Yesterday I made predictions about today's conditions, mostly that it would be colder, there would be no new snow and conditions would get tougher, I made the predictions in the hope that I would be wrong. Unfortunately I was dead right and if anything conditions were even more so than I foretold so to an extent I could just copy and paste yesterday's blog and be done with it.
Today was supposed to be the coldest of the current Arctic high cycle and I certainly hope that is true. On the way to the hill the temp flicked between -29 and -30 under clear blue skies. During the day things did warm a little so when Lynda arrived at lunch time (she had taken the morning off to do aquarobics ) it was -18 at the base. Just before close I noticed temps at the White Pass load at -21 and as we drove away from the hill it was -26 and falling. All in all a very cold and unforgiving day.
There was no new snow and Polar Peak remained closed which was no surprise in these temps. I had thought about the Old Side but with the snow running super grippy there was no chance of going out to Snake Ridge and felt all the near side stuff would be pretty beat up - a report from a buddy later in the day who tried it just confirmed my fears.
I went to the New Side and found things just like yesterday but more so. Lift Line and the Reverse Traverse were both getting quite ugly in hard icy rutted conditions. The Gun Bowl was not too bad with some firm wind sift and did at least have the advantage of being in the sun. I spent most of the day just looping out along the Reverse Traverse looking for soft snow with a full hour for lunch to warm up.
Soft snow could be found in Cougar Glades, Decline, Lower Touque Chutes and Easter bowl. You had to poke around to find the good stuff but there were still untracked lines to be had particularly in the lower parts of Cougar Glades. In almost other places it was hard bumps with rocks and lumber showing through making skiing tough, this was particularly true in the choke in Siberia Ridge.
Having looped all of the above several times we finished on Skydive which rather strangely seemed to have improved in the final pitch from yesterday. Home for a hot tub and fingers crossed that things get better. The long term forecast is still for a couple more days of this before a big snow cycle hits us at the weekend.
Sorry for the short report but there is really nothing more to say - tomorrow could be even shorter !
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
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