We were a bit confused when we woke this morning as the hill was claiming 17 cms of fresh snow in the last 24 hours but looking at our drive we didn't seem to have anything like that much. When we got to the hill we were delighted to find that the hill had got a lot more snow than the town and during the day it continued. The result was another good powder day with the hard ice and crust really getting a good covering.
On the way to the hill it was around zero and at the base day time highs got to around +3 before falling back to zero as we drove away in the evening. Up the hill I noticed it was -2 at the White Pass load even at the warmest part of the day. It was overcast and snowing most of the day and I guess we got at least another 5 cms while the lifts were turning. This was supposed to be the warmest part of the current weather cycle and there was very real danger that the precip would be coming down as rain at the base for at least some of the day. In the event we just about dodged the bullet and although the snow got very wet by mid afternoon it did come down white (just) all over the hill all day. Things are now on a cooling trend and the forecast snow (of which there is a fair bit over the next week) should be more like the usual Fernie powder.
Just like yesterday I went straight to the New Side on the basis that the snow would be best at the highest point in the system. In fact today played out very much like yesterday even down to me skiing through lunch to avoid the crowds for Alberta Family day/week which should be somewhat reduced from now on. Polar Peak wasn't open due to the poor viz and as the day wore on the cloud line descended until it was well below White Pass top and skiing was very white indeed until things lifted a bit towards the end of the day.
Everywhere was good with new snow on yesterdays new snow and a steady accumulation during the day. This is a summary of how my day played out -
Decline - we grabbed first tracks as there were already a couple in Skydive. Great soft untracked powder all the way down getting a little heavy at the base.
Cougar Glades - plenty of untracked lines and for only the second time this year there was enough snow to go past the Megasauraus and pick up the old disused logging trail that spits you out at the base of Stag Leap. Great untracked skiing.
Touque Chutes/Spinal Tap - a bit disappointing due to the number of tracks already in there. The snow was soft and deep.
High Saddle - it was still ok but with a couple of icy jump turns in the mid chute area. Below the chute it was soft deep powder with plenty on untracked lines. The exit through Easter and Freeway was soft snow on a firm base
Lone Fir - I had to cut trail across the top of Cornice Chute and Lone Fir was lightly tracked and soft. The fan below was awesome with really deep untracked lines and the exit through Easter and Freeway was as before.
Triple Trees - like yesterday I had taken the high IT to Gotta Go only to find it still closed, apparently it's still pretty ugly lower down. As a consolation I dropped on to the Idiot Traverse in super deep untracked snow and then hit all 4 sections of Triple Trees (no, I don't understand either) right down to where you drop on to Summer Road under the Timber Chair. It was really great and mostly untracked, the only issue was bit of dead fall in the final pitch but it was way better than the only other time I skied it early season.
The Brain - there were a few tracks in the top section but plenty of untracked lines. Most of the tracks disappeared when I cut right into the lower section which had soft snow on a firm base and was so good I could stay in the trees all the way down to the cat track at the bottom of Skydive.
Nameless Trees - these are the trees to the right of Skydive that you enter as if you are dropping into Stag Leap but stay a bit left. Great mostly untracked skiing which I took all the way down to the clearing and creek bed. The bed was chopped up where the traffic had funneled and after a few turns I cut right with the intention of bailing. When I looked below me the tree skiing just looked so good and untracked that I had to take it and ended up coming out on to Stag Leap almost at the bottom, a new line and very good indeed.
Decline/Window Chutes - as the Window Chutes were about the only part of that whole area I hadn't skied I gave it a go. Decline was getting quite soft and chunky so you could keep your skies in the fall line for much longer than usual on the way down. The trees above Window Chutes were deep and untracked and the chute itself had a few tracks in but skied ok although getting very heavy in the final few turns.
Skydive - of course last run had to be Skydive and for most of the run it was easy tracked powder where you could just let things rip. The final pitch had got very heavy and was quite hard work to push around the wet snow, particularly for last run of the day.
After a few OJ and sodas in the Griz we have come home for a quiet night. The good news is that we should now be on a cooling trend so the risk of the R word is going away. The even better news is that it has been puking snow all evening and doesn't show any signs of stopping so tomorrow could be better still - fingers crossed.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Day 74 the return of powder skiing
Overnight we had 12 cms of new snow and although it fell with a fairly high moisture content it was not heavy or mushy but actually full on powder which has to be good news.
On the way to the hill it was +1 and stayed that way most of the time during the day at the base so we had a base that was getting softer all day but without actually getting slushy. Up the mountain I noticed it hung in at about -1 most of the day at the White Pass load. The result was that the new snow on top of yesterday's hard ice base gave ok skiing with a hard base underneath but as you came lower down on the hill (about the Megasauraus Trail level on the New Side) yesterdays breakable crust gave a soft skiing surface under the new snow making for a very easy soft powder experience from mid mountain to the base.
Conditions were overcast all day and around noon it started to snow with wet heavy snow mid mountain and slightly lighter stuff on top. This kept up most of the afternoon with an accumulation which may have been about 4 cms which helped the overall conditions. Later in the afternoon it brightened up but at no time did we have the sunny conditions of the past few days.
We went to the New Side and as expected Polar Peak was not open. We had a quick loop of White Pass and the found Currie Bowl open. I hit the Reverse Traverse all day without a break (not even for lunch) and was able to get a good number of laps in despite the holiday crowds by taking the single lines all day. A summary of the runs which may be a bit faulty as I have had a drinking evening this evening was as follows -
Decline - I looked in to Skydive and saw two tracks so I hit Decline untracked. It was good skiing in the top and very good lower down as the crust broke up under the new snow.
High Saddle/Spinal Tap - nice turns in the saddle with only one icy patch in the middle. Spinal Tap was soft snow on crust untracked all the way down.
Cougar Glades/Stag Leap - as always unracked lines to be found in the chutes in Cougar and ok skiing in Stag, getting very soft in the last few turns.
Lone Fir - not bad in the chute but a bit hard in the fan. Ok in the exit down to Easter and Freeway, watch out for 3 ft high avi debris in Easter.
The Brain/ Window Chutes - both had good soft untracked lines on a crusty base.
Skydive -it suddenly occurred to me that I only ski Skydive at the nd of the day so I tried it in the afternoon and it was ok with soft snow on hard base all the way down.
Stag Leap - on much the same basis as Skydive I hit Stag Leap from the top and it was good and deep all the way down.
Gotta Go - well. I tried for it. The high IT was in the best shape this year so I went out to try for Gotta Go but found it closed. This didn't make a whole lot of sense to me but rules are rules so I looped back to White Pass via Simon's Crack.
Touque Chutes/ Spinal Tap - really good soft skiing in the chutes and Spinal Tap much the same as before.
Low Saddle- on a whim I hit the Low Saddle which was way less icy than I anticipated. I cut right and the chutes were untracked which wasn't bad for 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The exit through Easter and Freeway was also pretty ok.
Jim - I just had time for a quick loop in White Pass and as the high IT was in such good shape I hit out across the top of the chutes and dropped Jim which actually skied ok if a bit technical in the tight section.
Last run of course was Skydive and although was on my own and had skied without a break of any kind since 9 I hit it top to bottom in one and it was very good soft skiing on a firm base. A great way to end the day.
After a full on day like this I decided today was a beer day ( I have one very couple of weeks or so) and had a good session in the Griz. Tonight is a farewell party for one of my Irish buddies so things could yet get even further out of control.
On the way to the hill it was +1 and stayed that way most of the time during the day at the base so we had a base that was getting softer all day but without actually getting slushy. Up the mountain I noticed it hung in at about -1 most of the day at the White Pass load. The result was that the new snow on top of yesterday's hard ice base gave ok skiing with a hard base underneath but as you came lower down on the hill (about the Megasauraus Trail level on the New Side) yesterdays breakable crust gave a soft skiing surface under the new snow making for a very easy soft powder experience from mid mountain to the base.
Conditions were overcast all day and around noon it started to snow with wet heavy snow mid mountain and slightly lighter stuff on top. This kept up most of the afternoon with an accumulation which may have been about 4 cms which helped the overall conditions. Later in the afternoon it brightened up but at no time did we have the sunny conditions of the past few days.
We went to the New Side and as expected Polar Peak was not open. We had a quick loop of White Pass and the found Currie Bowl open. I hit the Reverse Traverse all day without a break (not even for lunch) and was able to get a good number of laps in despite the holiday crowds by taking the single lines all day. A summary of the runs which may be a bit faulty as I have had a drinking evening this evening was as follows -
Decline - I looked in to Skydive and saw two tracks so I hit Decline untracked. It was good skiing in the top and very good lower down as the crust broke up under the new snow.
High Saddle/Spinal Tap - nice turns in the saddle with only one icy patch in the middle. Spinal Tap was soft snow on crust untracked all the way down.
Cougar Glades/Stag Leap - as always unracked lines to be found in the chutes in Cougar and ok skiing in Stag, getting very soft in the last few turns.
Lone Fir - not bad in the chute but a bit hard in the fan. Ok in the exit down to Easter and Freeway, watch out for 3 ft high avi debris in Easter.
The Brain/ Window Chutes - both had good soft untracked lines on a crusty base.
Skydive -it suddenly occurred to me that I only ski Skydive at the nd of the day so I tried it in the afternoon and it was ok with soft snow on hard base all the way down.
Stag Leap - on much the same basis as Skydive I hit Stag Leap from the top and it was good and deep all the way down.
Gotta Go - well. I tried for it. The high IT was in the best shape this year so I went out to try for Gotta Go but found it closed. This didn't make a whole lot of sense to me but rules are rules so I looped back to White Pass via Simon's Crack.
Touque Chutes/ Spinal Tap - really good soft skiing in the chutes and Spinal Tap much the same as before.
Low Saddle- on a whim I hit the Low Saddle which was way less icy than I anticipated. I cut right and the chutes were untracked which wasn't bad for 3 o'clock in the afternoon. The exit through Easter and Freeway was also pretty ok.
Jim - I just had time for a quick loop in White Pass and as the high IT was in such good shape I hit out across the top of the chutes and dropped Jim which actually skied ok if a bit technical in the tight section.
Last run of course was Skydive and although was on my own and had skied without a break of any kind since 9 I hit it top to bottom in one and it was very good soft skiing on a firm base. A great way to end the day.
After a full on day like this I decided today was a beer day ( I have one very couple of weeks or so) and had a good session in the Griz. Tonight is a farewell party for one of my Irish buddies so things could yet get even further out of control.
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