Friday, February 24, 2017

Day 79 getting colder

On the way to the hill this morning it was -11 and on the way back it was -6. In between temps rose so that it got to about -2 at the base and -4 up the mountain. The day started overcast and we even had some flurries from low cloud in the morning giving a very minor accumulation but as the day wore on things cleared and by the end of the day it was quite sunny Overall everything on the hill stayed frozen all day with no sign of softening either from direct sunlight or atmospheric warming.

Overnight the hill was not claiming any new snow but when we got there it seemed to me that there had been a very light covering (perhaps 2 cms) so maybe that happened after the early morning measurement. The new snow did seem to have a very slight freshening effect although for the most part things were as they have been for the past two days - tracked up powder up high (if you knew where to look) and slightly chunky but ok snow lower down. In areas of high skier traffic it had become fairly hard packed with some icy patches but for the most part taking a nice edge.

We decided to have a New Side day and after a few loops through White Pass which was soft snow in places we spent the rest of the morning looping Currie Bowl/Reverse Traverse. Alpha Centauri and Concussion both skied soft to about half way down and then became firm bumps. Cougar Glades were surprisingly soft in the trees and so much so that I took the left chute exit which is now fully filled in and ok skiing with a few technical bits. Decline skied very easily all the way down and even the final pitch was soft mellow snow. High Saddle was a little more worn out than a couple of days ago but was still ok edge to edge jumping with only a couple of really icy turns in the middle. The pitch below the chute was soft snow even in the flat light and the exit through Easter and Freeway was well on the right side of acceptable. Final run before lunch was Stag Leap and we really struck gold as this was lightly tracked soft powder in the top and ok soft snow in the final pitch. Just for fun we hit the skier cross course on our way to base and it was, well, fun.

After lunch we went back to Stag Leap and found it just as good as before but of course with our expectations raised it just didn't seem that way. None the less it was a really good way for Lynda to finish her day early. We then thought we would try Siberia Ridge and got the best snow of the day. It was good soft snow down to the choke and the choke itself was about as good as usual, in other words scratchy. Below the choke things were very soft and deep and if you held the left side there was untracked powder to be had all the way down.

I took a couple of loops up Polar Peak where Papa Bear and Grand Papa Bear were full of soft bumps and so very mellow skiing. The run to base was Spirit Bear (nice lightly tracked chute skiing) the top of the Brain (still many untracked lines and some deep snow) and Window Chutes where the entrance through the trees was soft and deep and the chute itself ok although rather ribby in both of the chokes. Last run of course was Skydive which, like everything else off the end of the Reverse Traverse was good. There were a few icy patches in the first few turns but for the rest of the run it was soft and easy skiing even in the final pitch - the 4 of us who turned up really enjoyed ourselves.

Tomorrow looks like we could get some snow to go with the weekend crowds. I am looking forward to Monday when things should go back to normal for the first time in what seems like ages.

2 comments:

  1. Really enjoy reading your updates Bill. I see that you do occasion runs out in to Fish Bowl; do you ever do the boot pack up to Mongolia and Outer Mongolia Bowls? Used to be a regular when I was last there but it's a long time ago.

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  2. No, I don't do the boot pack up to Mongolia but now you mention it I can't think of any real reason why not I guess it might be something to do with the logic that if skiing is good in bounds why do the work and if conditions are bad then will they be any better over in the next bowl. Might give it a try next time skiing is good but tracked out in bounds.

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