Short report - Nice start, cold, some nice new, big winds blowing up GV from Kellys Gap, sun sucker holes early, lots of marginal spotty vis later, massive crowds (biggest of the season - almost Holiday/January weekend big), another slow diesel lift day, still making snow in Disco flats - stop it all ready...overnight fine, not all day! Otherwise a fine day on snow.
Longer report - Arrived extra early just in case, glad I did, biggest non pow day line early, big line on the Bucket all day (why? Just cause). Good groomers (Lucky) early, Valley not groomed but the bowl was nice quality new, lower half of GV was pretty big wind impacted. Heard that mid morning the line up for GV was massively painful - with the limited options off the top this morning the back side to LS and all of the groomed parts of LS looked like I-5 at rush hour - amazing for pre holiday season (especially since the ski area has been totally empty for the last week - think I heard Saturday was not to crowded). The mass of human's showed up today, and with lots of lifts having stop and go issues (or running on slow) the line ups were significant...got me to go the base to ride CHex a few times. Passed by FQex around 11'ish - short line, so ride it to check out CB lodge. After way to much social time at CB lodge, headed out...aaaaahhhhhh....no lift lines anymore, bumped into a Fireman that stopped to wait for me a number of times while we skied MIFB and lower Memorial (MIFB was safer than Memorial). Plunge side of MIFB actually was skiing nice deep cut up pow.
Other - CB lodge had the Triple C for soup....and lots of very very good pizza by the slice ( I had a slice of pepperoni - good, and a even better sausage something or other with a very nice tangy sweet pizza sauce). Might be the last time I have soup (till the Chicken Noodle arrives). Lodge not to packed when I arrived, total mayhem by the time I left. Passed through the base lodge (soup was Crab something or other) and it was totally packed from the brown bag up...big crowd. Pay lot big and not very tightly packed, rest of the lots down to E were as full as they could get.
Other Other - As noted lifts running slow today made for some big lift lines...and also limited places to go did not help. No HC today, except for those willing to hike PB (vis not good). Plans for the week don't seem to include REX - which will make me sad (mechanical problems?), but the probably nice cold east winds sun with nobody on the slopes should be nice.
