#burnt mountain

[wonkyreads]

Christmas gift from a friend. I’m fairly certain this isn’t young adult, though.

[youngfreckle]

Yum

[wildernessjournals]

Burnt Mountain, Blue Canyon, Kings Canyon National Park, SEKI, Sierra Nevada Mountains, California, USA. Photo by Van Miller

[onehikeaweek]

2018/5/8 - Burnt Mountain / 焚毀山

2018/5/8 – Burnt Mountain / 焚毀山

So close yet so far

Photos from this trip can be found here.

We hadn’t set foot in the area since climbing Bearhead Mountain three years ago. The year before that I went up Tolmie Peak just south of here. On a good day, if not woodsy, any of the high points around Mount Rainier should yield great views. Hoping to spend more time down here during the off season.

Over the years, the old road bed…

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[sugarloaf2020]

Introducing Burnt Mountain Cat Skiing

First off, apologies for the radio silence.   Secondly, we have some very exciting news which until today has been kept under tight wraps - but the secret is out. This winter we will be offering cat-serviced skiing and riding on Burnt Mountain.

The dream of skiing and riding on Burnt Mountain became a reality in 2010 when we first unveiled the Sugarloaf 2020 Road Map, and this winter it will become even more accessible to Sugarloafers as we launch Maine’s first cat skiing operation. 

This summer, we purchased a new twelve passenger cat that will operate in tandem with an existing cat to transport skiers and riders from the Log Yard, below the bottom terminal of King Pine, to the top of the Androscoggin Glade.

Additionally our glade cutting crews have been working to develop a designated cat road, and to clear a new still-to-be-named glade on Burnt Mountain which will add 100 acres of newly-developed terrain to explore. 

A view from the new glade can be seen in the photo below. 

For the first year,  cat cat rides will be offered on weekends and vacation weeks only, from 9:00am – 3:00pm, and guests will be able to reserve their seat online in advance.

For more information on Burnt Mountain Cat Skiing  and ticket prices click over to sugarloaf.com/catskiing

[sugarloaf2020]

What a way to head in to the busy holiday season; we’ve picked up more than 4 FEET of new snow this month, and according to the calendar, it’s not even officially winter yet.  This week we recognized a significant milestone with the earliest recorded opening of Brackett Basin on Tuesday, December 16th. The all-new 10+ acre glade, Slashfire, made its debut as well since being added to the trail map; the preliminary reviews say it’s one of the best glades out there.

Today marks an even larger accomplishment as Ski Patrol gave the green light to open the summit of Burnt Mountain to skiers and riders for the second time in history this weekend.

Burnt Mountain is a quintessential component of the new “sidecountry” skiing development outlined the in our “Sugarloaf 2020” ten year development plan. It offers a backcountry style skiing and riding experience, with the security of inbounds, patrolled terrain. The whole experience from the hike out to the terrain you ski down from the summit is very unique for the east; it’s a lot of work to get out there, but well worth the effort.

It’s being called the December to Remember, and it’s no surprise as to why.

Check back after the holiday for another update!

[sugarloaf2020]

Armed with a fleet of six brand new chainsaws, the glade crew has been a busy bunch this summer. And with fall rapidly approaching, they’re charging full steam ahead to open some of the best new terrain yet, which could have you skiing from the summit of Burnt Mountain by this winter.

As they have been since the beginning of the Burnt Mountain project, the glade crew is headed by Assistant Ski Patrol Director Roddy Ehrlenbach, who has set an ambitious goal for his crew this summer. Starting at the upper reaches of the Eastern Territory area that opened last winter, the crew will work their way straight up, opening up lines in a 200-foot-wide swath that will extend more than 800 vertical feet to the summit of Burnt Mountain.

This area sits on the eastern flank of Burnt Mountain, and will be some of the most remote terrain we’ve opened up yet. From the summit down to the lower Eastern Territory, the fall line is continuous and quite steep, which means this will be some truly excellent glade skiing (see the Google Earth image above for more detail).

Aside from the terrain it will cover, the other great feature of this new area will be its remote location, which will ensure that, even on the best powder days, tracks will remain relatively few and far between. Make no mistake, getting here will be a bit of a slog – over a mile and a half from the top of the King Pine lift, including some pretty decent elevation gain once you reach the end of the current Golden Road.

It won’t be for everyone, but for those who thirst for a bit of adventure in their day, this terrain will be tough to beat: steep new lines for 800 continuous vertical feet, with an Eastern aspect and limited traffic that will keep snow fresh for days on end.

The remote location of this new terrain also presents challenges for the crew cutting it, the biggest of which is simply getting there. On the morning I tagged along with them, the crew piled into a pickup, which took them out to the log yard at the bottom of Brackett Basin. From there they piled chainsaws and fuel onto four-wheeler, which brought the gear in as far as possible. After that it was another mile or so straight uphill on foot (with saws, fuel, and gear in tow) just to reach the bottom of this section (think about that the next time you’re thinking your morning commute stinks).  

It’s certainly not easy, but as the saying goes, nothing worth doing ever is.

Stay tuned during the coming weeks as we keep you updated on the crew’s progress, and get ready for a brand new Sugarloaf adventure this winter. It’s gonna be a whole new ballgame.

-          Ethan

[aspensnowmass-blog]

Our friend Chase Jarvis is here shooting our 2013-14 ad campaign this week, here's a shot he nabbed with his iPhone from the top of Burnt Mountain at Snowmass before we started shooting yesterday morning. The shots from this shoot are going to be CRAZY!

-Dave