Merry Christmas, Mt. Bachelor Summit open! Bluebird, pow too

[schubwa]

Wow, what a week. After last week's three feet and subsequent mists, we were looking forward to some forecasted colder snows. Monday started off with high freezing levels and then they plummeted. About three inches had accumulated by nightfall and then another 8 inches fell overnight. Tuesday we had great powder conditions with the right side up goods. I had some stellar runs out past Outback under the NW Express lift. Wednesday was another wonderful day with clear skies and they opened Northwest for the first time this season. I couldn't go due to (work) but I knew the Summit chair was due to open.

Summit opened right at 9 and I was there. Looking like some nice drifted powder in the bowls. I decided to hike to the top and drop the Cirque Bowl, adjacent to the Pinnacles in this photo.

A good look at some of the terrain on the west side of Cirque Bowl.

Heading up, looking good. No wind, bluebird...quite unusual.

Just a few guys ahead of me.

My second run on the frontside, but I noticed a gate open that accesses (my fav), the South Bowls.

Heading out back, with skiers hiking up to get to the top and front side runs. Looks like Ice Station Zebra.

Thanks Santa, even though it was a day early!

Lower down the snow was laying in there soft.

 

[Marc_C]

Looks great. Would be kinda nice to know what ski area you're reporting on though!

 

[EMSC]

Great Pictures. And Marc_C I'm just not buying that you don't know where he's reporting.

For the lurkers, that would be Mt Bachelor.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Looking at base depths I would have thought Summit and NW would have opened a week or two ago. Summit could have been waiting for a weather window, but do you think Powdr Corp was holding off until the skier traffic picked up for the holidays.

I agree with MarcC's comment and will change the heading. Most of us know now the area is Mt. Bachelor, but when someone is browsing through archives a couple of years from now it won't be so easy.

 

[skilo]

Tony, as your friends in Utah like to point out the stats dont always tell the picture in the mountains. The conditions were the factor in opening days for both Northwest and the Summit this year. The cool thing is that because of the way the coverage came in Summit is open 360 through the west gap but not off the normal south entrance. This is early for that to happen.

 

[Marc_C]

Great Pictures. And Marc_C I'm just not buying that you don't know where he's reporting.

Um, Ok, but I really didn't have a clue, having never been nor paying any attention to any but a tiny few relatively well known lift names.