The weather for the first week of March was pretty blase`, so Dan and I made plans to head to Mary’s Peak to see if we could find some corn. Given the recent snow in the cascades followed by the big warm up, we figured it would be mashed potatoes everywhere else. We met in Coburg and headed west, not knowing exactly what we’d find with limited beta. A little over an hour later, we turned off on the Peak road and made our way up. Not terribly surprisingly, there was less snow than I was expecting, and we were able to drive all the way to the main parking area…
The incredible views normally afforded from near the top of the peak were a bit muted by a high haze, most likely from slash burning and fires to the south, but it was still very pretty and we were both happy to be out. We donned skins and packs, and soon found ourselves standing at the top of the very short easterly meadows. The snow on the west side was still surprisingly firm, so we elected to make a few runs on the east side, which was already softening nicely in the sun,
The first lap was quite nice, and after putting in a short boot pack back to the top while Dan skinned, we were ready to drop in for a second run. This time, Dan grabbed the camera and snapped a few pics of me enjoying the turns….
We decided to do a couple more laps on skiers right of the east meadow, and found some fun micro terrain in the process. One rollover was about 45 degrees, and the rest of the slope was really fun as well. With four mini-golf runs under our belt, enough time had elapsed that we figured we’d head over towards the actual summit to check out the snow on the rest of the peak.
The skin to the top took no time at all, and we took a quick break to admire the views and pull out a beer from our packs to put on ice. My choice was a Newport Daze from Rogue Brewing, which I enjoyed a little later in the day. It was an obvious choice for the day, given that you can see the Newport bridge from the top of the Peak on a really clear day if you look close enough.
Before dropping in on the west meadow, we decided to do a couple of quick runs on the southeast meadow, which was pretty short, but looked fun. It proved to be a good choice, as the snow was nearly perfect corn…
After our second run, I booted and Dan skinned back to the top, and we took a minute to enjoy the views. I snapped a few more pictures, including the one below of my board and my second beverage I’d packed with me — a tasty Citrus Mistress from Hop Valley Brewing Company. The plan was to enjoy the Newport Daze up top, and the Citrus Mistress at the bottom of the west meadow.
Finally, after several laps of min-golf, it was time for us to enjoy my favorite line at the Peak. Although it isn’t steep, the west side offers turns for nearly a half a mile, and lots of them. I dropped in first, and the initial turns were still firm, but then the snow softened nicely, and I captured a few shots of Dan as he came down.
We made turn after turn, milking the meadow all the way to the bottom. The snow was pretty thin in places, but given the grass base it didn’t matter. One of the things I love about the Peak is being able to ski a base of only a few inches without worry.
I left my Hop Valley beer at the bottom of the slope after drinking half of it, and we headed up in anticipation of another lap. Part way up, Dan snapped the below picture of me with the coastal clouds and Grass Mountain in the background. Grass Mountain is a special place to me, where I shot my first deer with my dad when I was 13 years old.
The skin up the west side always takes awhile, but soon we’d made our way back to the top, and readied to drop in for another lap. The snow on run two down the west side was just as good as run one, and again we milked turns all the way to the bottom. We grabbed and finished our waiting beers, then headed back up to the top one last time.
At the top, we grabbed our packs, and snapped a few pictures before readying to head back to the car. I pulled out my tripod and took a few shots of the two of us on top, including the picture below looking out to the west towards Newport and the Pacific Ocean.
Leaving the top, we made some really fun turns on a steep rollover above the road, then cruised back down and out to the car, skiing right to the pavement. The weather was nice and sunny, with a slight breeze, and we were both looking forward to grilling some ‘brats before leaving. After finding a nice place to stage a bit out of the wind, we put the ‘brats on the grill and enjoyed some chips and salsa while they cooked.
The ‘brats didn’t take long to cook, and after a full day of skiing they definitely hit the spot. We paired ’em with some fresh onions from the garden, and a bit of mustard. That combo is becoming standard apres ski food. A short time later, the food was gone, and we loaded up the truck and headed out, satisfied with a great day of turns on a fun hill a few miles from where I grew up:)
