Day 10: A bit more exploring.
While we wait for next week's dramatic change in the prevailing weather pattern, it's easy to think that there's nothing to ski up there but groomers. Honestly, I'd fallen into that trap myself, and didn't stick around long yesterday. Today, however, convinced me otherwise.
New neighbors Tim and Soo joined Bobby Danger and yours truly for some nosing around the countryside.
We started off with a cruiser on Devil's Elbow, but quickly upped the ante a bit with a trip down a pool table-smooth Harold's. Success achieved on that level, we moved over to Wildcat.
Wildcat Face itself was well skied and everyone enjoyed. I decided on the next run to venture further west to the Ho. Surprisingly, there was some barely tracked loose snow from last week's storm still available for the taking. Beneath that snow was a punchable wind crust covering the two-foot base.
Now, a couple of things here. For one, these folks just moved from Connecticut and while Tim is an incredibly strong skier, I doubt that Soo has ever encountered snow like that before. For another, she was on sticks that were way too skinny for the task.
But although she floundered a bit, she was still smiling and still laughing, and not swearing at the rest of us. I suspect that with a bit of time spent chasing others around here, she'll be up to the task in no time.
We took another long cruiser to get Soo's confidence back. At 1 p.m. Soo went home to care for their infant child, and after a lunch on the GMD patio, Bobby, Tim and I returned to the scene of the crime for another helping out in Westward Ho. We wrapped up the day at 3 p.m. with a trip down Lone Pine, which was divine natural snow although the trip to get there via the Saddle Traverse is getting increasingly sketchy.
Next week's return to winter will be welcome.
While we wait for next week's dramatic change in the prevailing weather pattern, it's easy to think that there's nothing to ski up there but groomers. Honestly, I'd fallen into that trap myself, and didn't stick around long yesterday. Today, however, convinced me otherwise.
New neighbors Tim and Soo joined Bobby Danger and yours truly for some nosing around the countryside.
We started off with a cruiser on Devil's Elbow, but quickly upped the ante a bit with a trip down a pool table-smooth Harold's. Success achieved on that level, we moved over to Wildcat.
Wildcat Face itself was well skied and everyone enjoyed. I decided on the next run to venture further west to the Ho. Surprisingly, there was some barely tracked loose snow from last week's storm still available for the taking. Beneath that snow was a punchable wind crust covering the two-foot base.
Now, a couple of things here. For one, these folks just moved from Connecticut and while Tim is an incredibly strong skier, I doubt that Soo has ever encountered snow like that before. For another, she was on sticks that were way too skinny for the task.
But although she floundered a bit, she was still smiling and still laughing, and not swearing at the rest of us. I suspect that with a bit of time spent chasing others around here, she'll be up to the task in no time.
We took another long cruiser to get Soo's confidence back. At 1 p.m. Soo went home to care for their infant child, and after a lunch on the GMD patio, Bobby, Tim and I returned to the scene of the crime for another helping out in Westward Ho. We wrapped up the day at 3 p.m. with a trip down Lone Pine, which was divine natural snow although the trip to get there via the Saddle Traverse is getting increasingly sketchy.
Next week's return to winter will be welcome.
