dec 31 - signs of improvement

24hr snow = 28
base depth = 125
cumulative = 311
freezing level = valley
days riding = 5

five day forecast

day1 sw-s 10-15 day2 s 10-20 day3 0 day4 3-5 day5 5-10

alright - today was a legit powder day. definitely the best day of the season so far, but closures are still limiting rideable terrain. i am still avoiding areas that i would automatically hit on a day like today. i had to pull a kid out of a tree well just below roundhouse - i was sunk in above my waist trying to get to him. props to the kid for not freaking out.
the snow depths that i post here on my blog are taken from the official whistler website. in previous years i have felt that they are pretty accurate, but this year they are padding those stats. the blackomb patrol phone reported only 19cm in 24hr and this seems a lot more realistic. the hype machine also had harmony listed on standby, but as of 11am they didn't even have the chairs on the line. the terrain under peak chair is still suicidal.
i have heard the snowpack described as rotten. i think the technical definition is that due to the extreme cold temperatures, hoar frost, and thin snow pack, the base has lost any ability to bond with the ground below or any new snow above. avalanche risk will be high and likely remain uncharacteristically dangerous throughout the entire season. even with warnings posted everywhere, as i was leaving the hill today i saw a couple heading up with their split boards, backpacks and poles, and they were complaining that harmony was still on standby. what can you do....

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