Snowflakes Keep Fallin’ On My Head
Yes, it’s another powder day in the ‘Boat! The five am report said five new inches at the summit, but it’s been snowing up top this morning and the forecast says there’s more on the way through tomorrow night. It’s starting to pile up and should get better as the day goes on.
The snow is amazing, though the visibility is tricky this morning. The trees are the way to go if you are skiing upper mountain. If tree skiing isn’t your thing, try to stay to the sides of the runs where the trees give some visual perspective, or head to lower mountain where the skies are much clearer.
I started early today and stayed on the Sundown side for the first few. After a groomed and barely tracked run down Sunshine Lift Line to Rolex, I headed for the trees. It’s soft, fluffy and delicious in there today.
Twilight was skiing great with the additional powder padding and the Tomahawk side was skiing smooth. My very favorite run of the day, though was floating through the untracked loveliness in Closets and Shadows. There’s nothing quite like that feeling when all is quiet around you, and you find a sweet powder stash all to yourself. For those few minutes, the world is perfect.
The anticipation of a powder day is half the fun. You know it’s coming. You wait for the flakes to start falling. You start obsessively checking the mountain cams, namely the summit snow stick. Your bed is warm and cozy, yet the second your alarm goes off, you call the snow report, look out the window and start the snow blowing, breakfast on the fly, gear gathering frenzy to get to the mountain.
Once here, you can relax and go where the conditions take you. Lower mountain was also skiing great with some nice powder on Surprise. See Me is always an inspiring end to the morning, making turns and watching our spectacular valley wake up.
For me this week, all this glorious snow also means lots of shoveling, so I don’t ruin all of my husband’s careful efforts to create a totally Zen and pristine driveway. My not learning the art of snow blowing in time for his unexpected departure out of the country last week has left me stuck with the good old fashioned shovel, and begging favors of a handy friend with a snow plow.
Snow removal is serious business in the Yampa Valley, and there is a certain finesse to it. A combination of snow blowing, ice picking and shoveling, and never, I repeat, never driving over the crusty lip left by the street plow. (Will he really be able to tell I did this a couple times?) I must say, his many hours spent keeping a path to our garage and front door were rather under appreciated until I was left to my own devices.
Clear your own path and make it up to Mt. Werner today for some sweet powder turns!
Jessica Berg, Alpine skier
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