Day 88 a brief report

Tonight's report will be brief as a couple of friends of ours (Dan and Ruth) are having a farewell dinner for our long term (6 weeks) guest from Ireland (Simon) who's last day on the hill will be tomorrow. We also spent quiet a long time in the Griz bar with a big Sunday night crowd as everyone was pumped by the days skiing.

I will focus on the conditions. The cold spell arrived at last but nowhere near as cold as had been forecast and it was -2 on the way to the hill. We had a dusting of snow overnight although the hill reported a zero snowfall figure. Conditions were overcast all day and base temps got to about -1 while up at the White Pass load it stayed in the -6/-4 range all day. Driving away tonight it was -2 and is forecast to get a lot cooler overnight but on past experience I only expect a few degrees drop in the temp from where we are.

It started snowing with light snow as we arrived at the hill and stayed that way all morning. Around lunch time the snow almost stopped and for a few moments it looks like we might actually get a sunny break. In the event the snow returned must harder and at about 3 in the afternoon we were hit with a weather cell which gave us the heaviest snowfall I have ever skied in. Estimates were that the fall rate was in excess of 10 cms and hour and although the cell only lasted for about half an hour the effect when added to the snow we had been getting all day was to give us first tracks all over the hill for the last hours skiing of the day.

The skiing surface was generally good and in the same shape as yesterday having been saved by the cold overnight temps. My impression was that everything was just a little firmer than yesterday but other opinions are available on that point. The crowds were way down from yesterday with no line ups on the New Side where we skied all day. The lack of crowds together with the consistent snow fall and the huge dump late in the day meant that things started pretty good and just got better as the day went on.

As I said not time for details of all the runs but we did the usual New Side loops of Cougar Glades, Decline, The Brain, Spinal Tap, Window Chutes, Touque Chutes etc all of which were soft deep and improving skiing. Polar Peak was a little disappointing as the snow up there was not as soft and deep as I expected although it was by no means hard - we did several loops and run offs.

Special mention has to go to High Saddle which had been closed for the previous three days and we hit it twice. I was soft deep and mellow in the chute and the skiing below was awesome untracked powder. Another special mention must go to two firsts for me. I hit the left hand drop of the choke in Siberia Ridge for the first time ever and negotiated an ok route straight down - things were that good. I also skied White Rabbit for the first time which is a drop off into the trees just to the right of the choke off Siberia Ridge and spits you out somewhere down the bottom of Falling Star. Great tight tree and creek bed skiing which just got a bit technical in the lower section.

Last run was Skydive which was soft and smooth and then drinks. Loads more snow in the forecast.