The South wind was sending giant plumes of transported snow to fill the High North facing aspects as first Tram left the dock. The winds on the peak were pounding, reducing the visibility despite the clear morning. Dropping off the peak revealed some wonderful wind deposited excellence that continued to improve as the day wore on. There had been prepared goodness, featuring two lower mountain drops, one of which has, to my knowledge, never been treated to this special treatment. The direct Sun exposures from yesterday were to be avoided, but the other off trail shots were very nice and held up well under the low traffic. The Sun came out full force after the cloud deck moved off, making the radiant heat start cooking the snow pack, which took on a pasty and sticky consistency on the lower 2000′ of the hill. This South wind is heralding another series of storms that will be moving through for the next 4 days. The mountain has regained the smooth factor, so any accumulation will offer hard charging lines, though consideration of the Sun affected aspects will keep the ride much more reliable. Tomorrow, the new accumulation will push us back away from the spring threshold and bring back the winter feel. The corn cycle will begin soon enough, but in the mean time this extra dose of winter is a bonus round for those of us who are trying to stave off the inevitable. Last season brought some truly memorable powder sessions in late April, so I think we can look forward to this season keeping up the pace that it has already laid down. See you for first boat in the AM. IBBY!!
STAGE SET
4-05-11 by dave