So, we got to the hill and found that yesterday we had another 5 cms of new snow since yesterday's measure and the base was 128 cms, about 2 cms less than my estimate in yesterday's report so not a bad guess. Everyone seems to be a bit twitchy about the snow base but the figure for this time last year was 130 cms and Boxing Day was 128 so we are well up on last year and should just chill out a little while waiting for the big dumps that will come.
With no overnight snow all we had had was what we left there last night but with a bonus. The boards showed that the forecast in terms of wind was calm, so obviously we had strong ridge line winds generally blowing snow from East to West and giving a nice accumulation on the down wind slopes with smooth if heavy powder. The only worry was the temp which got up to just plus figures at the base during the day and about -5 on top. with more precip in the forecast this nearness to zero is a little worrying.
We went to the Old Side and after a quick rip down Bear we moved out into Cedar Bowl via new lift line enjoying the blown in powder. I guess because there had not actually been new snow the skier numbers we way down and we just looped of Cedar Ridge about 10 different ways always finding fresh wind sift and always able to go a little further than previous days, slowly expanding the ski range.
On the occasions we headed back to Bear we went via Bear chutes which as a lee slope was also deep windsift. Heading out across Cedar Bowl we got to Steep and Deep and found plenty of untracked powder still there but best of all the exit gullys are starting to fill in so with very little bushwhacking you can get down pretty well any way you want.
A few more trips through Boomerang, Boom Ridge and Linda's were all in a mixture of yesterday's powder and today's wind sift which counted as powder. We even tried Buckshot for the first time and although it was a bit twiggy it wouldn't take much more snow to make it a pretty nice ride.
As a result of such great powder/wind sift skiing we had a very late lunch and this only left a very short time available for afternoon skiing on the New Side.
Concussion was great with soft snow having filled in the far Currie chute entrances. Next I decided to try and hike up to Corner Pocket to check out the Saddles. Corner Pocket was wall to wall tires with the only way in I could see down a clingon rope. I took this as a sign that all the other Saddles would have been pretty crap and dropped back through Toms which was lightly skied and good powder.
Next was a hike into Lone Fir which was a bit twiggy so we skied the right shoulder before dropping into the chute and still had some pretty tight stuff to negotiate in order to get out but the chute below was awesome deep snow.
In response to a request in the bar tonight here is a detailed description of how to get to Easter bowl which has great blow in all the way down. Drop into Down Right in Currie bowl off the top of White Pass. At the first hump cut left across Currie Glades and Currie Powder and just keep traversing until your eyeballs bleed. Hold the reverse traverse out to Skydive Traverse and then continue over the bridge on the shoulder above Currie Creek and out to the closed signs. Side step up to the left for about a minute and there you are at the top of Easter Bowl - simples.
A final run in the top of Decline and then a drop off to the left into Secret Chutes found only one track ( perhaps for the whole of the season) and the snow was so deep and soft that it was face shots all the way down into the top of Freeway.
Beers with buddies who will not let me forget that Free Press has designated me as athlete of the week following my first ski column that appeared yesterday. Off to the Ghostrider game - go riders go.
No comments:
Post a Comment