It was quite cool this morning, with a light turn out for the first Tram of the day. Stoke was high, and the usual suspects were the first group in line for the festivities. The sky was quite overcast, with very flat light and high winds working the peak. The main face had been worked with industrial smoothing efforts, but some variations in moisture content coming from the snow guns had cause a super slick section of vertical to start the pitch. Everyone was working left to circumvent the section, where the snow was much more dialable on the steep sections. There were some good turns to be had, however, the marginal flat light visibility made a deliberate approach a wise choice. It was great to be back on the peak, and I absorbed as much of that energy as possible.
I also took some time to sit in the silence and tranquility of The Summit watching the wind drive plumes of driven snow past the windows.
Tomorrow, look for still challenging conditions off the peak. Take your time and feel out the pack when hitting the vertical pitch and plan a more left hand traverse to get around that slick upper section. Coverage on the prepared lines is still quite good, and very consistent grooming efforts make the lines smooth and dialable. See you there for the morning session. It is very good training for when the deep arrives. Stay Focused!!