I plain, flat out, ran out of time yesterday, and even though I had the best intentions of getting yesterday’s post out, I just could not fit it in.  Today I will be doing a double up post for Friday and Saturday.  Friday morning had flat light, no wind, no new, but at least 15” of 0%.  The Peruvian side was, decidedly firmer than the Gad side.  Areas immediately under the guns should be taken with caution as very slick spots have been cropping up right there.  I almost got sideways under one, but I pulled it in just before being launched off a Cat track.  That would have been most entertaining.  The recent rise in humidity had firmed up the snow pack considerably eliminating Thursday’s carve fest.  The off trail has been explored thoroughly exposing most of the serious threats and is now workable at slower speeds.  Each section is full of  gnarly features, which can be avoided by using the force and paying attention.  Full on moguls have formed on upper Silver Fox and Primrose, so those seeking the bumps will certainly find them there.   The West facing Off the Cirque Traverse remains problematic and the East facing still has thin cover with loose scree underneath eliminating any chance of avoidance.  Use care in the first 150 Vertical ‘ as you descend the Lower Cirque.   For Saturday the Mineral Basin and Little Cloud will be open for the first time this season, however,  the Little Cloud chair will remain closed.   Reports from patrol suggest , to the suggestible reader, that the snow pack out in Mineral Basin is covered with a healthy Zipper Crust .  You know how much fun that can be, so use the appropriate caution when you venture in there.  The Basin has been thoroughly worked by the machines giving you a solid escape route, should you need it.   Little cloud had markedly better reports , but you can rest assured that the density will still be a factor and punch-ability a given.   Off trail on the lower mountain is still very precarious, though it has been skied wall to wall, it seems to be a tad more consistent than last week.  Snow making continues in spots up and down the hill, giving those rocky spots the extra cushion .    OK.  I will be heading to Boston for a week to visit the parental units for the holiday so the posting will, again , be via remote viewing.  I will still be posting , just now without the first hand  narrative.   Have a great week here.  New snow on the way mid week will give you all the freshness that you deserve.  Happy holidays to you all!! Peace Out!

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 19th, 2009 at 9:13 am and is filed under Snow Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.