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6:15 Tuesday night: Will asks if I want to go to Smuggs tomorrow. I hesitate, not knowing of any new snow in the future, having lots of work to do, and not wanting to shell out the money for a ticket. Then he mentions that he can get comp. passes. Then he mentions that r@!& is coming and that this might be the last light fluffy day of the season. OK, why not. <BR> <BR>7:00am Wednesday: Will and I hop on the road. I'm informed that Mansfield got 6" of fluff overnight. With the temps being what they are, I know it's light. <BR> <BR>8:15am: We're pulling into the upper parking lot and I mention to Will, "I wonder if we'll see Matt up here. He's got that nice schedule; I bet <BR>he'll be here." <BR> <BR>8:17am: As we're unloading our stuff, Matt walks around from the driver's side of the car next to us. Well hello - This is going to be a fun morning! <BR> <BR>Introductions are made as we boot up and head down to Sterling. The mantra for the day is quality, not quantity. A few good untracked runs and we'll all head back into the valley to earn some money. (Earned turns are much more valuable than earned money; it's just too damn hard to find anyone that accepts them as currency.) <BR> <BR>The lift rumbles to life; the dozen anxious people waiting to make those blissful turns are quickly seated for the 10 minute ride up the hill. <BR> <BR>From the top we headed to the side country. Where else is there to ski? <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT="
"> It looked like we were the first people to the stash that Matt had in mind. As we got closer to the entrance, however, it appeared that someone had beaten us to it. That's OK; it's a big area and there's plenty left for us. <BR> <BR>More than I could have imagined, actually. We took two runs in that area and found great chutes and glades filled with light fluffy powder. So much powder that it started to slide more than once. The first time I had fallen and Will stopped above me. He watched the fracture line spread and start sliding down towards me. That one only went 15 yards or so, but it certainly heightened my awareness of avalanche danger. Thank god for eastern trees. <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=""> <BR> <BR>The second slide was kicked off in a wider chute. Matt led, Will was second, and I was taking up the rear. I watched the two of them go down and surf the wave of snow that was making its way down the mountain. As I reached the bottom, I got a feeling for just how far it slid. <BR> <BR>There is so much snow on Mansfield. <BR> <BR>So.. after the two runs in that section, we decided that we wanted another quick one (couldn't afford the 20 minute hike out there.) OK; it'll be a little more skied out at the top, but we can deal with that. To the back bowls! We followed a route similar to the one taken when Matt gave his famous tour earlier in the season. Matt jumped the boulder (What's knee surgery?), and hopped through some other stuff. There were tons of untracked turns, whoops and screams of pleasure. <BR> <BR>And then it was time to go to work. At least this time the dreamy turns weren't interrupted by my alarm clock. <BR> <BR>Ski today; work tomorrow.
"> It looked like we were the first people to the stash that Matt had in mind. As we got closer to the entrance, however, it appeared that someone had beaten us to it. That's OK; it's a big area and there's plenty left for us. <BR> <BR>More than I could have imagined, actually. We took two runs in that area and found great chutes and glades filled with light fluffy powder. So much powder that it started to slide more than once. The first time I had fallen and Will stopped above me. He watched the fracture line spread and start sliding down towards me. That one only went 15 yards or so, but it certainly heightened my awareness of avalanche danger. Thank god for eastern trees. <IMG SRC="http://www.firsttracksonline.com/discus2/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=""> <BR> <BR>The second slide was kicked off in a wider chute. Matt led, Will was second, and I was taking up the rear. I watched the two of them go down and surf the wave of snow that was making its way down the mountain. As I reached the bottom, I got a feeling for just how far it slid. <BR> <BR>There is so much snow on Mansfield. <BR> <BR>So.. after the two runs in that section, we decided that we wanted another quick one (couldn't afford the 20 minute hike out there.) OK; it'll be a little more skied out at the top, but we can deal with that. To the back bowls! We followed a route similar to the one taken when Matt gave his famous tour earlier in the season. Matt jumped the boulder (What's knee surgery?), and hopped through some other stuff. There were tons of untracked turns, whoops and screams of pleasure. <BR> <BR>And then it was time to go to work. At least this time the dreamy turns weren't interrupted by my alarm clock. <BR> <BR>Ski today; work tomorrow.