This morning dawned overcast with a threat of wet prcip at some time during the day. On the way to the hill it was +3 and although it got a bit warmer towards the end of the day, the theme was one of atmospheric warming which only spread very slowly up the hill to soften last nights pretty firm freeze. During the day we actually had wet flurries off and on although with only dust on crust accumulations and by the evening long after the hill had closed it went bluebird with another big warm up.
We went to the Old Side on the grounds that the lower elevations would start to warm first in the atmospheric warming. We had a few runs up and down Bear which had been groomed to get a feel of exactly where the melt line was and the answer was depressingly low. Cedar centre was pretty ribby and we tried an early run through Kangaroo which was just about skiable soft snow on a very hard base.
After that we just poked around for a few runs in Boomerang and Boom ridge which were all pretty marginal with some soft stuff on a very scratchy base. We went to the New Side and found everything to be even worse. Nothing, and I do mean nothing had been groomed and with a Timber top temp of zero everything had frozen solid overnight and we were faced with the mess that we had made of the hill yesterday pretty much cast in concrete. We tried a White Pass loop but couldn't really find anything soft and then ran to base through Currie Powder which was very scratchy and didn't soften until half way down Gilmar Trail - time for an early lunch.
After lunch we decided to go to the Old Side on the grounds that the New Side would only soften late (if ever) and the Old Side just had to be a better bet. It was a good call and we looped Bear under the Chair, Boom Ridge and Boomerang several times in softening snow which was taking an edge but which was no way mush. Mid afternoon I took a risk and dropped Cedar Ridge fully expecting marginal conditions and found soft untracked snow taking a wonderful edge - run of the day by a big margin. It was so good I looped it 3 more times and each time was as good as the last. All returns to Boom Chair were through Kangaroo which was skiing as super soft big spring bumps and was about the best I can remember it even if you did have to keep you skis in the fall line to keep things moving at an acceptable pace.
It was soon the end of the day and time for Skydive but with the Currie Powder sign line down how was this to be achieved ? I hiked the side step Traverse from the Lizard side and after going through some rather messy stuff in Easter bowl (big avi trails and damage) and ended up in Skydive a little way above the Megasaurous Trail. There was only one track in front of me in Skydive which perhaps isn't surprising as it was hard work to get there and the surface was pretty mushy. I had a good run down although it was important to keep up the speed and stay on top.
Beers with friends and then home for a quieter night than of late with a view to conserving our energies for closing weekend. The forecast is calling for snow but I am not holding my breath.
Friday, April 11, 2014
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