Sunday, March 31, 2013

Day 113 seven sunny days

Well, some of you my remember that 7 sunny days was the title of a Matchstick snow porn DVD a few years back. Of course in that they spent all winter to get 7 sunny days one at a time in which to film some awesome skiing. We have just had 7 sunny days straight off which is more than anyone on the ski hill can remember us getting in a row during the ski season. Unfortunately the result is not awesome skiing but the whole hill going to mush and most of it having to be closed down by afternoon.

This morning it was only -1 on the way to the hill and in direct sunlight Bear was already very soft when we arrived. We ripped around The Old Side trying Bear, Arrow and Dancer several times and found that only Dancer was staying firm at it lay in part away from the sun.

Skiing was going to be very limited as we were booked in at Lizard Creek Lodge for their awesome Easter brunch at 11. We took a trip down North Ridge only to find that it was hard and icey as expected but all the runs that might have softened early (Boom, Boom Ridge, Linda's and Kangaroo) were closed presumably for conditions. We cut back to Bear and had one more loop across the Lizard runs as far as Dancer and then it was time for Brunch.

I have to say that the all you could eat buffet at Lizard Creek was just awesome with some of the biggest crab legs I have ever seen. As we were pacing ourselves beers appeared and what with one thing and another it was gone 2 before we got back to skiing.

Being bloated and having drunk beer we had decided just to take one run down the Elk and then home but it was so nice in the sun that we went to the top of Bear and found that things weren't much slushier than this morning. We tracked around for about an hour enjoying the sun and putting up with the skiing. One good thing was that Boom Ridge had opened and it was soft snow in big bumps and so quite hard and hot work to get down.

It strikes me that the skill in skiing this afternoon elephant snot in direct sunlight (the temp on leaving the hill was +15) is to go fast enough to create a cooling breeze but not so fast that you hve to put in effort and create body heat. The result is that you ski a bit slower than usual and only use minimum effort GS turns if possible - ok I know that's what I do usually to preserve the legs for 9-4 skiing.

We were going to go to the New Side but got to the bottom to find out that White Pass chair had shut down so there was only very limited skiing available on that side from the Timber chair. We knew when we had had enough and the effects of too much food and beer were starting to take their toll. We came home, leaving the hill just after 3.

I really don't know where we are going from here or just how much more of this hot weather the hill can take before the season will be over. If nothing changes in the next two weeks then from the point of view of good skiing the season is already over. There seems to be some mixed precip in the forecast which may go either way, the problem is that it is forecast for Wednesday (Hot Dog Day) which is the one time when we wouldn't mind a sunny day - our old gear wasn't waterproof when new and certainly isn't now. A quiet evening in.

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