I have to say first of all that this is no April Fools Day gag and yes, we had yet another bluebird day breaking some kind of record for sunny skiing in Fernie. Over night temps were only -1 and again things got hot fast in the direct sunlight. By mid afternoon I noticed it was + 10 at the Polat load and that was in the shade. On the way back from the hill it was +17 and against this background I am amazed to see that the base is still holding at just above 250 cms.
The effect on the hill was just as before, in the morning significant area were closed due to ugly icey conditions. During the day some areas were open but as the day wore on even more significant areas were closed due to the snow becoming isothermic - the snow temp below the surface rising to zero all the way to the base so that the snow structure had no integrety to support skier traffic or hold itself together.
We went to the Old Side a poked around the Bear, Arrow and in fact all of Lizard bowl across to Dancer. Arrow hadn't been groomed so acted as good indicator as to when the rest of the hill would become skiable. It took about half a dozen runs in increasing mush before we became adventurous.
I decided to drop the chutes off the top of Bear into Alpine Way to test north facing slopes and found it as hard and ugly as I could have possibly imagined it.We diverted into Cruiser which was soft and groomed and then into Cedar Centre which was by no means so soft and certainly not groomed but ok challenging skiing. Kangaroo remained closed so the best route to Boom load was through Lower Linda's.
Boom and Boom Ridge were closed but looking in we felt that they had to be opened soon. After one abortive run down North Ridge that was still pretty hard they dropped the signs on Boom Ridge and we had three loops down it, first a little firm, second just perfect bumps and third starting to get to soft. The bumps were getting pretty rutted and coming at you at irregular intervals but I guess that's skiing.
It was time to go to the New Side so we did. Getting to Polar Peak we found that everything except Polar Coaster was closed due to the isothermic conditions. We looped the Coaster 3 times taking different lines left or right where we could and it was getting mushy and bumpy even then. The route to base for lunch was Currie Powder as the County Line was closed and it skied as soft bumped up snow on a firm base. Best part was Gilmar Gully which had become steep soft bumps and was great fall line bumps skiing.
After Lunch it was just a replay, we were up Polar for 3 Coasters and then the Currie Powder Gilmar Gully bumps which were all just as before. The rest of the afternoon was spent looping Polar Coaster in a light fleece, thin gloves and all in all rather less than I would wear on a typical summers day back in the UK. Final run was Currie Powder and Gilmar Gully where the bumps had got even bigger and softer and as result much more fun to ski fall line.
After a couple of beers I headed off the Ski Base to bindings put on my new Shoguns which I bought there in September. I have no intention of using the skis with the rocks starting to poke through but with bindings 30% off now is the time to have them mounted up. Still more sun in the forecast for tomorrow- now I am getting used to it this spring routine is not as bad as I thought it was a couple of days ago but still nowhere near what real skiing should be like.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Day 113 seven sunny days
Well, some of you my remember that 7 sunny days was the title of a Matchstick snow porn DVD a few years back. Of course in that they spent all winter to get 7 sunny days one at a time in which to film some awesome skiing. We have just had 7 sunny days straight off which is more than anyone on the ski hill can remember us getting in a row during the ski season. Unfortunately the result is not awesome skiing but the whole hill going to mush and most of it having to be closed down by afternoon.
This morning it was only -1 on the way to the hill and in direct sunlight Bear was already very soft when we arrived. We ripped around The Old Side trying Bear, Arrow and Dancer several times and found that only Dancer was staying firm at it lay in part away from the sun.
Skiing was going to be very limited as we were booked in at Lizard Creek Lodge for their awesome Easter brunch at 11. We took a trip down North Ridge only to find that it was hard and icey as expected but all the runs that might have softened early (Boom, Boom Ridge, Linda's and Kangaroo) were closed presumably for conditions. We cut back to Bear and had one more loop across the Lizard runs as far as Dancer and then it was time for Brunch.
I have to say that the all you could eat buffet at Lizard Creek was just awesome with some of the biggest crab legs I have ever seen. As we were pacing ourselves beers appeared and what with one thing and another it was gone 2 before we got back to skiing.
Being bloated and having drunk beer we had decided just to take one run down the Elk and then home but it was so nice in the sun that we went to the top of Bear and found that things weren't much slushier than this morning. We tracked around for about an hour enjoying the sun and putting up with the skiing. One good thing was that Boom Ridge had opened and it was soft snow in big bumps and so quite hard and hot work to get down.
It strikes me that the skill in skiing this afternoon elephant snot in direct sunlight (the temp on leaving the hill was +15) is to go fast enough to create a cooling breeze but not so fast that you hve to put in effort and create body heat. The result is that you ski a bit slower than usual and only use minimum effort GS turns if possible - ok I know that's what I do usually to preserve the legs for 9-4 skiing.
We were going to go to the New Side but got to the bottom to find out that White Pass chair had shut down so there was only very limited skiing available on that side from the Timber chair. We knew when we had had enough and the effects of too much food and beer were starting to take their toll. We came home, leaving the hill just after 3.
I really don't know where we are going from here or just how much more of this hot weather the hill can take before the season will be over. If nothing changes in the next two weeks then from the point of view of good skiing the season is already over. There seems to be some mixed precip in the forecast which may go either way, the problem is that it is forecast for Wednesday (Hot Dog Day) which is the one time when we wouldn't mind a sunny day - our old gear wasn't waterproof when new and certainly isn't now. A quiet evening in.
This morning it was only -1 on the way to the hill and in direct sunlight Bear was already very soft when we arrived. We ripped around The Old Side trying Bear, Arrow and Dancer several times and found that only Dancer was staying firm at it lay in part away from the sun.
Skiing was going to be very limited as we were booked in at Lizard Creek Lodge for their awesome Easter brunch at 11. We took a trip down North Ridge only to find that it was hard and icey as expected but all the runs that might have softened early (Boom, Boom Ridge, Linda's and Kangaroo) were closed presumably for conditions. We cut back to Bear and had one more loop across the Lizard runs as far as Dancer and then it was time for Brunch.
I have to say that the all you could eat buffet at Lizard Creek was just awesome with some of the biggest crab legs I have ever seen. As we were pacing ourselves beers appeared and what with one thing and another it was gone 2 before we got back to skiing.
Being bloated and having drunk beer we had decided just to take one run down the Elk and then home but it was so nice in the sun that we went to the top of Bear and found that things weren't much slushier than this morning. We tracked around for about an hour enjoying the sun and putting up with the skiing. One good thing was that Boom Ridge had opened and it was soft snow in big bumps and so quite hard and hot work to get down.
It strikes me that the skill in skiing this afternoon elephant snot in direct sunlight (the temp on leaving the hill was +15) is to go fast enough to create a cooling breeze but not so fast that you hve to put in effort and create body heat. The result is that you ski a bit slower than usual and only use minimum effort GS turns if possible - ok I know that's what I do usually to preserve the legs for 9-4 skiing.
We were going to go to the New Side but got to the bottom to find out that White Pass chair had shut down so there was only very limited skiing available on that side from the Timber chair. We knew when we had had enough and the effects of too much food and beer were starting to take their toll. We came home, leaving the hill just after 3.
I really don't know where we are going from here or just how much more of this hot weather the hill can take before the season will be over. If nothing changes in the next two weeks then from the point of view of good skiing the season is already over. There seems to be some mixed precip in the forecast which may go either way, the problem is that it is forecast for Wednesday (Hot Dog Day) which is the one time when we wouldn't mind a sunny day - our old gear wasn't waterproof when new and certainly isn't now. A quiet evening in.
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