mar 30, 2008

24hr snow = 1cm
base depth = 276cm
cumulative = 944cm
freezing level = overnight valley
days riding = 58

five day forecast
day1 0 day2 3-5 day3 0 day4 0 day5 0

had a couple of good days up there recently. crowds have died off and the conditions have been pretty good on and off piste.
looks like it's warming up this week, not much snow in sight. i expect we'll still get one or two more good dumps in the alpine before we're done for the season. hard to believe my first day of mountain biking was april 1 last year. still tons of snow in the valley right now.

snow coverage: A-
snow quality: B
run selection: A-
crowds: B+
visibility: A
overall: B+

mar 28, 2008

24hr snow = 8cm
base depth = 279cm
cumulative = 952cm
freezing level = overnight valley
days riding = 58

five day forecast
day1 0-2 day2 0 day3 0-2 day4 0 day5 0

are we going to hit a 300cm base this year? looking doubtful now...
snow's still good cause it's been cold, the latest snow system is moving out and we'll be back to spring sun next week.

mar 27, 2008

24hr snow = 6cm
base depth = 278cm
cumulative = 944cm
freezing level = overnight valley
days riding = 58

five day forecast
day1 se3-6 day2 se10 day3 2-4 day4 0 day5 0

my first day of alpine powder in two weeks. the temps have been steady around -10C in the alpine, so any new snow is well preserved, and we've been getting refresher layers every other day. it wasn't like a 35cm powder day, but soft, semi-tracked snow to be found everywhere. overall the conditions are very good. the lower mountain is rock hard every morning but by the afternoon has softened into good corn.

snow coverage: A
snow quality: B+
run selection: A
crowds: A-
visibility: C
overall: B+

mar 24, 2008

24hr snow = 24cm
base depth = 270cm
cumulative = 929cm
freezing level = 1000m
days riding = 57

five day forecast
day1 s10 day2 s5 day3 5-10 day4 2-5 day5 1-3

24cm + march break = ridiculous crowds. been too busy to put in anything more than a few runs lately, but any hope of hitting the alpine was shot down due to enormous lines. i'm sure there is some great snow to be found up there, heard it was pretty wind affected. i did a couple of mid and lower mountain laps, where the groomers were decent until about 200m from the valley where it turns to a sheet of ice.

snow coverage: A
snow quality: B-
run selection: C+
crowds: D
visibility: B
overall: C+

mar 22, 2008

24hr snow = 4cm
base depth = 255cm
cumulative = 890cm
freezing level = 1300m
days riding = 56

five day forecast
day1 s10-15 day2 sw5-10 day3 3-5 day4 3-5 day5 3-5

finally made it out for a few turns yesterday. almost changed my mind when i saw the crowd at creekside gondola, but luckily we toughed it out and were rewarded with some excellent conditions. beautiful soft packed groomers with traces of powder to be found off piste. had to call it a short day though due to work. only negative was the large lines at all chairs.
we are supposed to get a significant system moving through tonight and tomorrow. looks like winds might keep the alpine closed tomorrow.

snow coverage: A
snow quality: A
run selection: A
crowds: D+
visibility: B-
overall: B+

mar 20, 2008

24hr snow = 7cm
base depth = 246cm
cumulative = 871cm
freezing level = valley
days riding = 55

five day forecast
day1 se8-16 day2 sw2-4 day3 2-5 day4 15-25 day5 0-2

been snowing in the valley most of the day today. it's melting on the ground down here, but i'm sure there is some pretty decent accumulation on the mountain.
too much shit to do this week...i'm hoping to make it up tomorrow. it's been a while....

mar 19, 2008

24hr snow = 3cm
base depth = 243cm
cumulative = 864cm
freezing level = valley
days riding = 55

five day forecast
day1 2-7 day2 2-5 day3 0-2 day4 2-5 day5 10-15

what a frustrating stretch! everyday the long term forecast calls for significant snow, but it never gets any closer. got another 3cm last night for perfect dust on crust conditions. really haven't had any good snow in over a month now.

mar 17, 2008

24hr snow = 4cm
base depth = 239cm
cumulative = 858cm
freezing level = 1400m
days riding = 55

five day forecast
day1 2-4 day2 2-4 day3 5 day4 5 day5 5-10

still waiting for some decent new snow. looks like it might be coming this week, but the forecasters keep pushing it back and lowering the amounts. freezing levels are pretty low for this time of year. i'm expecting one more good dump this season, but the end must be near.

mar 13, 2008

24hr snow = 0cm
base depth = 242cm
cumulative = 847cm
freezing level = 1400m
days riding = 53

five day forecast
day1 0-2 day2 1-2 day3 0 day4 10-20 day5 5-10

hiked out to flute yesterday with greg for the first time in a month. it was his first time riding in powder, and he handled it pretty well. quite heavily tracked considering the alpine has been closed since the last snowfall.
snow has generally been pretty good above 1800m, soft spring on the lower mountain. mid mountain is pretty icy / hardpack.

snow coverage: B
snow quality: B
run selection: A-
crowds: A-
visibility: B
overall: B










greg on the ride out to flute










christian the entertainer













backcountry













free autographed t-shirt to the first one to figure out what this is
(NOTE: winner will not receive autographed t-shirt)










powder face

mar 10, 2008

24hr snow = 4cm
base depth = 242cm
cumulative = 826cm
freezing level = 1800m
days riding = 51

five day forecast
day1 s15-25 day2 sw 2-5 day3 0 day4 2-5 day5 5-10

freezing levels on sunday were around 1500m, which meant decent groomed snow up top, icy mid-mountain, and soft corn snow on the lower mountain. ended up doing a few laps on lower franz where you could really rip in the soft snow.

it's raining pretty nasty today with very high freezing levels. the forecast calls for cooling temperatures this afternoon with the freezing level at 1000m overnight. if this holds true, tomorrow should be a top notch powder day. keeping my fingers crossed - there's only been one 20cm day since Jan 11, and i missed it.


snow coverage: B+
snow quality: C+
run selection: C+
crowds: A-
visibility: B
overall: B-

mar 7, 2008

24hr snow = 2cm
base depth = 241cm
cumulative = 818cm
freezing level = 1400m
days riding = 50

five day forecast
day1 sw5-8 day2 0-1 day3 0 day4 5-10 day5 15-20

looks like a mixed bag in the forecast, but hopefully seeing a snow trend long term. it's been typical spring conditions lately, frozen in the morning, softening up by the afternoon.

mar 6, 2008

24hr snow = 0cm
base depth = 244cm
cumulative = 816cm
freezing level = 2500m
days riding = 48

five day forecast
day1 0 day2 5 day3 0 day4 0 day5 0

up yesterday for some great cruising. spent most of my time doing laps in the sun under red chair. groomies were nice top to bottom.

warm and sunny days lately have felt more like april weather. i'm not quite ready to say goodbye to winter, but it's sure starting to feel like spring. rain rather than snow in the forecast does not bode well for a late winter season.


snow coverage: A
snow quality: B
run selection: B-
crowds: B+
visibility: A+
overall: B-

mar 3, 2008

24hr snow = 5cm
base depth = 246cm
cumulative = 810cm
freezing level = valley
days riding = 48

five day forecast
day1 sw 3-5 day2 n 0 day3 0 day4 0 day5 0

first really good riding day for me since the start of february. we've had about 30cm over the past three days, so even though there wasn't a lot overnight, there were still plenty of great turns to be found. found some fresh in doom and gloom, and some soft snow in the horseshoe bowls. the legs are feeling it.

snow coverage: A
snow quality: B+
run selection: A-
crowds: A
visibility: C-
overall: B+