Day 14 same old, same old

Now, it's usually well into February before I start saying that days are blurring into each other and there is nothing new to say on the skiing but here I am 14 days into the season this year and it's same old, same old.

Overnight we had a dusting of snow again, some good wind sift to fill in yesterday's skiing again, hardly anyone at the hill again, overcast conditions socking in the top and giving light flurries during the day again and temps which stayed just below zero at the base and about -5 up on top again. None of this is to say that skiing wasn't good because it was, or to say we didn't have a great time, because we did, it's just that I am running out of things to say about the skiing we are doing which as anyone who knows me will tell you is a rare thing.

We tried the Old Side and found Bear with a soft covering of windsift. After that the Gully shoulder down into Cedar was untracked soft bumps and even Cedar Centre was groomed and ok. Boomerang looked tempting and was nice soft blow in and the Goat Trail out of Boom was surprisingly good. There followed a few loops out into Lizard Bowl and the trees on the far side of Arrow seemed to have been gladed this year and were untracked.

As a final run before a late choccy break we hiked out across Cedar with the intention of getting out as far as Redtree which we had been told was good. As it was crossing the near side of Snake Ridge proved too much of a temptation and we ripped down in some great deep, lightly tracked and sifted in powder. I tried the shoulder just to the right of KC chutes and as expected it was marginal but some great skiing in between the alders, tree stumps etc. Took the second half of Kangaroo on the way back to Boom Chair which was ok but lots of little Christmas trees - I actually looked in the top of Kangaroo but wit 8 foot alders all the way across it is going to be some time before we can ski that.

After the break we went to the New Side and as usual Lift Line was soft in the top and scratchy lower down. We came down from White Pass via Gun Bowl (poor viz but great snow) Anaconda Glades (loads of soft untracked blow in and maybe the best skiing on the hill, pity about the short pitch) and Bootleg Glades (still nice and soft in the top but very twiggy on the exit). Last loop before lunch was out along the Reverse Traverse to Tom's run - we were looking for Polar peak despite the socked in conditions but it wasn't open today. The whole area around Toms seemed to have filled in with the windsift and there was nice boot deep lightly tracked powder all the way down to the Gilmar Trail.

After lunch there was just time for three loops of the New Side taking in the Big Three - Stag Leap, Decline and finally for last run of the day of course Skydive. I really can't add anything to what I have said about those runs over the past few days. Deep soft windsift but with very interesting terrain and minimal alders.

More snow in the outlook over night. If the new snow keeps Polar Peak closed I guess it will just add to the paranoia of the Calgarians up for the weekend who are convinced we keep this lift back for the use of locals mid week only - honest guys it's just the luck of the draw.