Figured on getting some halfway decent corn today, and was surprised to score a near-perfect spring day.
I arrived at the Notch around 11AM, figuring to time ideal conditions on south-facing Holcumac. It worked perfectly- the first run was a grin-inducing tail-sinking festival of ideal corn. It was a phenomenal run- until hitting the road, and realizing that the line I would have taken a week ago would lead me straight into an inch-thick snow bridge over what was now a lively drainage creek. Crap. I hiked a short way back to the road and found a safer way to the east side of the drainage and back down to the bottom of 1.
Headed back up for another lap, and realized there were actually closure signs up for Holcumac, presumably because of the runout. Dunno if I had missed them the first time (probably, I entered early), but crap. Having found a safe way out of the bottom though, I decided to poach the closure, which is something I virtually never do (former patroller and all) but just couldn't pass up given how good the snow was. And the quality of the corn only got better from there. I had to tear myself away after a few runs to explore more of the mountain, just to see how things were on the more northerly aspects, and out of guilt for dropping a closure.
Thunder was serviceable, but not quite there just yet. I did manage to find an excellent corn stash in what I call West Goldridge, that drops down to the bottom of Robin's. It was exposed all day and rode very well. Mixed it up with a few speed runs down Bonanza and Skyline. Despite the bounty of corn snow, there was zero sticky, grabby snow anywhere. The fire road and Mullin's stayed fast all day- the sun isn't high enough to slow you down just yet. Checked out the Tube as a test for how South Bowl might be, and it wasn't there just yet, so I figured on grabbing a bite and waiting for the sun.
After lunch I just couldn't resist another trip down Holcumac, which was still just beautiful, even better than earlier. And here the day got interesting. At the bottom of 1, something just didn't feel right. I looked down and realized my pocket was unzipped and my wallet was gone. CRAP. Time to retrace my steps- it was either in the Notch by the register or jalapeno jar, sitting on a chair on 4, or somewhere on Turkey Shoot/Holcumac/Sugarpine. No problem!
The Notch was a no-go. Patrol hadn't seen it either. Neither had the liftie on the bottom or top of 4. So approaching an internal panic, with visions of cancelling credit cards and getting another driver's license, I headed back down the hill, looking for a black leather needle in a black-rock-studded haystack.
Wasn't on Turkey Shoot. I managed to find my tracks on Holcumac, since I was the only one in there, and followed them eagerly. Nothing early, and I began to resign myself to hopelessness, when EUREKA- in the middle of the steeps, just next to a past turn, I find the thing open, the rainbow on my Hawaii license leading me to the (rather minimal) pot of gold inside. What a relief!
After this fiasco I wanted to head into South Bowl, but alas, they closed it at 3PM and I just missed it. So I spent the remainder of the day alternating speed laps on Bonanza and corn on West Goldridge, before dropping into a surprisingly soft and excellent finale down Morgan's into Bentley's.
So the good news? The corn on Holcumac is phenomenal right now. The bad news? It's closed, presumably for the sketchy runout. But if you know your way around in there, it's doable. I didn't venture to Eric's, so I don't know what that's like. But the armor plating of ice that plagued the hill this time last year is not present, and excellent spring conditions are ripe for the taking up there now. We'll see what the change in weather brings, but go get your harvest on if you can.
I arrived at the Notch around 11AM, figuring to time ideal conditions on south-facing Holcumac. It worked perfectly- the first run was a grin-inducing tail-sinking festival of ideal corn. It was a phenomenal run- until hitting the road, and realizing that the line I would have taken a week ago would lead me straight into an inch-thick snow bridge over what was now a lively drainage creek. Crap. I hiked a short way back to the road and found a safer way to the east side of the drainage and back down to the bottom of 1.
Headed back up for another lap, and realized there were actually closure signs up for Holcumac, presumably because of the runout. Dunno if I had missed them the first time (probably, I entered early), but crap. Having found a safe way out of the bottom though, I decided to poach the closure, which is something I virtually never do (former patroller and all) but just couldn't pass up given how good the snow was. And the quality of the corn only got better from there. I had to tear myself away after a few runs to explore more of the mountain, just to see how things were on the more northerly aspects, and out of guilt for dropping a closure.
Thunder was serviceable, but not quite there just yet. I did manage to find an excellent corn stash in what I call West Goldridge, that drops down to the bottom of Robin's. It was exposed all day and rode very well. Mixed it up with a few speed runs down Bonanza and Skyline. Despite the bounty of corn snow, there was zero sticky, grabby snow anywhere. The fire road and Mullin's stayed fast all day- the sun isn't high enough to slow you down just yet. Checked out the Tube as a test for how South Bowl might be, and it wasn't there just yet, so I figured on grabbing a bite and waiting for the sun.
After lunch I just couldn't resist another trip down Holcumac, which was still just beautiful, even better than earlier. And here the day got interesting. At the bottom of 1, something just didn't feel right. I looked down and realized my pocket was unzipped and my wallet was gone. CRAP. Time to retrace my steps- it was either in the Notch by the register or jalapeno jar, sitting on a chair on 4, or somewhere on Turkey Shoot/Holcumac/Sugarpine. No problem!
The Notch was a no-go. Patrol hadn't seen it either. Neither had the liftie on the bottom or top of 4. So approaching an internal panic, with visions of cancelling credit cards and getting another driver's license, I headed back down the hill, looking for a black leather needle in a black-rock-studded haystack.
Wasn't on Turkey Shoot. I managed to find my tracks on Holcumac, since I was the only one in there, and followed them eagerly. Nothing early, and I began to resign myself to hopelessness, when EUREKA- in the middle of the steeps, just next to a past turn, I find the thing open, the rainbow on my Hawaii license leading me to the (rather minimal) pot of gold inside. What a relief!
After this fiasco I wanted to head into South Bowl, but alas, they closed it at 3PM and I just missed it. So I spent the remainder of the day alternating speed laps on Bonanza and corn on West Goldridge, before dropping into a surprisingly soft and excellent finale down Morgan's into Bentley's.
So the good news? The corn on Holcumac is phenomenal right now. The bad news? It's closed, presumably for the sketchy runout. But if you know your way around in there, it's doable. I didn't venture to Eric's, so I don't know what that's like. But the armor plating of ice that plagued the hill this time last year is not present, and excellent spring conditions are ripe for the taking up there now. We'll see what the change in weather brings, but go get your harvest on if you can.
