Day 14: Howling wind.
The wind was the story of the day, but that was fully expected. With tonight's storm approaching the southerly wind was predicted to do nothing but increase throughout the day -- and that's exactly what it did. Even early in the morning we could see Snowbird struggling to dock the Tram at Hidden Peak. By afternoon things picked up enough to keep Collins running at only half speed.
So today's plan was to avoid where the wind had stripped the snow and find where it had been deposited. Backside seemed the logical choice, but patrol kept the gate closed all day so we had to be a bit more creative.
Bobby Danger, AmyZ, Telejon and I skied with Brave Ski Mom, her husband Jamie and son Ian during the morning. They left at lunchtime to head back to Colorado right about the same time that Eric, yesterday's stray dog from Colorado, found us and hung with us for the rest of the day.
Watching from Collins as the wind blew plumes of snow across Baldy Shoulder, Tombstone was an obvious choice, and it delivered. Filled in and buffed smooth, we made multiple trips out there.
Just before lunch we climbed up to Thirds. The conditions on the High T prompted us to access it via the High Notch hike, crossing High Sunspot and coming into the whip past the rock wall from above. I hadn't expected the gravel in the snow right by the open sign, and came in too low and too hot. Climbing back up to the traverse through a breakable crust with unconsolidated sugar beneath it sapped me of nearly all of my energy and I struggled on Thirds even though it was some of the best snow we'd encounter today.
In the afternoon the wind just continued to build, and by 2:00 it was gusting to 50 mph at the top of Collins and 64 mph on Baldy. My final run was a High Boy LRP, and three times crossing the High T I had to simply crouch on the ground to keep from getting blown over, the snow sandblasting every open crevice. High Boy shone again today but as Bobby put it, it wasn't going to get any better. Bobby and I both headed home at 2:30 just as the first snowflakes spit from the angry clouds above.
I'm crossing my fingers for a foot overnight.
The wind was the story of the day, but that was fully expected. With tonight's storm approaching the southerly wind was predicted to do nothing but increase throughout the day -- and that's exactly what it did. Even early in the morning we could see Snowbird struggling to dock the Tram at Hidden Peak. By afternoon things picked up enough to keep Collins running at only half speed.
So today's plan was to avoid where the wind had stripped the snow and find where it had been deposited. Backside seemed the logical choice, but patrol kept the gate closed all day so we had to be a bit more creative.
Bobby Danger, AmyZ, Telejon and I skied with Brave Ski Mom, her husband Jamie and son Ian during the morning. They left at lunchtime to head back to Colorado right about the same time that Eric, yesterday's stray dog from Colorado, found us and hung with us for the rest of the day.
Watching from Collins as the wind blew plumes of snow across Baldy Shoulder, Tombstone was an obvious choice, and it delivered. Filled in and buffed smooth, we made multiple trips out there.
Just before lunch we climbed up to Thirds. The conditions on the High T prompted us to access it via the High Notch hike, crossing High Sunspot and coming into the whip past the rock wall from above. I hadn't expected the gravel in the snow right by the open sign, and came in too low and too hot. Climbing back up to the traverse through a breakable crust with unconsolidated sugar beneath it sapped me of nearly all of my energy and I struggled on Thirds even though it was some of the best snow we'd encounter today.
In the afternoon the wind just continued to build, and by 2:00 it was gusting to 50 mph at the top of Collins and 64 mph on Baldy. My final run was a High Boy LRP, and three times crossing the High T I had to simply crouch on the ground to keep from getting blown over, the snow sandblasting every open crevice. High Boy shone again today but as Bobby put it, it wasn't going to get any better. Bobby and I both headed home at 2:30 just as the first snowflakes spit from the angry clouds above.
I'm crossing my fingers for a foot overnight.