Overnight we had 7 cms of snow which was a bit more like a snow fall and as it came down at about -7 was in the form of pretty good powder. On the way to the hill it was -6 at the base and warmed to low plus temps in the strange weather although it stayed down at about -5 on top. Polar Peak was closed all day due to the poor viz. The weather was strange because it fluctuated from overcast and flurries to blue bird and back again, sometimes in the course of a single New Side loop.
We deciced to have a New Side day which from conversations in the bar at the end of the day may not have ben the best decision as there were some reports of ok conditions in Gorby Bowl and KC chutes. Anyhow we made our call and had a good day, mostly in the trees due to the variable viz doing loops of the New Side -
Cougar Glades - all the way to the disused cat track in good soft lines on the hard left and anywhere you wanted to go in the lower section.
The Brain Right side - There were a couple of tracks in front of me but the most annoying were two boarders who side slipped the trees from top to bottom, why would anyone do that, ride it don't slide it. The snow that was left was soft with many good untracked lines and the lower section holding good all the way down to the lower cat track.
Skydive Trees right - again mostly untracked but I did manage to blow off a ski when hitting some hidden dead fall in the lower section, a timely reminder of the risks of tight steep tree skiing. Apart from this accident it was good.
Secret Chutes/Spinal Tap - it was very lightly tracked and soft in ST all the way down to the choke. Even the lower section had some soft snow to be had by jumping in and out of the creek bed.
The Brain Left side - this is the steeper, tighter line of those available in the Brain and as such was untracked. It was a great way to finish the morning before lunch.
After lunch I went back to the New Side and decided to give Triple Trees a go (via Knot chutes which were a bit scratchy on the base) as I hadn't been there for some time. It was in fact full of untracked lines and the top section was great. The second section was not so good due to death cookies pushed down from Trespass Trail by the groomer. Section three was good and soft and even sects 4 and 5 were ok even if the skiing was a little tight through the dead fall by the end.
I linked up with some buddies and we had a rip through Surprise Trees which were surprisingly good. We then did two loops, one through Cougar Glades all the way down and the other through the right side Brain. Although there were one or two more tracks in these than in the morning they skied exactly as they had earlier in the day - see above remarks.
We had time for a quick loop out to Triple Trees which was still skiing soft in the top section before returning to White Pass on Trespass Trail. This timed us dead right for a final rip down Skydive which has huge bumps in the top and mid sized bumps in most other places. The soft snow did give the bumps a forgiving feel and although much harder work that before it was great skiing.
There is some more snow in the forecast and it wouldn't take much to get the hill back into very good (if rather bumpy) shape. I think the Polar Chutes should be rather good when they open. For myself the tougher conditions have left me feeling a bit beat up but as they say in hockey - suck it up princess.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
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