Day 10 the first really awesome day of the season

First the important things, we won the hockey last night 3-1 against Golden who were the second team in the division and we now lead by 10 points with a game in hand. Playing Golden away tonight so if we win this things are looking pretty good.

The overnight weather event came through and didn't look too inpressive with about 3 cms of snow in the drive. On the radio the hill announce that they had 17cms of fresh snow and we thought that this was just another load of marketing b/s - wrong.

When we got to the hill we found that there actually had been 17 cms of fresh snow and better still it had come down at about -8 which is the best temp for powder snow. Any warmer and it's too heavy and any colder it doesn't hold you up and let you float so at this temp it is the legendary champagne powder. Not only that but it was deeper in places and kept on building as it snowed all day and hasn't finished yet.

Discussed with a patroller buddy how what had been called as a flurry turns into a major weather event. His take is that weather systems hold up on the other side of the Lizard range and odd ones slip through Iron Pass so that they hit the hill without ever touching the town. That at least explains why I am knee deep in powder on the hill and haven't got enough snow to shovel in the drive.

As the top of the hill was socked in we hit the old side which was awesome. After a few runs through Lizard in good powder we hit out to Cedar skiing the new lift line and getting first tracks. Also got first tracks on Boom ridge which was just the right pitch to set off a big slough and then surfed the slough to the bottom. The trees in Cedar Centre provided a deep terrain park environment which we did a few times. For the first time this season stuck our noses in Linda's run which you had to access via a closed sign but after a few twigs was steep, deep and untracked.

In the afternoon hit the new side. Looped White Pass a few times having some great skiing in Surprise Trees. Kept on hitting out across Currie bowl and hiking into Currie chutes. The new snow on top of the blow in on Concussion gave a very deep feel and was mostly untracked. After that just kept getting further across the bowl dropping Corner Pocket, Easter bowl, and High Saddle and in each one it was over the head powder shots all the way from top to bottom as you dropped into Lizard.

Loads of beers in the Griz and the bar was full of all the usual suspects. Great banter and great times after an awesome powder day.

Went to the Christmas train. CP run a train every other year through Canada just before Christmas. The train is lite up like those Coca Cola trucks from end to end with a live band playing about half way down and the whole thing to collect food for the food bank. By this time the temps had dropped to -15, the wind was blowing and it looks like some serious weather is on the way.

Went to the pub to finish off then home for a quiet night. Forecast says it might be like this for 4 days, we canonly hope.