Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Day 108 a great powder day, if a bit wet and a bit short

The official word was 15 cms overnight but on the way to the hill it was +2 and raining as we met up with Rob to head up the New side. The rain line was pretty low down to start with but rose to about White Pass base by just after lunch before petering out altogether. Above the rain line it was pure winter with just minus temps, wind driving snow and probably at least another 5 cms to add to the 386 cm base - I am still betting on the 4 metre party and closing day falling on the same day. It was just like winter with most of the hill closed (Currie, Knot chutes and Anaconda) so we had to content ourselves with White Pass loops in Surprise Trees which were very deep and filling in about as fast as you could ski them. We noticed a patroller about to drop the sign on Knot chutes and when he gave us the ok we jumped in while some of the chutes were still actaully being cut. Great deep powder in all chutes down to the Idiot Traverse. We had been told when we ducked the line that by the time we got to Anaconda it would be green and that was not a lie. Two tracks beat us in but they vanished off to the right and we had the pick of the chutes. Conditions differed from yesterday in that the sloughs were running just a little slower in the heavier conditions so we could play ay beating our sloughs rather than waiting for them to clear - awesome fun. Bootleg was still in good shape. After that we hit first tarcks in Skydive (yet again), me left, Rob right and Lynda down the middle. The top 75%was great untracked powder but the last 25% real heavy clunky softened by rain death cookies, I guess everything comes at a price. After that it was Secret chutes/Spinal Tap which were also untracked in the top with the creek bed getting heavy for the final couple of turns. Last run before lunch was Cougar Glades which was the best of the lot. One track in front which cut off left and then the top 75% was just like cat skiing, untracked glade deep powder where you could go anywhere you wanted. Last 25% was GS turns in rain affected slush through the trees. After lunch we went back to the new side but the rain line was rising to White pass base and in any even we were soaked through. We did a few White pass laps of various Knot chutes (Tight, Fraid, Jim and Thin) each followed by some variation of Surprise Trees. The rain line was rising and the viz line dropping and we were wet so at 3 we pulled the plug for an early day with a totally awesome rip through Anaconda which by now was mostly filled in although the far chutes that we hit probably hadn't been skied any way. Beer and hot tub. More snow called for over night. If we can dry the kit out looks like another great day tomorrow.

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