Day 26 where were all the people

We expected the crowds to start today but not so. We got to the hill a little before 9 and found we could park in the second line of lot 2, I can't usually do that on a normal weekday. Theories differed as to why it was so quiet but came down to three main ideas - everyone was hungover, everyone was still driving up from Calgary, everyone had gone over to Lethbridge for the Boxing Day sales to get their big electical goods ( of course declaring them at the Provincial Boarder to pay HST cough cough) but would be on the hill tomorrow. For my part I was happy just to get a quiet day.

Temps were cold at around -13 at the base and stayed that way during the day although an inversion with temps up to -8 at the top developed during the day. The hill were claiming an extra 4 cms of snow but I couldn't see it, to me it was a light dusting with maybe a hoar frost layer forming on the surface. Where there had been skiing the hard pack was firm but taking and edge with the surface a little slick, where there was untracked snow it was chunky but still ok, if hard work.

We went to the New Side and had a run back through White Pass to test the conditions. They were as above and the skiing was fine. Polar peak was closed as it was totally socked in so we just drifted out along the Reverse Traverse and went to Cougar Glades which were well tracked up and so a little speedy in places but nice tree skiing.

I bumped into my buddy Red Pants Rob and he stayed with me for what proved to be s very enjoyable day with a lot of mileage but nothing too tough. The rest of the morning was spent looping Stag Leap, Skydive, Easter bowl and Decline. They were all tracked up with big bumps at the top of Skydive but for the most part were chunky tracked snow which was a bit physical but great skiing.

On the last run of the morning it looked like things were clearing and we guessed that Polar Peak would open in the afternoon - we guessed right. When we got to Polar it was clear and as Rob said he had never skiied Grandpappa Bear, that's where we went. The skiing off Polar was very good as it had not bumped up too much. The surface was slick so a fall would have resulted in a long trip but the snow was taking an edge much better than I expected so skiing was remarkably easy and good fun.

Next loop we went to Baby Bear as Rob had never skied that either and then we cut across to the top of Skydive. I had an inspiration and we tried the Brain. It was tracked but there was still loads of deep snow and some untracked lines in the lower section if you cut the line between the trees and the stream bed tight - not everyone's cup of tea but to me just perfect skiing.

We had time for a final trip up Polar which turned into a Pappa Bear descent and a schuss round Trespass Trail to get back up White Pass to get out to Skydive again for the 4 o'clock Skydive club daily meeting. There were 6 of us taking part today which is a record for this season but I hope soon to be beaten. As always Skydive skied like a dream (if a rather naughty one) particularly in the bottom section.

I suspect tomorrow will be the start of the 7 day zoo but as some friends arrived to stay tonight for the next two weeks I am still looking forward to some good rips towards the end of the day when the crowds start to die down. Still no snow in the outlook.