Back at Work

Great first day of snow reporting on Friday, with fresh snow falling, and the start of night skiing, too. Dreams come true every Friday!

Opening Day at Meadows

The 2010-2011 season is off to a good start, with 30+ inches and counting on Mt. Hood. I enjoyed a low-impact opening day, making a few runs, and relaxing in the lodge, along with a few meetings to get the snow reporting team back on track. This should be an awesome ski season, with the La Niña weather pattern promising abundant snow and colder temperatures for the winter.

I'll be resuming my duties at Meadows on a reduced schedule, working on the mountain on Fridays, and taking up early morning snowphone duties every other week on Monday & Tuesday. There is no hope that I will match last season for riding days, but I have set a tentative target of 30 days for myself. I'll keep you posted on my progress...

Anthony Lakes

I knew from the drive to La Grande last night that the winds would be an issue today. Unfortunately the chair at Anthony Lakes is very exposed at the summit, and it was impossible to load skiers today, so I was riding the handle tow all morning hoping for the wind to die down. It never did, so I stopped in the lodge for lunch, and then hit the road for Portland. Still, it was not a total waste. I got to try the special burger called a "Meaty Mogul". An all beef patty topped with a slice of roast beef, a slice of turkey, a slice of ham and two strips of bacon. That sure hit the spot!

Summit at Mt. Bachelor

After years of trying to catch a good day for riding the Summit at Bachelor, I finally got my chance today. The snow was a few days old, but holding up well, and the weather was absolutely awesome. I managed to get on the summit early, and enjoyed carving the groomers and exploring stashes of fresh snow as I made my way down. I explored the front side rather extensively, leaving the backside for another day, as riding alone is discouraged on those slopes.

The turns were great, and the wide open groomers provided well-earned relief after a few laps off the trails. The snow was soft and packed powder, with plenty of moguls, and also some fresh tracks left to be made. I carved my share in the bowl, and even down to the cat track, finding stashes of pow and spring conditions depending on the aspect. It was a nice day for photos, too.

Skiesta at Mt. Ashland

Conditions today at Mt. Ashland were surprisingly good. Even though the snow was a few days old, there were untracked patches, and the powder remained light and fluffy on upper slopes. It was a fantastic day to be on the mountain, with festivities ongoing, including a dummy downhill. I enjoyed a full day of riding on the steeps and in the trees, and found the snow was soft and very ridable all over. I hit it hard for the morning, doing fast laps on the Ariel and Windsor chairs, and poking around the trees below the bowl.

The dummy downhill was a great diversion in the early afternoon, and after a few more laps, I was done for the day. With more and larger turns on tap for tomorrow, I decided to call it a good day and get on my way.

Skibowl Scraping By

Skibowl has had a challenging season, and today they opened after a period of low snow had forced unplanned closures. Thankfully this weekend looks like it will keep them running for some time to come. Although the low snowpack required that many runs were roped off, there was enough to groom all of the Multorpor side, which was in pretty good shape. I enjoyed cruising for a couple of hours, and sampled all the groomed trails before calling it a day. It was a fun trip to Skibowl, but I do hope they get a good late season to make up for the shortage of snow so far.

Hoodoo sans Hodag

Today was a wet and wild day at Hoodoo. Eight inches of heavy, wet, untracked snow covered the off-groom with a tempting but dangerous surface that I could not resist cutting to pieces. It was hard work on the wet, heavy snow, but there was no competition on the hill, in the soaking rain that was falling from top to bottom, which to be fair was slushy higher up.

Mystery at Willamette Pass

I belong to the Mountain High Snowsports Club, and so far have enjoyed only one actual club trip (I am also a second year PACRAT), which was a trip to White Pass a couple of years ago.

This year, my unusual job situation has made club trips less attractive for me, so I have gone back to solo travel. Today my plan changed in an unexpected and fun way. The trip to White Pass was one where the trip leaders didn't share the destination with the attendees until the bus was underway. A "Mystery Trip" in the club vernacular.

As I was donning my boots in the lodge this morning, I solved this year's mystery. Mountain High had come in force to Willamette Pass. Of course, with five inches of fresh snow, I would not be waiting for them to catch up. I got ahead of the masses and lapped the backside six times, making the most of a powder day, and carving big arcs in wide open fields of snow. No friends on a powder day is true to a point, but after getting a few laps under my belt, I decided to tag along with the mystery trippers and see where they might lead me.

We had some great runs down the trails and in the trees, and it was interesting to be part of a mass of skiers and riders descending a hill together. The snow was great, and we all managed to find plenty of new lines through the day. I had companions to ride with, to dine with, and later there was even some filming of some human slalom and spins.