Mark Renson
New member
On Sunday, I headed up with other patrollers to Smuggs for a Senior S&T Seminar <BR>(that's Ski & Toboggan for the NSP). A light snow was falling and accumulating. So, up the M1 chair we went and down Chilcoot we went, working on some basic ski skills that we would be tested on for the Senior S&T exam. These sort of things get extremely technical, but hey, skiing is a <BR>technically demanding sport. <BR> For the next run, we broke out the sled. We eschewed Doc Dempsey's for Upper F.I.S. We took turns at riding (that's sitting on our <BR>arse in the sled), getting in the handles (that's macho Patroller-speak for pulling the toboggan and driving it) and running the tag line (that's the patroller in the rear holding that rope - sometimes called the tag line - acting as a back-up belay). <BR> After FIS, we stumbled upon an incident and helped out with the first aid. Afterwards, <BR>we resumed in the Moonshiner's Glades. Conditions were perfect for pulling sleds - not <BR>too much powder so that it builds up and gets in the way, but just enough to soften things ups. <BR> After a while, we were ready for Doc Dempsey's where we entered the World of Senior <BR>Level+ terrain and became hardmen/hardwomen Patrollers and grew hair on our breasts. <BR> Conditions here were outstanding. I was struggling with the tag line a bit, but <BR>sharpened my skills in the handles. Afterwards, we cruised back down ti the Moonshiner with Bill the Instructor barking at me to push harder with my snowplowing - "Mark, edge harder, pain is good!, pain is good!". You ain't really snowplowing unless your'e in pain - thighs, buns, hamstrings, calves; lean forward, edge-edge-edge, skis at a right angle, ooowwww!!!! <BR> In the afternoon, we were turned back at the M1 lift. High winds meant that we were only allowed to bring up a sled if it was an emergency and practicing ain't an emergency. So, it was over to Sterling we went. Down Bootlegger and then Poacher's Woods, the latter being an intermediate but man, that looked pretty black to me. It was on our last run through this route that I really clicked, especially since I adapted a far better way to do rope management on the tag line. In the handles, I picked out a sweet line and cruised through it smoothly. <BR> We had a bit of time at the end of the day, so I headed up the M1. Many had left for the day and in the flat light/murky skies, we headed down Drfiter-Shuttle-Rumrunner. Conditions were oustanding sans a few spots of wind scouring. <BR> Fresh powder had been packed down and not-so-BRUTALLY GROOMED by winds, leaving a luxurious silky carpet far superior to anything that could be laid down by a Bombardier. Sorry, but Mother Nature rules. The run was so nice, long and peaceful that I went for seconds while "K" had enough. I grabbed a chair at roughly 3:55 and drooled over what I thought was Robin's Run (I'm still not totally familiar with 'da Crotch). But, I checked in with the Patrol Shack to see if they needed a hand with Sweep and got a "no, but check with the top of M2, they probbaly need a hand". So, I did an equally nice (equal to the <BR>prior run) run down Chilcoot (I blew it, I coulda' taken D.D's but whatever, I had a <BR>great run down Chilcoot) and checked in and was drafted. They showed me the huge drift between the shack and the M2 lift - in excess of 10 feet and the lifties dug out a cool snow cave system. I was assigned Father Bob's through Lower Chilcoot and after getting befuddled on a ledge (rewarded with sweet drifted snow after I dropped it) kept on enjoying the wind groomed powder treats down to the lodge where I had 2 Stovepipes for dessert.
