Ski day 35: Pow, pow and more pow

Vert: 10,860 m;   YTD cum vert: 294,860 m
Runs: 18;   YTD cum runs: 562


And the powder just keeps on coming. The hill reported 18 cm overnight, and it was generally deeper than that. I think I peaked out at 40 cm on the flats of Assiniboine Trail, where I got stuck because it was too deep for the gentle slope.


It was busy and I got to the base of Goat's Eye at 9:45, but was still able to get first tracks for almost two hours.

Virtually no tracks entering Thunder or Scapegoat

Deep snow lets you get places that are normally off limits, like the lower Goat Glades.

Lower Goat Glades looking into Freefall

It was overcast most of the day and snowing on and off all day. The viz was generally OK, but I lucked out a few times and caught sun for rides up Divide...

Approaching the top of South 205

North Pockets. Tracks below the fences are mine

...and runs in Bye Bye Bowl.

Untracked powder in the centre of Bye Bye Bowl

Here's some proof as to snow depth. It's 47 cm from my pole basket to the bottom of the graphic on the pole. I was careful to just plant the pole into today's snow.

Gladerunner, looking into the glades

Bye Bye Bowl

That's about 30 cm in each picture.


While it was mostly overcast the whole day, it was warm (-4° to start the day, and all the thermometers I saw were above freezing by 11 AM), and this was bad. I stayed on Divide all afternoon, but could feel the snow getting heavier starting around the base of the Angel Traverse as the day progressed. On my way out to the ski out, I took OS Pitch (in beautiful fresh tracks) but by the bottom of the pitch the snow felt heavier. In Barner's Bowl, it was very wet and heavy. Cottontail to Jackrabbit chair was nearly icy, and the ski out was very hardpacked and almost icy indeed. It seemed to get better below the base of B-Line. So I suspect while it will still be sweet tomorrow up high (with more fresh for sure as it was snowing when I left), down "low" will be crusty in the AM.