It was raining in the parking lot this morning at a moderate rate. It was turning to snow at Tower 1 on the Tram line. There was a short delay due to some icing conditions on the lifts, but the hill opened up and it was go time. Reports coming off the mountain, spoke of a dense quality even up on the peak levels that were smooth and floaty for the upper thousand feet, but got progressively soggy lower down on the hill. I made a bee line for the Forklift Restaurant to assess the options and gather data from some of the early Seven Summits groups. The rain stopped around 10:30, with some signs of clearing in the valley, but the weather was still active as the flow continued. There were some discussions about the appropriate wax for the conditions, but a solid agreement of what was working was still up in the air.
Tomorrow, I’ll be looking for the machine worked lines to offer the best consistency for ride, with the off trail promising to be variable depending on how much traffic and overnight colder temps will affect the pack. With as much moisture that was delivered, it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. I am keeping my fingers crossed and will be approaching the pack with care and a round attack. Temps will still be unseasonably warm, so I think the pack will soften quite a bit and not be too icy, however, we’ll have to get to it and see it up close and personal. Stay Frosty!!