I’ll be honest, conditions in the Sawtooths were a little grim. But then 4-6″ of new snow arrived, and so did the Vermont Powder Pigs. The surprise storm provided just enough to make the skiing awesome, but not enough to significantly increase the avalanche danger. So the Pigs got to experience the finest Sawtooth terrain in perfect conditions!
On the first afternoon, a warmup run on Jerry Garcia proved the conditions were vastly better and that the Pigs had the skills to shred. So the next day, we headed into Marshall Basin under squally weather that provided interesting, moody light with occasional glimpses of the towering peaks above. Skiing the Pokey Chute and the rolling terrain above Marshall Lake in powder conditions set the stage for an incredible trip.
We were greeted on day three with blue skies and sunshine, and we quickly rallied to ski more excellent snow. The group split into two, with one heading to Meadow Bowl from above via the hidden gem There and Back Again, and the other group approaching the bowl from the bottom. The Pigs reunited at the top of Meadow Bowl, and skied perfect boottop powder top to bottom! We celebrated the stellar day with Margaritas, Mexican food, and a bottle of Vermont’s Maple Trippel.
The final day required a morning run to get one more powder fix under bluebird skies, then it was out the trail and back to the cars. It’s not often that conditions align in the mountains – being in the right place, with the right conditions, and the right group – and we all thanked the great Powder Pig above for the opportunity to savor the experience!
Check out the photos…click to enlarge.
