Memorial Race Kombi

Gianni skied his last race of the year today at Mt. Snow. He finished in 6th place vs. VT kids. He is a happy boy.

Training at Stowe

Gianni spent the weekend skiing and skiing- training at Stowe. It was a cold one though. On Saturday, Gianni ran NASTAR gates all morning and then spent the afternoon training with the MMSC kids. It was a cold day, but sunny and without wind, so really it was perfect- no lines. On Sunday, he was first on the Gondola and skied Gondalier and Perry Merrrill all morning. It was really cold, -15 or so, plus wind. Later in the morning Ben, Rosalie and the gang caught up with him and they skied a few more runs before the cold won.

Wild Weekend

We enjoyed a very busy weekend. Gianni raced at Bradford on Saturday, his first official race (slalom). He placed 19th out of 32, and really enjoyed learning the routine. We headed up to Stowe, left the kids home, and Bob and Mike treated us to a Little Feat concert at Spruce Peak. Gianni insisted on catching first chair at 7:30 am, which he thoroughly enjoyed. It was a cold, windy day, but the endless snowfall created a wonderful winter playground. I did a backcountry trip to the top of the Burt. The decent was fabulous, as I linked nice turns in my own powder stash the whole way down. I caught up with the boys at Sterling Gorge, where Mike and Rob took them ice climbing. We called it a day and hit the road again (after Patti fed us, and Mike and Bob hauled me out of the snow bank!). Tired, but couldn't have asked for a better weekend!

Busy Day in Mt. Mansfield State Forest

Yesterday, the boys were eager to hit the slopes, first chair. We arrived in the lodge before 7am. They were in line by 7:20, yes there was already a line. I watched them take their inaugural run down Liftline, with Ben doing the last big drop head first. The trail was just groomed so he couldn't stop. He was flying on his back! I left them and skated from the Stowe Touring Center over to Trapps. I had hoped for some better skating on the upper loops over there. The conditions were starting to get really soft as is warmed. Due to the warmth and early hour, not much was groomed, so skating was so so. I stopped at the cabin to take a call from the boys. They had had a great morning of skiing all that was open on Mansfield, but were done for the day due to the long holiday lines. The skate back to the Touring Center was nice (thank you for grooming the ranch connector!). I brought the boys home late morning and then headed back to the Touring center. As I skied the backcountry section of the Burt Trail, the sun came out and it was just beautiful on the Skytop Ridge. I ran out of time and had to head home. After having done 4 tours in 2 days, I was definitely tired! Happy New Year!

Burling Trail to Beaver Meadow

Bob, Mike, Ben, Gianni, Boo, Ramble and I skied up to Beaver Meadow Pond today. It was a spectacular day, all sunshine and perfect temps. About 3/4 of the way up we were in an area of the woods that was just incredible. To the north, Whiteface was bright in the sun, but looking back at the ridge the woods turned blue. It was an odd phenomena, which none of us had seen before. Mike tried to capture it in a picture. Looking up the north side of the ridge, the woods truly looked completely blue. Strange, but fun. After lunch at the cabin, the chill set in on us so we moved quickly back up to the ridge, which warmed us. This picture is just before we dropped in for our exciting decent. Consensus was that it was an fabulous day.

More Early Season Skiing

We enjoyed a nice weekend up in Stowe, again. On Saturday, Gianni did some training at Mt. Snow with the Yawgoo kids, no gates, just free skiing. Afterwards, we drove up to Patti and Mike's. Of course chef Mike was hard at work (thank you!). On Sunday I took the boys up to the SMR Touring Center for a couple of skate loops. In the pm we met up with the rest of the group and did the Main Loop. Cover was thin and it was a bit bumpy for skating, but it was a beautiful day and of course, just nice to be out there!