Day 57 Awesome, awesome

You will appreciate that is one less awesome than yesterday which accurately reflects the situation in that whilst it isn't as good as yesterday it is still pretty damned good.

The snow stopped some time in the night and the indication was that we had about 40 cms of fresh in the cycle from start to finish. The forecasters were predictably wrong and we got a blue bird day as the arctic high asserted itself with no new snow but good viz and temps which stayed at -10 at the bottom of the hill and about -15 at the top. By the close it was -16 as we drove off the hill and now is -20 on the deck and still falling.

I decided to try the Old side for fresh tracks which proved to be a mistake. We were all held at the base of Bear for over 15 mins ostensibly for avi control but actually the hill was being skied by the breakfast club (whoever they are) first trax ( may be the same as the breakfast club but I believe they are just people who have paid to get a jump on the rest of us) and about 20 instructors ( well why wouldn't you allow employees to get the advantage of fresh lines over fare paying customers) - the result of which was that the whole of the Old side triangle had been trashed by those who had either paid to get onto the hill or were there by way of privilage of employment before any of the rest of us could get there.

In future I will always take my chances on the New side where you may get bad viz or a rolling opening but at least you know that you get a chance at first tracks you will start on an even playing field that hasn't been tilted by money or favours.

First few runs through Boom were tracked for above reasons and only fresh stuff was in Buckshot which presumably had proved a bit hard for the early starters to find. The push out to Steep and Deep was quite hard in the grippy snow but well worth it for a lightly tracked run down Steep and Deep ( which it was) and a nice ski back through Kangaroo. Bear chutes then off to the New side where I had heard (correctly) that Currie bowl had opened.

The day ( and it was a line up at 8:45, and a finish at 4:05 with no breaks) was then just a series of runs off the New side. No point in trying to describe everything as everything was good.
Siberia ridge - Gnarly section not really gnarly and the lower section just like a terrain park but with deep soft snow.
Knot chutes, Anaconda Glades, Bootleg Glades - a great run off the hill with rather scratchy stuff in the second Knot chute but awesome soft in Anaconda 2 and even better in the tight trees on the left of Bootleg.
High Saddle, Spinal Tap - very scratchy in the Saddle but great skiing underneath and just awesome hero snow in the creek bed of Spinal Tap.
Lone Fir, Spinal Tap - amazing soft lightly tracked snow in Lone Fir with the biggest danger being hit by your own slough and for Spinal Tap see previous remarks.
Cougar Glades - Several times, just perfect powder as long as you held left into the tight trees.
Stag Leap - Twice, good in the trees and better all the way down.
The Brain - a mass of fun in lightly tracked trees at the top and as usual so many ways down in the lower sections that it was untracked both times through.
Decline, Window chutes - soft skied over powder and a nice log drop.
Skydive - at least three times alway straight down the middle in hero snow with crazy lines of free riding, last run of the day best of the lot.

A great day sking. Thanks to Katie and Rob for a great meal tonight. Not much of a report tomorrow as I will only have time for a few runs before driving to Calgary to pick up Lynda on her return fron the UK - good to have her back.