Day 125 super hot and super slushy

The problem today was not the daytime high temps but the fact that the overnight temps never got that cold so we started with temps of +4. A few days ago we had starting temps of -4 which at least gave us and ice base to start. Today it was soft straight off the bat and just got softer as the day went on.

The saving grace was that it was overcast until lunch so at least the direct sunlight did not have any effect until the afternoon. That having been said it all got very soft very quick everywhere on the hill. It was some surprise to me that the base remained at 411 cms after yesterday's heat and by the afternoon I noticed temps in the then sunshine of + 15 even at the base of Polar Peak. The overall result was that things started soft and got a lot softer by the end of the day when we were really skiing in summer slush in most places.

We went to the Old Side and just like the last few days we poked around Boom, Boom Ridge, Cedar Ridge, Linda's etc. but this time at least everything was soft and skiable and actually quite enjoyable. We looped through Kangaroo three times and found it softening on top and taking an edge on a firm base - probably some of the best skiing on the hill today. Late morning we moved to the New Side.

On the New Side Lift Line was already getting soft and very sticky at the bottom. Polar Peak was open so we had three loops in Grandpa Bear, Barely Legal and Papa Bear. We dropped Skydive for lunch which was already getting soft and heavy although the lower down you went the better it got with the base firming up.

After lunch we did a couple of loops in Polar Peak which now was getting very soft and slushy bumps. The loops were Papa Bear and Barely Legal. The drop to base was through Low Saddle and I was a bit taken aback when the top of the chute slide out on me and I had to react pretty quick to get in some turns back on firm ground. The lower parts under the Saddle and Easter Bowl was really strating to get very soft and heavy.

By now skiing anywhere on the hill was becoming a challenge so we just looped White Pass for a bit relying on the more tracked snow in that area to at least provide a firm base below the slush which as I said was evident everywhere. We just timed it right to go the Polar Peak on the last lift and have a final very slushy run down Papa Bear - 6th today, 162nd this year.

Final run was down Skydive which was soft on top and got better all the way down on skiers right so that the final pitch was also some of the best skiing on the hill. Tomorrow is forecast for rain all day but then what do forecasters know.