Thursday - Stormy little day.
I almost wasn't going to report on this trip because everything has been so consistant... nothing new to report. But......
Rode up on a ski bus with a group of friends... Somewhere between Greenwater and Crystal we hit an ice patch and our bus did a massive fishtail up the road. I was in the back of the bus so I was swinging about twenty feet sided to side as we lost control on the highway. Our driver did a marvelous job of keeping the bus on the road, but I really thought we were going over the hillside. I was putting my ski boots on at the time with my feet out in the aisle. In those freeze frame moments I was trying to find something to grab onto.... suddenly, after three sideways maneuvers, it was over and life expectancy returned. Driver was obviously more cautious. Crap can happen anytime. I know the driver learned a little more about driving that road in those conditions. Several years ago. I came upon a U.S. Army bus on it's side in the same area. I stopped and made sure everybody was ok and proceeded past other cars that had left the road during that morning. Well, it is a matter of experience and skill. Hopefully, we can get the skill before having the experience.
Upper slopes were closed all day due to wind concerns. It was a little stormy, blizzard-like, but not especially strong winds. Except the during the morning hours, we got hit a couple of gusty blast 40-50 mph that would just about move you. Wind was from the East, blowing up the hill. So, skier got additional wind and snow in face.
Snow was continually replaced creamy layers on a hard groomer base. Stayed nicely skier packed, a little bumpy but not deep chopped. Seemed powdery off groom and on shots like Rolling Knolls. If it was chopped, then you could blow through it easily.
Folks were wandering off the groom looking for goods and traversing out over towards Bear Pits. I swear it sounded like they were blasting Powder Bowl.
But, know what? It was a great day of skiing! Full weekday crowd.... many bugged out about 2:30. But everybody had their pow skis, some had their cords. Some were looking for their skis off groom, like that little side shot off lower CMAC.
Everyone seemed to be having fun.... I think we are getting used to the blizzard conditions. Later in the afternoon some quiet snow moments as the winds had died and many skiers had left. Had to stop once in a while and appreciate the beauty of it.
Lastly, took a sweet pow run under chair four. Amazing that chair four always seems to be some kind of unused pow stash... not steep enough I guess.
