There was precious little accumulation overnight which had been preceded by some very wet precipitation that had set up on the lower mountain as a hard glaze. The upper mountain was offering some sumptuous high density velvet that stuck to the snow pack and covered everything. What was smooth was smooth, what was lumpy stayed lumpy with the addition of the new, so it paid to remember the smooth. The High North was smooth and wind buffed and the West facing also had smoothed out for the most part. I did get one run in the Sun, but that was a gift that I paid close attention too. Light snow continued all day, but the lower elevations were getting a bit lumpy and sticky. The grooming crew did a nice job of tenderizing the main lines, but the hard pack on the bottom was tricky until warming turned it into a corn like consistency on the lower part of the hill. It was snowing briskly when I left and continued unsettled weather may add to the snow pack and every bit makes a big difference. The conditions have improved markedly with each additional increment of dust, so get there early for the best of the day. This pattern will continue for the next few days, with fresh additions possible at any time of the day. The visibility was so iffy today that I did not get a shot off, so here is another shot of the beach back in the day. I could not resist. Peace Out!!
HARD GLAZE
12-05-12 by dave