Day 26 a nice Christmas present

Merry Christmas everyone. We weren't so sure last night as we turned out of a friends house quite late to find it raining. As we drove up the Cokato Road towards our house things cooled down to -1 but all night the temp was right on the edge.

We woke to a light covering of snow and got to the hill in temps of around zero at the base and reports of 8 cms of new snow. As the Old Side had been so rough and by tradition we only ski a half day on Christmas Day we decided not to take risks and went to the New Side. Later conversations in the locker room seemed to indicate that the Old Side ( particularly Cedar bowl) was ok.

The extra 8 cms made all the difference and there was almost no one on the hill. The tradition here is to ski Christmas afternoon if at all so we were able to grab first tracks pretty well any where we went.

Lift Line - first tracks and nice soft snow filling in the lower section.
Big Bang - first tracks and the new snow sitting nicely on the old soft.
Mitchy Chutes - a couple of tracks in front of us and like Big Bang
Surprise Trees - first tracks and now skiing much better and less chunky
1-2-3s - scratchy in 1's but good all the rest of the way down
Cougar Glades - had to cut the traverse out above Currie Creek but were rewarded with great first track tree skiing.
Concussion chutes - loads of untracked options with the new snow sitting on yesterday's windsift giving a smooth deep ride.
Easter bowl - first tracks first time round and Lynda reported second tracks when she went there next time. The new snow seemed deeper here with nice floating powder.
Stag Leap - the new snow has totally repaired the upper section and for the first time this year we continued through the bottom section which is still pretty twiggy and hard work.
Skydive - just awesome first tracks with the new snow on top of the great powder that was already in there. Exit via lower Decline was bit easier than yesterday but still having to jump round a lot of small trees.

By the time we were leaving the crowds were arriving (still no lift lines or anything like that) and the snow was starting to feel a little rubbery in the +2 temps. A great Christmas Day.

Temps still hovering around at the point so we can't be sure whether this precip event coming our way will come down as white or wet. Pray to the Griz.