These two days rated to be the toughest of Iron Blosam week, with little sun after several days of melt/freeze. However it remained relatively warm and about 30% of the mountain retained winter snow. I also continued in the mode of getting out late and then skiing to closing bell for softer snow. On Wednesday 3/11 I was mostly with Al Solish, skiing midday on Little Cloud. The timing to meet him at top of Gadzoom led me to a bulletproof “not recommended” first run on Regulator Johnson. The light was somewhat flat but actual clouds/fog were above the mountains Wednesday. We skied Mark Malu, a Rasta chute and Hoops, all still in winter mode.
Liz met us for a short lunch and we then skied Gad 2, first a groomer, then STH and finally I found a nice line through the trees that cut under the lift below the exposed rock bands. In the afternoon the wind came up and blew some windsift into Peruvian Gulch and also into STH and the nearby trees. We also found lower Bassackwards to Tricep a smooth and quiet alternative to the usual congestion on Big Emma. At the end of the day I took a tram and ventured into Macaroni Chute, which had completely filled with windsift. The open area of Primrose/Silver Fox below it remained mostly firm chalk.
Thursday 3/12 started out as the most unpleasant day of the week. It was predicted to snow overnight, but the snow started in the morning and was intermittent. It was also close to sleet at the base, and the lower quarter of the mountain softened at least as much as on sunny days. Two of Liz’ Diamond Dogs ski friends, Ike and Lilly, were visiting so we met them at 11:30. Most of Thursday there was fog on the upper mountain with some variable fog bands mid-mountain as well. Thus we spent most of our time on Gad 2 for better visibility. Ike and I skied STH, Bananas trees and some groomers. Again we skied through the trees to get under the Gad 2 liftline.
We skied down to Gadzoom a couple of times, once via Tricep and once through the Elmer Fudd gully below Gad 2, which we realized would have soft snow from the day’s conditions.
We came out of lunch at 2:25 uninspired as the visibility still looked bad. Fortunately as we approached the top of Gadzoom, Road to Provo was visible so we headed up Little Cloud. At the top Ike looked over the edge into Mineral Basin, which had a smooth layer of untouched snow. However, I knew what the subsurface there had to be, so we headed out the Bookends Traverse. The Endoras had a moderate pitch with enough windsift and new snow for some soft cruising. Once we cut back to the Powder Paradise side and for an encore run Ike and I squeezed through the same chute in the Flora Cliffs I had skied Sunday. We managed to get a third run in smooth snow below the old Hillary Step rocks before Mineral Basin closed at 3:30.
Returning to the front side I led Ike and Liz to Macaroni Chute.
This had been skied out since Wednesday, but the open area of Primrose/Silver Fox below had filled in with soft snow and skied far better than the day before.
Liz and Ike were quite pleased with our final 1.5 hours. These were rather quiet as many people gave up on the weather by 2PM or so. I skied 20,300 on Wednesday and 21,100 on Thursday.
Liz met us for a short lunch and we then skied Gad 2, first a groomer, then STH and finally I found a nice line through the trees that cut under the lift below the exposed rock bands. In the afternoon the wind came up and blew some windsift into Peruvian Gulch and also into STH and the nearby trees. We also found lower Bassackwards to Tricep a smooth and quiet alternative to the usual congestion on Big Emma. At the end of the day I took a tram and ventured into Macaroni Chute, which had completely filled with windsift. The open area of Primrose/Silver Fox below it remained mostly firm chalk.
Thursday 3/12 started out as the most unpleasant day of the week. It was predicted to snow overnight, but the snow started in the morning and was intermittent. It was also close to sleet at the base, and the lower quarter of the mountain softened at least as much as on sunny days. Two of Liz’ Diamond Dogs ski friends, Ike and Lilly, were visiting so we met them at 11:30. Most of Thursday there was fog on the upper mountain with some variable fog bands mid-mountain as well. Thus we spent most of our time on Gad 2 for better visibility. Ike and I skied STH, Bananas trees and some groomers. Again we skied through the trees to get under the Gad 2 liftline.
We skied down to Gadzoom a couple of times, once via Tricep and once through the Elmer Fudd gully below Gad 2, which we realized would have soft snow from the day’s conditions.
We came out of lunch at 2:25 uninspired as the visibility still looked bad. Fortunately as we approached the top of Gadzoom, Road to Provo was visible so we headed up Little Cloud. At the top Ike looked over the edge into Mineral Basin, which had a smooth layer of untouched snow. However, I knew what the subsurface there had to be, so we headed out the Bookends Traverse. The Endoras had a moderate pitch with enough windsift and new snow for some soft cruising. Once we cut back to the Powder Paradise side and for an encore run Ike and I squeezed through the same chute in the Flora Cliffs I had skied Sunday. We managed to get a third run in smooth snow below the old Hillary Step rocks before Mineral Basin closed at 3:30.
Returning to the front side I led Ike and Liz to Macaroni Chute.
This had been skied out since Wednesday, but the open area of Primrose/Silver Fox below had filled in with soft snow and skied far better than the day before.
Liz and Ike were quite pleased with our final 1.5 hours. These were rather quiet as many people gave up on the weather by 2PM or so. I skied 20,300 on Wednesday and 21,100 on Thursday.