Blackcomb 5/6/2023

Classic Northwest (or Southwest eh) skiing of it’s type! Tremendous opportunity to work on the full variety of soft snow skiing techniques. No complaints from me as this was my first trip North this season after getting a TKR in September. I should have been back skiing here in December - but I didn’t know how quick my recovery would be and I let my lodging go, and couldn’t get it back till now. But thats another story…
Drove up to lot 6 at 9am (free parking) and got Excaliber at mid station with what would be the longest line of the day (5 min). I thought we should ski Crystal right away before it got too warm, and then almost fell face first on the 50’ “glide” to Excellerator. Already too warm. But then the Alpine wasn’t open so we got a coffee until Glacier cracked a bit after 10. Fog, flat light, and three different types of slushy crap had me skiing some steep, dirty bumps to Glacier Lodge that at least were consistent. By then 7th Heaven had opened, so we shuffled over there to see if worse exposure could possibly mean better snow - it didn’t. Kathy had met her match and went to lunch - and I couldn't blame her. This was knee twisting snow, and demanded hard and aggressive skiing…Skiers left had me skiing some new snow that was thigh strengthening, but actually fun. Flats were terrible but if you could keep speed things were ok. I decided a 7th Heaven Liftline run was in order. It required concentration, but was actually not that bad. If I hadn’t had to meet Kathy, it might have turned good if I could have stayed and recruited a bunch of others to skier groom it, but I had to go. The nasty, windy, foggy, flat light top of 7th actually skied pretty good back to the lodge. Perhaps the mush that fell out of the warm clouds last night got blown away up there.
I was a part time lifty again at Stevens Pass this year again so got an $18 burrito at the Rendevous for $9 and was very happy. It was about 2 pounds and really good. I skied all the way down to the valley and the rain/snow was much better than the slushy stuff up top. The bumps were dirty, and the snow will all be gone soon, but it was still a Big Mountain run - pretty much top to bottom. What a place!