I forgot the camera today but did not miss much in scenery. The overcast weather continued, and in the case of Big White that also meant thick fog above 7,000 feet (top is 7,600).
After a warmup run we went up the Alpine T-Bar just in case the fog layer was narrow, as it provides access to the Cliff, a steep open bowl served by a 700 vertical double chair. Message boards indicated the Cliff lift was running, but the fog was so thick I didn't even look for it. We had to follow the blue sticks along the groomer as in Alps.
Big White had a strong early season, getting 70% open by December 8. But as elsewhere in interior B.C. there has not been much snow in January. However with a robust base depth up to 5 feet, they groomed the frontside south facing groomers intensively. I warned Liz that steep pitches would be firmer than mellower ones, opposite of most ski areas, but overall the groomers were decent enough. The south facing had a modest impact upon them considering 50 degrees latitude in January and that the sun rarely shines midwinter at Big White.
As predicted the temperature dropped. It was in the 10-15F range with wind on some chairs. After a couple more frontside groomers I wanted to show Liz Gem Lake. But when we rode the slow Powder chair we were both getting chilled and there was bad vis at the top. The Falcon Access trail to get to the Gem lake side looked uphill in the fog, so Liz said she wasn't trying that. She also didn't like the review from other skiers that the top of Gem Lake also had the fog. She wanted to go back to the Village but missed that route on the first try, ending back at Powder chair. So she took a very long break when she got back to the village and only took on e more frontside run after that.
I followed traverse tracks through the stunted trees, eventually sighting a Falcon Access sign and made it to the Blue Sapphire groomer, which was in good shape and empty. When I reached the Gem Lake Warming Hut, I got a cup of soup and warmed up for 35 minutes. When I headed back out I used my glove liners and cinched my jacket hood so that it would not blow back skiing groomers. This was successful in allowing me to ride the 2,400 vertical Gem Lake 4 times. Gem Lake has 24 lift towers. The trees get stunted and spaced past Tower 19 and the thick fog started at Tower 21. So I though the long and nearly empty groomers Blue Sapphire and Kalina's Rainbow were worth the effort.
I ventured onto one black run Blackjack, which looked groomed from the bottom. There was a warning sign at the top, but I ventured in anyway. The upper 2/3 was not groomed. Compared to that Buckshot run at Apex, the snow had more crunch due to SW vs. north exposure, but Blackjack was less steep and the moguls were farther spaced. The bottom third had yesterday's inch of new snow over a prior day's grooming and skied well as almost no one was there.
I had text Liz I would meet where we started at 3PM, and with one ride on Powder chair needed to get back there arrived at 3:05. We skied the 300 vertical happy Valley runs through several ski-in ski-out condo complexes to the car. I finished with 21,300 vertical.
After a warmup run we went up the Alpine T-Bar just in case the fog layer was narrow, as it provides access to the Cliff, a steep open bowl served by a 700 vertical double chair. Message boards indicated the Cliff lift was running, but the fog was so thick I didn't even look for it. We had to follow the blue sticks along the groomer as in Alps.
Big White had a strong early season, getting 70% open by December 8. But as elsewhere in interior B.C. there has not been much snow in January. However with a robust base depth up to 5 feet, they groomed the frontside south facing groomers intensively. I warned Liz that steep pitches would be firmer than mellower ones, opposite of most ski areas, but overall the groomers were decent enough. The south facing had a modest impact upon them considering 50 degrees latitude in January and that the sun rarely shines midwinter at Big White.
As predicted the temperature dropped. It was in the 10-15F range with wind on some chairs. After a couple more frontside groomers I wanted to show Liz Gem Lake. But when we rode the slow Powder chair we were both getting chilled and there was bad vis at the top. The Falcon Access trail to get to the Gem lake side looked uphill in the fog, so Liz said she wasn't trying that. She also didn't like the review from other skiers that the top of Gem Lake also had the fog. She wanted to go back to the Village but missed that route on the first try, ending back at Powder chair. So she took a very long break when she got back to the village and only took on e more frontside run after that.
I followed traverse tracks through the stunted trees, eventually sighting a Falcon Access sign and made it to the Blue Sapphire groomer, which was in good shape and empty. When I reached the Gem Lake Warming Hut, I got a cup of soup and warmed up for 35 minutes. When I headed back out I used my glove liners and cinched my jacket hood so that it would not blow back skiing groomers. This was successful in allowing me to ride the 2,400 vertical Gem Lake 4 times. Gem Lake has 24 lift towers. The trees get stunted and spaced past Tower 19 and the thick fog started at Tower 21. So I though the long and nearly empty groomers Blue Sapphire and Kalina's Rainbow were worth the effort.
I ventured onto one black run Blackjack, which looked groomed from the bottom. There was a warning sign at the top, but I ventured in anyway. The upper 2/3 was not groomed. Compared to that Buckshot run at Apex, the snow had more crunch due to SW vs. north exposure, but Blackjack was less steep and the moguls were farther spaced. The bottom third had yesterday's inch of new snow over a prior day's grooming and skied well as almost no one was there.
I had text Liz I would meet where we started at 3PM, and with one ride on Powder chair needed to get back there arrived at 3:05. We skied the 300 vertical happy Valley runs through several ski-in ski-out condo complexes to the car. I finished with 21,300 vertical.