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March 4, 2010

Slopesider: March 5, 2010



In a genuine ski town, winter is welcomed, spring is sobering, summer is tolerated and fall is forgotten. Skiers and snowboarders dominate the cultural influence of such Utopian communities and those who would speak out against snow storms and long winters are escorted to the edge of town and politely told to "get the hell out".

Vehicles adorned with roof racks, travel slowly down streets lined with snow banks and slick sidewalks. A hungry family can wander into a place called Chair 6, where a friendly gentleman named Charlie is sure to prepare a delicious meal, among a vibe of vintage ski memorabilia. Unless, of course, he is on the mountain getting his vertical fix, in which case empathy and understanding would certainly prevail.

Parenting is highly underrated! Potty training and bicycle riding notwithstanding, milestones are best measured by green circles, blue squares and black diamonds. Imagine the delight we felt when our eight-year-old son Anthony ventured into Upper Empire at Whiteface Mountain recently. This narrow, steep and gnarly expert trail is actually my longtime favorite and I can think of no better place for family togetherness. The little ripper dropped in there with me, mom and Stephens Mundy, while the rest of our group declined the challenge, but cheered him on from nearby.

Anthony skied it twice with skill and later dropped into the double-black diamond-rated Sugar Valley Glades with me and Bill Price. Meanwhile, our two older sons Joey and Mike were "exploring" questionable terrain on their snowboards with the Keysor twins and the rest of their posse. I fear that I may see their faces on a wanted poster near guest services someday, which of course, would change parenting from highly underrated to grotesquely undesirable.

Speaking of snow storms, they too are highly underrated. Although I have never begrudged a good dump of snow, I do have my preferences. For example, a good Alberta Clipper is hard to beat. Generally, this type of storm arrives at your dooryard from points North and West, resulting in dry, powdery snow. This is due mainly to the cold North wind driving it, keeping the moisture level of the snow relatively low.

On the other hand, a Nor' Easter generally works its way up from the South and East, resulting in a warmer air mass creating heavy, wet snow, which is often mixed with rain. While I do not profess to have the expertise of men like Tom Messner or Jim Cantore, I am a bit of a meteorology buff, especially when it comes to snow. Lake effect snow storms have always interested me and I have often wished I lived closer to the source of such beauty and power, capable of laying down several inches per hour. I'd sit there with my stop watch, counting the flakes as they fall and measuring the accumulation with my trusty yardstick.

As it is, I have a snow stake at my home in Saranac, checked each day with great care so as to not miss any excitement. In fact, my English Setter, Toby, occasionally uses it as a spot to relieve his bladder and the resulting yellow snow, full of moisture, actually lowers the measurable snow pack. I may have to get rid of that dog.

Of course, I am a huge fan of Orographic Lift. Who wouldn't be? This weather feature is caused when air is forced to rise and cool due to terrain features such as hills or mountains. If the cooling is sufficient, water vapor condenses into clouds and can result in copious amounts of snow falling in higher terrain. While any mountain is prone to this, none enjoys it more than Jay Peak, Vt. and similar mountains ideally situated to force the prevailing winds upward. I have tried to emulate this phenomenon by using my rotund body as the necessary terrain feature.

To date, my mass has been insufficient to produce snow clouds, however, a few more trips to the Chinese buffet is sure to increase my chances.

John Bernardi is an avid lifelong skier and freelance writer. His skiing and snowboarding column appears on every other Friday. He can be contacted through his website at www.slopesider.net.

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