Ski day 44: Blowin' in the Wind

Vert: 9,200 m;   YTD cum vert: 376,660 m
Runs: 14;   YTD cum runs: 702


The conditions haven't been improving since last Thursday's big dump of snow, and today was clearly a "cruise the groomers" day. Anything not groomed was hardpack, wind crusted, temperature crusted and not a lot of fun at all. In addition it was overcast and chilly most of the day.

From the top of Gold Scapegoat

Some open fields of snow looked inviting...

Between Sunshine Coast and Upper Freefall: Enticing, but...

...but in fact weren't much fun at all. A little bit of sun came out around noon, but then the wind picked up big time, probably blowing over 40 km/hr straight up Divide.

Top of World Cup Downhill. Note the lack of people on Divide chair

On the bright side, just like yesterday, the groomer guys had gone crazy grooming everything on the mountain. They groomed South Pockets and all the way around to Viking Ridge. They didn't just groom a strip of Bye Bye Bowl today, they groomed 80% of it (click on the photo below to enlarge it).

An empty Bye Bye Bowl. Note the groom marks to the area boundary rope

It was pretty quiet up here today; like a mid week crowd, lot A was not full and not a lot of cars were parked in lot B either.


Every day for the last four I have seen sheep on the road or on the side of the road, always in the same place.

Two of three sheep. The other was standing in the middle of the road.