Day 99 first day of spring, Hollywood Rock 2 Bill 3.

Sure today was the first day of spring and in keeping with the rest of the season it was cold, snowing overnight and snowing all day so that we had powder on a fairly firm base on the north facing slopes and on hard death cookies on the more south facing stuff.

The score represents the fact that I hit Hollywood Rock 5 times (a new record by a big margin for me) and landed it 3 times and stacked it (not in a big way) 2 times so I reckon that's a result for me on a split decision.

It snowed overnight and the hill only showed 3 cms of fresh but with the accumulation during the day it must have got up to nearer 10. It was -2 at the base when we arrived and about -6 at the top. Overcast and snowing all day so that even by close we only had +1 at the base and minus temps all over the hill. The snow piled up giving a powder day and a pretty good one at that.

We went to the New side and met up with Rob at Timber. In the snowy conditions the light was very socked in anywhere above Timber top. There were a couple of bus loads of visitors today and I felt rather sorry for them as in the conditions Rob, Lynda and myself (three people who probably know the hill as well as anyone) were groping a bit to get out across Currie, anyone who didn't know the hill would have no chance.

With the light as it was we certainly didn't want to try Gun bowl so we headed out to Skydive. Yet again we were the first three tracks in (more first tracks in Skydive this year than the past 5 years put together) and we ripped it. Next Loop was Stag Leap which had only one track in it - not quite as good as Skydive. Secret chutes / Spinal Tap, getting on towards awesome even with the firm base. Top of Decline / Window chutes very similar but as always a little scratchy where the creek emerges through the trees into Lizard. Final run before lunch we were joined by Rod and tried Cougar Glades which were ok under the trees in the top but in the more open sections low down just became a light covering on ugly death cookies. Lunch.

A clear pattern had emerged in the morning - the more north facing slopes were fine but the ones tending towards the south were not. Everyone thought this was logical due to the sun but my memory of yesterday was that it was warm without much direct sunlight - guess I must have got it wrong.

For the afternoon we went back to the New side and just cycled the areas that had proved to be good as the snow continued to pile up -
Decline - good all the way down with only two tracks ahead of us in the lower section.
Skydive - a little more tracked but good fill in and blow in repairing the powder.
The Brain - great untracked snow all through the trees almost down to the low cat track
Secrect chutes / Spinal tap - just like the morning run but even better.
And of course the final rip down Skydive now getting to the point when you could just free ride it. Somewhere in there we had a couple of great runs down Mitchy chutes which were good blow in and I think I have missed out a second trip into Stag leap,but it all blurs into one on such a good day.

Beer, hot tub and an early night while snow is still falling on the deck.