Better Today

Snow conditions were better today than yesterday. The surface froze overnight and winds were blowing briskly throughout the day. Groomed surfaces offered the best conditions in the morning. It was a follow the sun day. Slopes that received early morning sun softened first. Sunspot would have been one of the first to soften. Groomed runs at Sherwood would also have been early on the list. Ridge Run and Bobby’s changed from firm to spring around 11. Ridge Run was still not in slush mode at 1.

Winds were blowing strong enough at the top of Scott Chair to lift seats to the up position

I skied D7 (crispy at the very top) and Waterfall just before 2 and both were not overly slushy. The long and the short of the condition report for today was that some slopes melted down to spring slush while others remained firm all day.

I was a little surprised when I made the rounds and discovered that many none groomed runs were closed. Of course, a skier or boarder could venture beyond the machine leveled slopes such as Sympathy, D7 and D8, The Face and Waterfall, but beyond Wolverine Bowl, Beaver Bowl, Estelle Bowl, and the High Traverse were closed. Scott Chute and Gentian were closed all day. Although Keyhole was closed, both Upper and Lower Saddle were open. On the Sherwood side of the mountain South Face was open. I believe it opened late in the morning as they waited for the surface to soften.

CB Chute and SP Bowl are waiting to turn into spring corn.  They look so good.

My day was most likely somewhat different than most. Starting later, closer to 11 than 10, I tried God’s Knob which was already soft, but not too deep in mush. The newly groomed slope accessible from the top station of Summit (some call it Tower 23 that does not exist or Tower 19) was just right. It was a smooth slope with inch deep spring snow. I guess I am a little tired of skiing the well groomed trails and not getting off-piste enough as one would hope for at this time of year.

I was drawn to Sherwood at 11:30. Most would have held me back warning me that it was too late for Sherwood. I was skiing alone. Even at this late hour the main Sherwood Run was not bad. It was not sticky and not deep slush. There were not many people skiing at Sherwood. I noted that South Face was open and contemplated trying it as I rode up the lift. There wasn’t sole traversing or skiing the South Face slopes. I headed out and traversed as far as I could until reaching a slope that was bare of skier tracks. Not a track to be seen. I skied down. The snow was soft and perhaps six inches deep. It was not sticky. It was consistent, a little slushy, but I loved it. Of course it was not as good as true spring corn, but it was something I could ski. At the bottom of the slope I looked up and could see my tracks. It looked the same as if it had been nice untraced cold powder. Skiing this type of snow takes a lot more energy then skiing groomed slush or spring moguls. I think I enjoyed being the only one skiing South Face as much as making turns in fresh spring snow. After four trips down this slope, I headed back to the front side.

A few tracks were left from previous days at this point on South Face.  Further on there were not tracks at all.

Skiing was still good at 2 when I headed in for the day.

Enjoy your day,

Andy