Day 59 - runs we have not done (much of) at Sugarbush

I told Katie at the beginning of the week I wanted to do some tree runs we had not explored much (if at all) at Sugarbush.

We didn't get a lot of runs in, but we did do some good exploring. The tree runs we liked were Christmas Tree Woods, Lew's Line, Sap Line, and especially Spillsville Woods. The ones we did not like much were Witch Hazel and Egan's Woods. Maybe we came into the wrong section of Egan's Woods, but it just didn't have much flow to it at all.

We finished the day out on Slide Brook. No more powder stashes, but the bermed turns were fun.

Day 29 of snowboarding for the season!

On the way up to the top of Heaven's Gate at the end of the day

Katie ripping through Spillsville Woods

Day 58 (February 27)- 4th bike ride this week!

After an uncharacteristically snowy winter, we are finally getting a break from the snow. The trails are packed down enough so that you can actually ride out there. The Ripley with the 941 rims and running studded snow tires at 15psi seems to be working reasonable well. At least when I'm staying on the center part of the trail. That doesn't always happen!

The bike riding has been fun, but the photography has suffered! The shots yesterday were pretty mediocre. A6000 with Sigma 19mm prime.

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/260492757

Reservoir at dawn 

On the mountain bike loop

Day 57: narrow!

Here is a look at what the packed down mountain bike trails are like in the Fells. Very narrow and tricky. I am getting better in riding right in the middle, though.

Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/260144577

Yep - that path is pretty narrow!

Day 56 - hiking straight out onto the reservoir at sunrise (February 25)

I was lucky enough to experience a beautiful sunrise on a hike across one of the reservoirs in the Fells.

Where I was: https://www.strava.com/activities/259646703

To take these photos, I used a Sony A6000 with the Rokinon 12mm lens and a 3rd party intervalometer. Exposure times range from 8 to 20 seconds, and the photos were shot between f/8 and f/14. All at ISO 100.

Day 55 - another bike ride!

It was so much fun heading out into the snow to go mountain biking that I decided to do that again today.

Strava log:
https://www.strava.com/activities/259457589

And a photo from the mountain bike loop.

Quiet on the resevoir in the Fells

Day 54 - first bike ride in a while

The streets were finally clear enough to spend some more time breaking in the studded snow tires. After about 8 miles on the road, I headed into the woods and attempted to ride some single track. That didn't go so well - just a slight diversion off of center from the 15 inch wide foot path pretty much sunk the bike deep into the snow.

in the frozen woods

fully frozen reservoir

stuck in the snow

Day 53 - Powdah!

Day 28 of snowboarding this winter. 

Sugarbush undercooked the snow today. They claimed 3" but it felt more like 6-8 at the top of the hill.

The riding was fantastic - even down low on the mountain. Katie and I were only able to get in half a day, but it started off auspiciously with a liftie who let us on early at 7:30 and ended well with a super fun faceshot filled run down Slide Brook trees. 

Katie looking forwards to powder turns while on the lift at Heaven's Gate. 

We're not sure what is up with these holes on the tree at Slide Brook. 

Day 52 - crazy vacation crowds and fresh snow

We started at Lincoln Peak and after two runs, the crowds appeared. We decided to head to Mt Ellen and saw our friends on the bus. We did Exterminator Woods a couple of times and Semitough Woods three times. It was a good afternoon! 

Here is the long jump competition at the mountain. 

Day 51 - another cold one at Sugarbush

Day 26 of snowboarding for the season. 

Here is Katie in the woods at Deeper Sleeper

Right after dinner, we returned home to an amazing sliver of moon. 

Then after watching some TV, we put on some snowshoes and hiked around close to the house and took this - an 8 minute star trail exposure.

Day 47 - fun half day at Sugarbush

We arrived a bit late, but let's continue with the season when we get there!

Day 50 - hike with the family at Horn Pond

Our whole family went for a hike at Horn Pond. It was quietly beautiful outside.

Strava:  https://www.strava.com/activities/257152610

Day 49 - a really fun day at Sugarbush February 18

Katie and Ellie had a great time skiing at Sugarbush!

We did both North and South and took the bus AND the slide brook lift.

Day 25 of snowboarding!

Katie and Ellie enjoying a laugh while we waited for the bus at the bottom of Slide Brook

Day 48 - OMG cold at Sugarbush

It was ridiculously cold at Sugarbush yesterday. I was only out half the day and the temperatures were a comfortable high single digits but the wind was so fierce that the windchill actually meant something. I didn't pull the camera out at the resort while out snowboarding and the few shots I took were lousy. Instead, I am copping out and using my daughter Emilia's photo. Outstanding shot at the Mad River Barn last night.

Day 24 of snowboarding. 

Day 46 - blizzard and snowboarding on the streets

Here are some pictures of the blizzard. It was beautiful out there. Quiet. Whoever is complaining about all the snow just needs to get out there and appreciate how powerful and amazing nature is.

Snowboarding on empty streets is a treat. Even though our streets need more pitch!

Shot with a Sony NEX-F3 with Sigma 19mm lens.

Strava log: https://www.strava.com/activities/255210192

Look at the center of the photo. That dot is a person walking their dog.

That mount of drifted snow - actually a car

STOP. Yup.. that is pretty much what will happen with this much snow!

Which way?

The view out our driveway first thing this morning - 1+ foot of powder.

Day 45 / Feb 14 - Wright's tower again - snowboarding

I was lazier this time. I parked my car at the parking close to Wright's Tower and hiked up from there to try a couple of runs on the snowboard. I always surprise myself with how little pitch there is near home. It seems steep because I am looking at most terrain when there is no snow with a mountain bike perspective. However, what seems steep on a mountain bike simply isn't on a snowboard. Nope - the big thing to worry about is getting stuck in a gully. 

Here is a lame selfie that I shot with the IR remote control and the camera mounted on a tripod.

Was it worth it to hike up the mountain with 3-4 pounds of camera gear + 3 pounds of backpack to set up for this photo?

Nope!

Strava log: https://www.strava.com/activities/254916934

Day 44 - finally made it to Wright's tower

Well, the journey was better than any attempts to capture it. I made it out to Wright's Tower in Medford - probably about 2 miles from my house - by snowshoe, and forgot my phone. So no Strava record.

I took the widest lens for my camera to take a photo of the Boston Skyline. Well... I captured that, Medford, Somerville, and Everett all in the same frame. Also included for bonus points - the sun and the moon. Not a bad shot, but not what I had in my mind's eye before I showed up. I'll have to bring a narrower lens next time!

Boston - and a lot of other towns with the sun / moon bonus pack

Day 43 - early morning snowshoe

I wanted to make it out to Wright's Tower in Medford from my house... but I didn't have enough time.

But I did manage to get a really good snowshoeing session in.

https://www.strava.com/activities/253862802

The photos were ok, but I was enjoying the light and color so much before the sun rose that I didn't even bother taking photos. My memory will work just fine in this instance.

Before the sunrise in the Fells

Winter flowers

Day 42 - snowshoeing at night

It was kind of fun, but a bit scary to be snowshoeing at night in the woods. I am not sure I would do it again. 

Especially because the photos turned out to be lousy. 

Anita with the flashlight

The reservoir lit by bike light

Day 41: Snowshoeing! (Feb 10)

I'm a bit embarrassed that I did not head out on snowshoes until now. But the snow was pretty deep, and snowshoes were definitely the right tool for the job.

The light was really nice out in the woods, but I don't think I did a great job of capturing the atmosphere with my photos. Or it could be that after such a long spell of completely overcast days, I was just overwhelmed to see blue skies and some color at sunset. Many of the colorful pictures were taken with in-camera HDR EV6 and then I bumped up the saturation and vibrancy of the sky a bit to reflect what I recall seeing. All photos were taken with the Sony A6000 mated to the Rokinon 12mm wide angle prime.

But I shouldn't complain about the photos. The snowshoeing was fabulous and I had a great time huffing through two miles of mostly deep and untracked powder. It was wonderfully quiet and as the sun set, quite mysterious as well.

My favorite photo of the day - I love that ambient pink and blue opposite the sunset

I am appreciative of this arching tree every time I go by it on foot or by bike. The sunset looked better than this in real life!

These three little trees are hanging in there!

I'm not crazy about this photo, but I did like the long fallen tree.

A kind of mediocre snow sunset capture...

Twigs buried in the snow

Day 40 - digging out - what else?

It almost seems as if lately more snow has been falling at home than in Vermont. I went out and shoveled the driveway and the path around the chicken coop twice!

Here is how much snow has fallen recently.

Unshoveled 

Day 39 - all day in the woods

Nearly a full day of snowboarding through the woods and bumps. I'm really tired! Katie and I explored Bravo Woods, Exterminator Woods, and some other small woods sections for the first time today. It was cold, fun, and exciting. 

Day 22 of snowboarding. 

Fat skis for powder

Into the woods

Leading the train

Day 38 - nice not-so-cold day at Sugarbush

Day 21 of snowboarding!

Here is Katie in Slide Brook at the beginning of the day. 

Day 37 - riding studded tires on the road?! February 6

The new studded snow tires from my mountain bike finally arrived yesterday. I mounted them this morning and went for a 12 mile ride at lunch time to start breaking them in. It wasn't fun, but I have heard that studs will start disappearing unless they are broken in properly.

Here is the new bike with the new tires in front of the Winchester Boat Club.

And the tires themselves

Documentation: https://www.strava.com/activities/251265261

Day 36 - sunset hike in the Fells / February 5

Today, I worried that I'd enter the Fells uninspired to photograph anything interesting. I was wrong! The snow cover in combination with the falling sun presented a few good opportunities to capture some quiet moments out in the woods today.

Enjoy!

I was out for about an hour, but Strava failed to capture most of it. Oh well!

Fallen tree

Fells snow sunset

Hiking path