Day 97 stop telling lies

Tonight's message is pretty simple, those people who are telling lies about me know who they are, they know why they are doing it, more importantly I know who they are and why they are doing it and this is their first and only warning to stop unless they want to walk into a shit storm of unimaginable proportions.

The lies that they are putting about is that over the past two days when I have been skiing Skydive and Decline I have been skiing closures. This is totally untrue - on every occasion I have gone out to one of the Big Three I have never passed a closure sign and for the past two days all of the Big Three have been open according to the signage on the hill - if the signage does not reflect the intention of the hill that is hardly my fault, I am not a mind reader. When I have skied these runs it has been with buddies who can witness the truth of what I am saying. To suggest that we have been skiing closures is a plain and simple lie. If anyone wants to debate this with me they know where to find me and I will deal with it head on if they have the balls, which I very much doubt. Rant over.

Today was an interesting variation on a theme in that we had no new snow but conditions were over cast and not bluebird. Temps on the way to the hill were around zero but they were clearly warming during the day, The interesting feature was that warming was atmospheric and not as a result of direct sunlight so surfaces warmed equally irrespective of their aspect which was quite unlike the previous few days. During the day atmospheric temps over the hill were about +6 which was enough to soften many surfaces but didn't give the super warm mush on south facing surfaces that we have seen.

We went to the Old Side and had a run or two down Bear which was becoming soft and very bare on skiers left. Sunny Side shoulder was softening but not as quickly as it had in the sun but some nice skiing on a firm surface taking an edge. We then hit out to Snake Ridge for three loops where it never got soft but was firm taking and edge and a great skiing surface. We had to cut out right to Cedar Centre as the lower section was closed and we don't ski closures - morons please note. We looped back via Lower Linda's which was getting very thin and last time through via Boom bowl (skiing very smooth and fast on soft snow) as it hadn't been opened before and we don't ski closures - morons please note.

We went to the New Side to see what it was like and were totally disappointed. Polar Peak was closed, as were the Knot Chutes, I guess because things were a bit colder up there and surfaces were icy. As if to prove a point I looped back through the Gun Bowl which was hard crusty reformed ice and about as ugly as you could get, I actually had to pay attention all the way down. I had hoped to drop the Big Three again but the sign line was down all along the skiers left of Currie Power and I couldn't cross it and get out along the Reverse Traverse as we don't ski closures - morons please note.

We had lunch at the excellent Big Bang Bagels - the Mr Fernie with added bacon on a wheat onion and garlic bagel just has to be illegal as it tastes so good. I went back to the Old side. I forgot to mention that this morning the best run had been in Freeway gully and then Freeway itself which had been a bit ribby in the top but just perfect soft snow low down - I did it twice. Well first run after lunch if anything it was even better,

I then started to loop out and did a couple of Snake Ridge loops which were just setting up a bit more than before but still smooth and taking a very easy edge. All circuits in the afternoon were completed via Boom bowl which I was able to ski as it was open and it was very good. I thought it was a mistake to have Cedar Ridge closed as even though it was North facing the atmospheric warming should have mad it good. I got in by skiing Alpine Way to the point where the sign line was up and then traversing back as I don't ski closures - morons please note. It skied ok, with a hard base but with some tricky slabby sift, in fact rather like Skydive when I first went in two days ago.

I then got adventurous and headed out to the Fish Bowl where I had the near chutes which were firm smooth, untracked and taking and edge, The cut out to Red Tree was a little twiggy but good skiing low down. Next loop I tried Steep and Deep which was just fantastic smooth spring skiing. I have avoided the lower sections for the past few days on the grounds that I didn't think there was way out and as it turns out I was more or less right. I did manage to get out after some serious bush whacking and some tight edge to edge jumping but it was hard to really call it skiing.

I just had time for a quick rip off Bear to finish and almost garrotted myself in Freeway as a closure line had been strung across and I wasn't really paying attention. I am sure the skiing would still have been good in there but I side stepped out into what was probably worse conditions as I don't ski closures - morons please note.

So in summary another amazingly good day considering conditions but more closures and less terrain all the time. You may rest assured that if anyone does have the balls to (wrongly) accuse me of poaching to my face then the results of the conversation will be recorded her in capitals.