TR: Deep Creek, Maryland

[FlyinGuitar08]

So the weather had been calling for snow all week at Ski Wisp; totalling around 2 feet and more manmade on top of that. They weren't planning on opening until next weekend though, so a friend and I drove 3 hours from College Park to hike for some turns.

It was a pleasure watching brown and green change to white over the course of 2 hours.




And then we got there. It's flat, I know.


Disclaimer: This was both my and my friend's first times ski touring, so sorry if we look like gapers.

My friend bootpacking.


Me bootpacking.


My only action shot.


My tracks


Some scenery


Friend's tracks. And he looks rediculous.


We actually witnessed (possibly caused) an avalanche too. I never would've expected it happening in Maryland. I was following my friend up one of the runs, and he noticed a giant fracture near the top. He took out his camera to get a picture of it, and as he was taking it, the fracture grew bigger and then it started sliding. I was like 20 feet behind him, and had no idea what the rumbling under me was a first. As soon as I saw the top of the run coming towards me, I dived into the trees and missed getting swept away by the slide by like a foot.

Pictures will be up soon, I have to get them from my friend.

On a final note, my friend and I were pleasantly surprised by the ski patrollers. We passed them a few times and were scared that they were going to kick us off the property, but they didn't do anything. After the slide, we found them waiting at the top of the run for us, and I thought we were in huge trouble.

It turns out, they just asked us about what we saw and actually said "you probably don't want to go down this run or the one next to it. But there's another run on the other side of the mountain with great snow."

[yemntftb]

i didnt know people skied in maryland. sweet man. get it!

[AsheanMT]

This TR is awesome and fucked up on many levels.

Slab avi in Maryland? Yet not enough snow to ski here in Montana.

Teh Global Warmingz must have full blown aids!

[powski3]

This TR is awesome and fucked up on many levels.

Slab avi in Maryland? Yet not enough snow to ski here in Montana.

Hahaha well said. Completely ridiculous...yet they have snow and the west doesn't...wtf? Did you call in a report to the Marlyand avy center?

[riggs]

yes they do ski in md. takes a lot of love to do it, but it can be done. I remember my first bootpacking up clearings under powerlines around deep creek after the blizzard of '96. yes, you were gapering it a bit there (at least your buddy was - nice skinny sticks!), but showing a lot of heart.

[FlyinGuitar08]

yes they do ski in md. takes a lot of love to do it, but it can be done. I remember my first bootpacking up clearings under powerlines around deep creek after the blizzard of '96. yes, you were gapering it a bit there (at least your buddy was - nice skinny sticks!), but showing a lot of heart.

Heh, yeah, my friend was using a borrowed coat, borrowed snowpants, borrowed ski boots, ski poles, and skis all from me because he couldnt go home to get his stuff.

I was riding these twin tips

[powski3]

Borrowed gear is no excuse for the old lift ticket on the zipper and the goggles over the hood. Classic.

[ex-powderbroker]

he does look <ul>red</ul>iculous, it's kool aid!


....just kidding around because i'm jealous, nice work.

[ex-powderbroker]

um...fail underline tag

[donutlynx]

Nice. That's where I learned how to ski. Way to get it.

[dentedvw]

Huh. I would have thought for sure SP would have booted you.
Good TR, needs more pics of turns though.

[donutlynx]

Huh. I would have thought for sure SP would have booted you.
Good TR, needs more pics of turns though.

I used to skin up during regular operating hours. Straight up the run. No problems.

[Big E]

Good work there mang! Not that anyone will confuse DCL w/ Alta, but I'm amazed how many people in this area have no clue that they regularly get real snow up there. Unlike Whitetail.

BTW - I must live within 5 miles of you. UM alum, still in the area.

[FlyinGuitar08]

Good work there mang! Not that anyone will confuse DCL w/ Alta, but I'm amazed how many people in this area have no clue that they regularly get real snow up there. Unlike Whitetail.

BTW - I must live within 5 miles of you. UM alum, still in the area.

Oh yeah? I'm living on campus. How about you?

[pointedem]

bump for deep slab photos.

[FlyinGuitar08]

Debris


I almost died, but couldn't help but smile.

[emtnate]

wow. makes me think I should get a shovel for our sidecountry adventures in Mi

[Tippster]

Holy fuck you got Devil's Drop to slide? Bwahahahahahahaha! That's Awesome!

The patrollers may not have cared, but I bet Management is missing all that "Base."

[thebigeast]

dude thats pretty nutz if you ask me

[tone capone]

fucking craziest thing I've ever seen on TGR. I would never believe it without the pics.

[powdork]

thats some seriously fucked up shit there. looks like they made the pack too top heavy by adding the man made.

[LightRanger]

This thread is so full of win it's not even funny.

Mayland with more snow than most places out West? Check.

Asian kid with really skinny skis and gogs on the *outside* of the hood (funnier to me because I've worked at a hill that for some reason tends to attract tons of fobby Bay Area Asians, and all the gaperisms that that entails)? Check.

Slab avalanche to the ground a bump of a hill in Maryland? Check.


Way to get after it though. Many of us would kill to even ski that right now. Those slide photos are awesome.

[snake]

Wow, that slide is crazy.

[My Pet Powder Goat]

Debris


I almost died, but couldn't help but smile.

UN...
















FUCKING....





















BELIEVEABLE...





Sugarbush had a slide at the top of ripcord in '97ish due to snowmaking, but Maryland? that's just awesome!

[PulverSchwein]

the definition of recockulous, nice stoke. You look like you were really haulingin your action shot