March 18, 2012, Alpental

Beautiful sunny morning.  Colder and drier than yesterday.  More groomed terrain than I've ever seen, maybe for Sunday skiers?  Even the flats under chair 2 and edelweiss bowl exit and the gun mount ridge between them were groomed.  Snow fell late morning then graupel early afternoon and finally cold snow to end the day. Nash gate still closed.

Found very few chunky lines. Elevator vicinity was soft skied out snow. Shot six still had soft minimally tracked lines. Ride snowboard buyout tomorrow. Snowing now since 8pm.

Glad you made it to Shot 6. Sounds like my efforts to ski it out on Saturday weren't completely effective.

sunday was a real nice day to enjoy all the good types of winter weather.
i have seen a winched grooming machine attached to the tree atop schluct groom up to the patrol shack a bunch of years ago if memory serves me correct.

Ride snowboard buyout tomorrow.

Managed to get an invitation to "Buyout Day" and it was outstanding - 4-6" fresh, bluebird most of the day, and the majority of the "customers" didn't seem to know their way around the upper mountain too well, or just skied Chair 1. Was hoping for a high-T opening after watching a couple big charges go off over Knoll 0/1, but it didn't happen.

Managed to get an invitation to "Buyout Day" and it was outstanding - 4-6" fresh, bluebird most of the day, and the majority of the "customers" didn't seem to know their way around the upper mountain too well, or just skied Chair 1. Was hoping for a high-T opening after watching a couple big charges go off over Knoll 0/1, but it didn't happen.

FWIW: The Pro Patroller (Brent) that skiied with us through Elevator Shaft and Rope 3 Bluffs said that there was a "bus sized" cornice overhanging the high traverse and they had tried to set it off with charges, but that it didn't move.    He indicated that the Nash gate would stay closed until that cornice was down --either from a natural collapse or additional charges.

The current weather forecast calls for snow and fairly cool temps for several days -- so it might be a while before the Nash gate reopens.