January 23, 2000

Continuing Slow Decline?

I was going to use the word mediocre to describe the conditions, but my wife thinks that is way too harsh and she is probably correct. Objectively I guess it is still very good and I am just mourning powder lost and having a hard time reconciling myself to a firm world.

First thing this morning the snow seemed particularly solid, perhaps due to the -12 C (at the house) temperature and the action of wind and weekend crowds. This does not mean it was icy or that it didn't hold a good edge, but in places it certainly was not soft. As the day progressed it did seem to get softer, but the moguls also seemed to get bigger and steeper on the popular runs. In the few places we found an untrodden turn, the snow was rather dense. My friend politely called it consolidated powder and while I still preferred it to the alternatives, it seems likely this was a minority opinion.

There were nice fluffy flakes falling most of the day, but it did not seem to result in any significant accumulation. Indeed there was probably less than a centimetre in my driveway at the end of the day. Fog persisted on the upper parts of the areas served by White Pass, but fortunately it did not go very far down.

At a quarter to nine this evening, it is -10 C at the house and there are a disgusting number of stars visible.

Morning Glory Trees.

Center of Currie Bowl.

The alder trap at the bottom of Bootleg Glades is now quite navigable, but hardly wide open cruising.

Part of the Concussion Chutes from out in the middle of Currie.