schubwa
New member
The guys keep saying they've had more good days off the top this year than the last two years combined. I have to agree. We were expecting more snow for today, but in reality it dove south and Cali (Mammoth) got the goods.
So I didn't expect bluebird this morning, but I'll take it. I rushed up knowing they don't take any time to open the top anymore and it's Saturday. The chairs were already on the line at 8:30 as I drove up so better put on the boots quickly. I do remember reports from Friday mentioning east winds so I'm thinking a different transport situation this morning. We had about 2" yesterday, quite dense and warmish, then another 1" overnight with much colder temps. Certainly not the epic setup like Thursday, but hey, it's another bluebird day and I don't have to go to work! Still, I reckon the west facing aspects will have good veins of wind pack, since it was very windy Friday as well.
So it's pretty scoured off the back due to the wind direction. But if you looked you could get soft windboard on the leeward aspects.
It gets very moonlike and wild back there. It was actually decent down by the West Catchline, but not much vert. I'm outa here. Kwohl Butte is one of my favorite BC haunts with that left flank serving up some spicy turns. You ski down Cow's Face and then skin up.
So back up NWX and it's looking sweet on the upper half due to wind transport. I meet up with Rob and we get three solid runs near Devil's Backbone and Snapshot alley. Pockets of deep still left over from Thursday with new on top. After a lap down by the Halfpipe to say hi to Carson, my 22 year old son who was announcing for today's Enter The Dragon competition, I decided to head back up and check out the frontside runs of the Summit Chair.
So I'm snapping some pics peering down the north facing Pinnacles runs a short hike up from the top of Summit. The wind had been kind to these runs today and there was soft cream cheese in the steeper sections.
It's actually very steep through these gaps. We just don't have lots of scary steep stuff here, so that's why I ride a board, much more challenging in steeper terrain. Plus it's easier on the old boy.
A view west just a few steps from the true summit of the mountain. This is very typical as the top rolls over into steeper terrain lower down. You usually have to battle some sastrugi and frozen coral at first and then it gets better. You can see the bottom of the NWX Chair nearly 3400 vert lower down on the right.
So I didn't expect bluebird this morning, but I'll take it. I rushed up knowing they don't take any time to open the top anymore and it's Saturday. The chairs were already on the line at 8:30 as I drove up so better put on the boots quickly. I do remember reports from Friday mentioning east winds so I'm thinking a different transport situation this morning. We had about 2" yesterday, quite dense and warmish, then another 1" overnight with much colder temps. Certainly not the epic setup like Thursday, but hey, it's another bluebird day and I don't have to go to work! Still, I reckon the west facing aspects will have good veins of wind pack, since it was very windy Friday as well.
So it's pretty scoured off the back due to the wind direction. But if you looked you could get soft windboard on the leeward aspects.
It gets very moonlike and wild back there. It was actually decent down by the West Catchline, but not much vert. I'm outa here. Kwohl Butte is one of my favorite BC haunts with that left flank serving up some spicy turns. You ski down Cow's Face and then skin up.
So back up NWX and it's looking sweet on the upper half due to wind transport. I meet up with Rob and we get three solid runs near Devil's Backbone and Snapshot alley. Pockets of deep still left over from Thursday with new on top. After a lap down by the Halfpipe to say hi to Carson, my 22 year old son who was announcing for today's Enter The Dragon competition, I decided to head back up and check out the frontside runs of the Summit Chair.
So I'm snapping some pics peering down the north facing Pinnacles runs a short hike up from the top of Summit. The wind had been kind to these runs today and there was soft cream cheese in the steeper sections.
It's actually very steep through these gaps. We just don't have lots of scary steep stuff here, so that's why I ride a board, much more challenging in steeper terrain. Plus it's easier on the old boy.
A view west just a few steps from the true summit of the mountain. This is very typical as the top rolls over into steeper terrain lower down. You usually have to battle some sastrugi and frozen coral at first and then it gets better. You can see the bottom of the NWX Chair nearly 3400 vert lower down on the right.