December 31, 2003, Alpental BC

Waited for a while for International to open so I could get at the traverse. Save for a few hidden corners inbounds there wasn't enough new, light pow (6 inches -- tried to make a snowball and couldn't) to cover the past days' bumps underneath.<br><br>Did 2 laps in the near BC, which was very nice. The top 6 inches from last night was naturally sloughing off some of the steeps, and definitely did its best to race me down some steeper "runs" like that more open area skiers left of gun barrel. The rest of the snowpack seemed pretty stable, and there wasn't any noticable crust between Sunday's snow and this morning's. Everything seemed soft and deep but I'm boarding so YMMV. Maybe some frost or something between the layers.<br><br>One run inbounds I got blown by by two of the rippingest telemarkers I've ever seen. One word: Groin pull!