Yesterday’s wet sleet/rain that fell turned into snow overnight. I estimated about 6” of snow accumulated on my deck railing overnight. When I returned this afternoon, the wet snow clinging to my railing appeared to be over 12”. The only issue with wet snow occurs when it compacts. As most of us know, packed wet snow creates a very slick surface. Hard-packed snow conditions on roads cause plenty of people to lose control of their vehicles and slam into a snowbank or another car. When I left the ski area this afternoon, traffic was one lane only due to a number of cars that were in snowbanks or stuck in the middle of the road. I assume there was an accident, at least one.
Oh! I am supposed to be telling you about skiing and not traffic jams. Snow has been falling all day. It has been a heavy wind-driven condition, but a pleasant day of white flakes falling at a steady pace. There was wind at the top of Scott Chair and Summit Chair, but not enough to keep the chairs from spinning. Scott opened a little late, but Summit and Roundhouse were turning close to or by 9 am. It was good to see Roundhouse spinning after a two-day stoppage due to mechanical problems. It actually was spinning yesterday afternoon, but I will call today its return to action.
Scott Chute soon after opening
Visibility was challenging at times. Low clouds hung over the mountain, especially on the upper mountain. Initial lines on Summit and then Scott were relatively long, but not as obnoxious as they have been at times during the past week.
Low Clouds as viewed from my first trip up Roundhouse
Skiing in foot-deep wet snow can be challenging, but I found the soft powder to be delicious. We needed the change in conditions, and today they did not disappoint. Conditions were somewhat wet, but not mushy. The trick on a day like today is to find untracked snow, often a difficult task when everyone is rushing as fast as they can to make turns where no one else has been before them. I never ventured up Summit, but I know there were plenty of fresh turns being made by those who rode up to the top. I did hear that D8 was lovely, and I watched a number of people trek out beyond Waterfall, taking advantage of the slope above Kangaroo. It did not take long for Scott Chute and areas like Seldom Slides to become chewed up, but it looked good even after the initial riders howled with joy. My first turns were from the top of Roundhouse. God’s Knob, Yellow Trail, and winding through trees in the area above Hot Wheels Gully put a smile on my face. Hot Wheels Gully is not open at this time because the creek has not frozen yet. Be very careful skiing near or into a gully, as they are most likely flowing drainages. The area filled with trees near Bobby’s Run offered some nice clear turns, but there are still many hidden branches and stumps just under the surface. We also had fun skiing on intermediate trails off the top of TLC. Robin Hood and Maid Marian were virtually untracked all morning. There is something about skiing powder between trees where the surrounding area is quiet.
Fresh tracks on Robin Hood
The only issue with wetter snow is when it is compacted by riders. The surface becomes hard as a rock and very slippery, but I will put up this condition anytime in exchange for a powder morning.
I am looking forward to another good day tomorrow.
Enjoy your day.
Andy
Here I thought it was just the broken rib that was causing the challenges. I guess it was pretty wet snow too. I did go up Summit a couple of times today. Tower 19 was great…but everything after that to get back to the Summit lift was body jarring. I’m not sure how we lost you immediately on the first lap, or never saw you again because we enjoyed many of the same locations.
This was easily the best day of the season…that said the bar is currently very low!
The higher you went the better it was – I was skiing from the Summit and higher today.