Happy to be posting what appears to be the 1st trip report for the Mt. Waterman grand re-opening this weekend.
Took photos, to follow.
My first time at Mt. Waterman, after hearing about it for years. Arrived at the resort sometime around 730. Lift nor ticket office weren't opened yet, but Ski Patrol and other staff were busily milling around getting things ready.
Ch1 opened at about 9am, my buddy and I got 1st chair. Lots of shadows on the face, but looked like great coverage overall from the chair.
1st chair up Ch1
Headed over to Ch2 to do laps; it was up and running.
Lots of snow at Waterman. Lift cables (such as Ch2) were hanging low in a lot of areas, so Patrol spent good bit of time in the morning adjusting pads & roping off.
Riding up Ch2:
One of the runs down Ch2
Did laps on Ch2 to start; groomed stuff was hard early (typical SoCal), but softening up nicely around 930-10am. Towards the end of the day typically soft/thick/slushy SoCal. Off-piste, thick hard-pack/ice layer (varied 1/2 to 3/4" inch) over soft snow. A few small jumps were built off one of the Ch2 intermediate runs.
Hard-pack layer:
Face runs were open; Wallbanger was nice around 10am; shadows were still hard, choppy crud, but skiing it off helped. In the sun, the snow was softening to a nice chunky consistency (later to the verge of slush).
Wallbanger, morning, looking uphill about 1/2 way down:
Skier's right runs (named Jacks' Run and Ridge Run, also called 1, 2, 2.5, and 3) were open. 2 and 2.5 were the nicest: soft stuff all the way down, no crud to power thru, including the "funnel" part towards the bottom. Didn't ski 1; 3 (Ridge Run/Robin's Run) was hard-pack and "shiny", with some breakable crud and soft snow in sunny spots. Really would be better once it's skiied down a bit more; don't know if they groom any of these.
Ch3 was not open; staff & patrol report that it's buried in a lot of snow, and must be dug out. Digging has begun, but recent rain formed a thick ice layer that's hard to cut thru. I heard that it may open next weekend.
No bumps to speak of anywhere, even on well-traveled Wallbanger; people were still busting crud all day on that one. By the time we left (around 230 or so) it was substantially softer though.
Wallbanger about 2pm:
Kudos to the Metcalfs and other co-owners, all employees, patrol, for making a great opening day. Things ran very smoothly for a place that's been closed, by my estimates, for at least 5 years! Thanks to Lynn Newcomb (who was there, watching) for keeping this place alive for so many years.
Welcome back, Mt. Waterman. Hope you stay for a long, long time!
End of our day:
* PRAY FOR SNOW *
cranbo
Took photos, to follow.
My first time at Mt. Waterman, after hearing about it for years. Arrived at the resort sometime around 730. Lift nor ticket office weren't opened yet, but Ski Patrol and other staff were busily milling around getting things ready.
Ch1 opened at about 9am, my buddy and I got 1st chair. Lots of shadows on the face, but looked like great coverage overall from the chair.
1st chair up Ch1
Headed over to Ch2 to do laps; it was up and running.
Lots of snow at Waterman. Lift cables (such as Ch2) were hanging low in a lot of areas, so Patrol spent good bit of time in the morning adjusting pads & roping off.
Riding up Ch2:
One of the runs down Ch2
Did laps on Ch2 to start; groomed stuff was hard early (typical SoCal), but softening up nicely around 930-10am. Towards the end of the day typically soft/thick/slushy SoCal. Off-piste, thick hard-pack/ice layer (varied 1/2 to 3/4" inch) over soft snow. A few small jumps were built off one of the Ch2 intermediate runs.
Hard-pack layer:
Face runs were open; Wallbanger was nice around 10am; shadows were still hard, choppy crud, but skiing it off helped. In the sun, the snow was softening to a nice chunky consistency (later to the verge of slush).
Wallbanger, morning, looking uphill about 1/2 way down:
Skier's right runs (named Jacks' Run and Ridge Run, also called 1, 2, 2.5, and 3) were open. 2 and 2.5 were the nicest: soft stuff all the way down, no crud to power thru, including the "funnel" part towards the bottom. Didn't ski 1; 3 (Ridge Run/Robin's Run) was hard-pack and "shiny", with some breakable crud and soft snow in sunny spots. Really would be better once it's skiied down a bit more; don't know if they groom any of these.
Ch3 was not open; staff & patrol report that it's buried in a lot of snow, and must be dug out. Digging has begun, but recent rain formed a thick ice layer that's hard to cut thru. I heard that it may open next weekend.
No bumps to speak of anywhere, even on well-traveled Wallbanger; people were still busting crud all day on that one. By the time we left (around 230 or so) it was substantially softer though.
Wallbanger about 2pm:
Kudos to the Metcalfs and other co-owners, all employees, patrol, for making a great opening day. Things ran very smoothly for a place that's been closed, by my estimates, for at least 5 years! Thanks to Lynn Newcomb (who was there, watching) for keeping this place alive for so many years.
Welcome back, Mt. Waterman. Hope you stay for a long, long time!
End of our day:
* PRAY FOR SNOW *
cranbo
Hold on...