Day 22 the most beautiful words in the english language

Well I guess everyone has their own favourite poem or quote that the think is beautiful but to me the most beautiful words were said today on the radio " a cold arctic air mass sinking south will meet a series of wet coastal systems moving into the interior" all the better because that is exactly what is happening right over our heads.

It got cold overnight and we started with -11 at the base and about the same on top. It might have got a degree or two warmer during the day but by the close it was back to -10 and falling. As usual it was snowing but the snow died out for a short time during the day. By the end of the day the snow  was back with a vengence and as I am sitting here writing this a full on winter storm is raging outside which will produve only the Griz knows how much by the morning.

We started with a reported 28 cms of fresh snow on yesterday's soft cheesey base. The overnight temp drops seems to have sucked the moisture out of the snow and the fresh (which was very light) was sitting on a firm but giving base from yesterday.

We went to the New Side as the Old Side on a Saturday with all the pay for powder groups in front of you would have been trashed out of existance. I had  expected a complete gong show given the powder and the time of year but the crowds if anything we slightly less than a usual Saturday. This was helped by the fantastic job that patrol did to get the whole of the hill open and spread us out across all the available terrain.

White Pass was open and we looped Surprise Trees and Anaconda in fantastic powder which was so much more skiable than yesterday. Getting first tracks in Anaconda and down through Bootleg both untracked with faceshots was so sweet. We were waiting for Currie Bowl to open and had been tipped off by a patroller buddy that we would get Currie and Polar Peak late morning.

When the fence dropped on Currie we had a terrible decision to make. Should we ski down to Polar Chair and go for first tracks on Polar Peak or go for the Reverse Traverse to get first tracks it one of the big three - as they hadn't quite got Polar read we headed off the Skydive. Third tracks down were fantastic with deep powder either side of the center.

Next loop we went up the peak and as there had been a bit of traffic took Barely Legal which was mostly untracked powder. I noticed the sign had dropped on Corner Pocket and with only two tracks in front hit the chute and knee deep powder below - exit was left side Easter which still had untracked lines. Polar Peak again but this time Baby Bear for the same reasons as before and then Decline which was tracked but super soft and deep.

I had just been given word that Snake Ridge had opened so worked across to the Old Side. On the way out across Snake I broke the first rule of powder skiing - never ski past good powder looking for better - I traversed over Snake Centre which looked just great but I was on a mission and it paid off. I dropped the really steep shoulder between Gorby Bowl and Steep and Deep which some friends tell me is called Curve Ball. It was the best, deepest snow of the day allowing fall line skiing through the alders in waist deep powder. I cut left into Steep and Deep and it was just as good with seriously deep powder. It was so good I did another lap which included a tracked up but good Boomerang and a great lower Kangaroo, but out beyond Snake it was just as good again.

The chance for lunch had gone so it was back to Polar Peak for for a last time but this time down Pappa Bear which was turning to soft bumps. Cougar Glades was tracked but still some good stuff if you took some ballsy lines close to the trees. Last run was Skydive which was much more tracked up than earlier in the day but still great soft deep snow.

An awesome day in hero powder snow with some fantastic deep untracked lines - with a major winter storm blasting us, I'm looking forward to tomorrow.