Bookends
Well, it’s spring going on summer, and I got fried, deep fried. The Sun was out and cooking from the first bell. Mineral basin offered back country quality corn goodness, where the East facing was offering 2” of deluxe softness. The key was to follow the Sun and keep just ahead of the full bake. Turns needed to be smoozed for best results, otherwise you might punch through the crust and grab an edge. Smoozing worked well, and kept the fun quotient high. After Mineral got worked, it was time to start hitting the front of the hill, where, by 11:30 AM. the sticky factor started getting tricky on the lower third of the hill. West facing was the last exposure to go off, with the sticky factor moving to the top at 1:30 PM., and my
West facing debris
knees could take no more. Tomorrow, depending on the overnight temps., will offer excellent sliding on the Groomers, as the off trail got fully worked and tracked out with the softness of the afternoon. The off trail should return to approachability as the Sun works the sequential exposures, so follow the Sun. The West facing aspects were heavily damaged with slide debris, leaving very few lines between the debris fields, so sojourns out the Cirque Traverse will not be particularly rewarding on those Exposures. The North facing was quite punchable, and did not develop the good supportable crust the other exposures were offering, so be aware of that bit of complexity. I think that the early risers will get the best of the day once again. Plan on starting early and ending early, as the sticky fly paper effect could/will be seriously problematic in the later hours. I am putting up these two shots to illustrate the sweet goodness in juxtaposition to the seriously compromised West facing. See you in the AM. Ciao!!