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| 24hr Snow | 12 cm | 7 Day Snow | 43 cm | Snowbase | 238 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Temp | -8 °C | Valley Temp | 0 °C | Conditions | Powder / Soft Pack |
It doesn’t get much better than this – another 10cm fell overnight while the temperatures were hovering around -10C (ie light,fluffy powder!). It got a little warmer during the day (around -6) but the snow remained awesome. We also had brilliant sunshine most of the day, and overall the visibility was perfect.
Fresh Tracks Everywhere – Again 
There is a slightly sketchy level around mid-mountain where the snow is hovering around the thaw/freeze temperatures. Above that – the snow is fantastic for everything from the groomers to the steeps. The lower mountain is not somewhere I normally ski early in the day, but by around 1pm it is already becoming ‘slush’ and lots of fun to bomb down. Not blistering hot Spring slush, but its getting there.
The forecast seems to predict rising temperatures and freezing levels – so this could be the last of our ‘light’ powder. It looks like more snow on the way, but it might be more like the normal for this time of year – ie heavy pow in the alpine with rain in the valley. Hopefully I (well the forecast) am wrong, and the temps drop low when the snow arrives and we get some more awesome powder days
Side note: We happened to share Glacier Express chair with 2 tele-markers who were full of questions about where to ski etc… (since Spankys was not open yet) So we showed them a nice line with ‘Smoked Salmon’ being the center piece. Great snow in there so it was smiles all round. We then skied a lap through Ruby Bowl with them, with the best bit being ‘Gummy Bear’ (a new fav of mine) where we also got to watch some daredevil drop the highest part of Midway Rock (around 10-15m I guess).
Anyway, these 2 tele-markers were REALLY good, basically taking the steepest/narrowest lines they could find. It ends up they were Billy Demong (USA) and Magnus Moan (Norway) – both are competitors in the Nordic Combined event (combines Cross Country Skiing and Ski Jumping). It was apparently Magnus’s first day this season of actually skiing (not counting XC and the Ski Jump of course). Very impressive.
They did mention a few events they had won/placed and what their overall standing is – but I forgot – so I looked up the FIS website and it appears they are currently ranked 2nd and 3rd in the World Cup standings. They are in town for one last look at the Callahan Valley – the site for the 2010 Winter Olympics for their discipline.
Anyway, they were friendly guys, and I wish them both the best of luck for the rest of this season and for the Olympics next year.
Sunday, April 5. I’ll give you a little weekend update. Saturday and Sunday both had unlimited visibility and temps around freezing (Celcius) but with the sunny skies it often felt warmer, especially after a big bump run! I finally left my neck tube at home! Today I was overdressed for the bottom half of the mountain wearing my winter pants and jacket with one light fleece. I was ok up top where it’s still cooler, but don’t like to be so sweaty at the end of a run. I should have worn just a layer of Goretex and a base layer and light fleece. Goggles or sunglasses? I ended up wearing my goggles. Like I said, it’s still cool up top. That’s it for the clothing report.
Crowds were lighter this weekend. The snow is still winter-like in the alpine. In Cockalorum for example, it was hard pack, with a firm slide in. Same with Blow Hole. I don’t do cornices. Xiggy’s on Blackcomb still had powder in spots on Saturday but because of the exposure it wasn’t exactly the light stuff. The snow softened to spring slush around half-way down lower Franz’s. I think the temps are supposed to rise this week bringing the slush level much higher up the mountain. Some of the mid-mountain skiing is getting a bit tricky with the snow starting to get sticky and yucky little moguls popping up here and there. (I like a proper mogul run, however.) No bare spots and tons of terrain and amazing views. Everyone’s smiling.
Great report Wugmother ! Thanks