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the "old" crotched

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Brian
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Posted: Dec 28, 2003 - 7:46 PM GMT

from my library of old ski material and pics>
heres the original crotched mt-as seen in the summer of 74!

enjoy!
brian o
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sledhaulingmedic
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Posted: Dec 30, 2003 - 2:52 PM GMT

That must be from the mid '70's at the latest...you can clearly see Upper Scott's! That was a great trail, but it didn't hold snow well at all. They uded to run slalom courses on it. A sick launch when you crossed the "Bowling Alley" portion of #1.

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Brian
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Posted: Dec 31, 2003 - 12:33 AM GMT

sled------

i could be wrong by a year or so. that shot of old crotched mt is prob between 73-75.

yes-one of the highlights was bombing down from the summit chair-picking your line amoungst moguls n trees,then going along a ridge and you had options for trails to turn left onto.or---a wide way around for the longest run-

great skiing................

brian o

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ODDfreakPERSON
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Posted: Dec 31, 2003 - 1:17 AM GMT

is that the right or left side of the mountain?

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sledhaulingmedic
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Posted: Dec 31, 2003 - 4:51 AM GMT

Brian: Your recollection is probably better than mine. Scott's Run (Name after a friend's Brother, Scott Marsden) was cut in either 1970, or 1971. I believe the trail work was alreay in rogress when he died in a car wreck on Middle Hancock Road in Peterboro.

Upper Scott's was only open for a few seasons. It was a long flat trip on the ridge and then a short, steep exposed drop that didn't hold snow well. I think I only skied it 6 or 7 times. It was a true classic. Given how open the trail looks in the picture, '73-'75 sounds right.

OFP: Looking at the mountain from Route 47, between Mountain Road (The Restauraunt Most recently called Matre Jacque (Grandmother's House, if you're really old

) and Back Mountain Road ("Camp We 5"

it's on the left side of Crotched East.

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ODDfreakPERSON
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Posted: Dec 31, 2003 - 5:31 AM GMT

thanks sled, i would love to see the other half of crotched open, aernt they trying to do this but something with francestown wont let them...(I dont know what im talking about probably.)

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sledhaulingmedic
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Posted: Dec 31, 2003 - 2:55 PM GMT

There is a certain amount of opposition from various residents of Francestown. I believe (although I certainly don't have all the facts) that this issue is the land that was Crotched East has been split up and is owned by multiple people/companies.

Other than Upper Scott's, the steeper terrain was on West (the upper T). East had some great classic trails, #3 and #4, later called "Old Glory" and "Dipsy Doodle". I don;t think they had snowmaking pipes on them, but I remember sometimes they'd blow big whales of snow with a Hedco at the top and push it down with a cat.

I'm sure Brian remembers those trails well. Definitely New England, not Mid-west

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Brian
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Posted: Jan 01, 2004 - 5:13 PM GMT

sled--------my memory of all the trails is pretty good---but what i loved most was getting air off the lip of the cross trail that side stepped the mt 1/2 way or 1/3 down.
lets say it was a good snowy season--plus they'd been snowmaking and grooming.
skier traffic would pack the cross trail very nicely.then there was a lip,on about 4 entrances to those intermed level trails.i will have to refer to my old map for names---anyway,it was easy to hit those lips at 20mph or so--and fly thru the air,or do a spread eagle or J off there! it was thrilling-crisp snow and a fine descent back to the dbl chair! i killed for that..........i prefered onset for variety and the bubble chair--but crots had other nice-eties that made it a 50-50 appreciation!

brian o

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sledhaulingmedic
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Posted: Jan 01, 2004 - 11:58 PM GMT

Two great spots for air at the Crotch:

turn right off the top of the chair (Left would only take you to upper Scott'

, then stay skier's right until you crossed under the chair right (right where the traffic coming off the T-bar comes in from the left (the beginnig of the "Bowling Alley"

, hook left and hit the lip on the far skier's left side of #2 (later called "Blitz"

and you'd be in orbit!

The other was about haldway down #3 (later called Dipsy Doodle). The trail hooks right then left and there was a big roller with a drop below it. Great little spot.

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Brian
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Posted: Jan 02, 2004 - 2:55 AM GMT

sled-------

you are correct in your descript there!
ya know---it was great skiing crotched--cause for a while there was a mystery trail called --UNNAMED. or at least i called it that and other skiers did-
it was on the lower right hand side of CROTS summit chair-

i have som ski log recollections--that UNNAMED trail really had great pdr--they did NOT groom it,and again-it was easy to link Figure 8'S in that lite pdr snow-------

as far as ONSET was concerned---i recall going thru that same champagne pdr under the chair near the lodge.

brian o

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sledhaulingmedic
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Posted: Jan 02, 2004 - 4:48 AM GMT

I think waht you'r refering to used to be called "1A". if you look at the maps on the NELSAP's Crotch page The first map shows "1" splitting into two slopes about 2/3's of the way down. The inside (Skier's Right" slope was called 1A. The later map calls it "Snowbird". It was usually one of the last to get groomed.

Higher up, there were some great little stashs, like the old work road to the summit fire tower and the abandoned top of #4/Old Glory. Great nooks and crannies!

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Brian
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Posted: Jan 02, 2004 - 4:52 PM GMT

yeah!!!!! that be the ticket!
also-i enjoyed the tbar they had as well.......

crots did not really go up to the "true" summit. remember looking further to the right and there was a higher peak w/tower or fire lookout station? sled---whats that official elevation? 2100' im gonna guess?

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sledhaulingmedic
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Posted: Jan 03, 2004 - 4:30 PM GMT

The true summit is 2066' Topozone.com map of The Crotch The fire tower is long gone, 1980 or so. There is now a Pyrod self-supporting comm tower with some Cell/PCS arrays on it, which sits southeast and maybe 40' below the summit. There are a couple of small comm towers on right near the summit, but they are hardly noticable until you're close to the top.

The Fire tower and comm towers are served by power lines that run right between Crotched and Onset. Those were there long before even Crotched was cut. The power company had clear the brush in the late '60's/early '70's and it was skiable. Steep as all get out at the top. I last gave it a go in the mid eighties, but it was pretty thick.

It's interesting to see a lift on the topo that was never there on going up the bottom of #1 (Easy Street) and up onto 1A. There was a pony lift on the bottom, but only about 1/3 of what's shown on the map. Also, they don't show the upper T.

The lower T was neat, it just was a pain to get down to. That was the only lit slopes up until about 1972. Did you ever notice the ski jump (20M, I think) on the skier's left side of the Skier's right trail?

The lower slopes were neat on a powder day, cause there was always some tracks to be had, even if it wasn't very steep.

Fond memories...

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Brian
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Posted: Jan 03, 2004 - 4:57 PM GMT

sled------so they put some darn confounded pc/cell high tech equip up there at the very top of crots! no wonder im always throwing my cell phone down in disgust! electronic trickery.

i'd take an old rat filled,rotted, wooden building anyday.i'd rather see that up there then a guy in a raincoat wandering around going..."can you hear me now" , "can you hear me now"-

brian o

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