Classic Sugarloaf

My Buddy's uncle is a ski patroller up at Sugarloaf. Below is his patrol report from his final patrol of the year last Saturday.

Missed a good one Saturday! Winds went to 70 at times, icy as hell, after picking up about a 90 foot debris field on Candyside from a dead birch that could have killed someone, I pulled a woman out of the woods off of King's with about 150 of rope - she got blown off the trail, woods were all ice. Blockhead (another patroller) had another who had taken snowboard off, wind started to blow it off Hayburner, she went for it and went about 200 feet on the ice in the glade bouncing off of trees - possible tibial plateau and a shoulder. So the lifts all went except for 3t - they decided to run a cat for the 40 people skiing. Tote road was still a giant sheet of ice, a 30 mph side slip if you wanted. Finally mother nature thankfully finished us off in style with some lightening - closed 3:15.

So possible final run of the season for sweep- Gondi from crosscut. Wind 50 blowing straight down the trail, visibility when there was some, 30', full pack on. Pushing off from spillway crosscut, could not see the end of the ice sheet as it disappeared into the fog and blowing snow, it felt like jumping off a bridge into a cloud not knowing what is below.

At the base, about twenty cars in the lots, trees leaning over, branches snapping, wind screaming - couldn't go home fast enough.

For those of you unfamiliar with Sugarloaf, the weather could be impeccable where you are and just downright shitty up there. Lots of wind. Lots of ice. Lots of flat light. I still love the place.