Andy wrote this post for Saturday, and rather than double post yesterday, I saved it for today. Andy went back again today, so it’s not really cheating. –Mark
Hello Skiers,
Snow was falling lightly when I first looked out my window this morning. A few inches sat on my railing which gave me hope for some soft turns early in the day.
It is Saturday, and all indications pointed to a full house on the slopes, but the early bird can always catch a few pristine slopes to conquer. Our mountain held six to, perhaps eight, inches of new snow that fell overnight and into the morning. It was more than dust on crust, but a firm surface still remained under the light frosting. The steeper the slope the more likely we were to find a slick firm surface underneath. The lower the angle the less likely we were to push the new snow out of the way and slip on the smooth underlying surface.
No complaints from me this morning. Flat light at the top of the mountain gave way to a beautiful sunny day. We found soft turns on Standard and Bobby’s followed by church in Gentian Gully (my church). Next we found nice turns in fresh snow down to the base of Sherwood where the line was just a little long. Rather than stand in line at Sherwood we split off to Lakeview and took a second tour of Gentian.
Dreams are made when you leave the top of Lakeview and walk beyond the boundary sign. Do not try this if you are not very familiar with this out-of- bounds area. It is very easy to get lost and avalanche danger can be extreme at times. As usual my dreams came true. I have not ventured out to this area that I call Field of Dreams this year, but today it seemed like the time had come to grab a dream or two. We were not disappointed.
Lovely untracked turns between nicely spaced trees with just enough coverage over a relatively smooth surface brought a wide smile to my face. Thank you to Dave for the ride back up to the lodge. Paddy, check out our tracks next to your walkway. It was a stellar day with most people wearing their masks and enjoying the slopes, sunshine, and in good behavior.
Enjoy Your Day
Andy
Editor’s Note: Field of Dreams is indeed out of bounds. There are areas with avalanche risk and each member of your party should be equipped with a modern beacon, avalanche probe and shovel. You should also have adequate training in how to use those devices. When skiing out of bounds, rescue by the Alpine Meadows Ski Patrol may not be available.