November 10, 2002

Gotta Get High

At least if you want to do any sliding around here, high is where you have to get. The system that moved through yesterday did see some snow accumulation down here at the base, but most of what fell was actually rain and by this morning there was little trace of the white stuff. Up high though, above the traditional Bear's Den rain line, it was a different story

The snow at the Bear's Den itself was only ankle deep and very, very, crusty, but the situation changed rapidly as you went farther up. Even by the flats at the bottom of Sunnyside, the quantity and quality had improved considerably. I only went as high as the Tower Six Road hairpin on Dancer, but by there the snow was well above my knees and had only light crust, probably created by the wind. I didn't have any boards with me, so I can only speculate what the sliding would have been like, but it was probably pretty decent at least in sheltered areas and I'm sure our slab footed friends would have found it a hoot pretty much anywhere.

A large cat (of the tractor persuasion) spent last week scaping and contouring the newly cleared part on the skier's right near the bottom of Bear. An awful lot of earth was moved around, but with the new blanket of snow, it is hard to even tell what was changed. Still I suspect it will make this all important intermediate run a bit friendlier. I also hear that the modifications for the World Cup aerials on Silver Fox have been completed, but I have not been by there recently to check it out. It would seem their timing was good, for I would think the days of major earth moving are now pretty well done for the season.

There is one other change of interest for those Mini Moose Maniacs out there. The lift itself has been moved over to above the base of the Deer Chair. This cleans up the main beginner run and puts the Mini Moose in a place where there is at least a tiny bit of slope. Can't wait to try it out. ;-)

At 16:30 it is 4 C and raining lightly out there.


The snow line, clearly marked by the white trees in Currie, runs just above the top of the main part of Diamond Back and a little below the start of Trespass Trail in Currie Bowl.

A similar image of the Sky Dive trio and Lizard Bowl.

The moosette is moved. The Mini Moose is now just above the Deer Base station, which is where this picture was taken from. Over on the left some eager boarders begin the long up hill trudge in search of powder.

The top of the Bear Chair sits above Lizard Bowl.

Looking across Lizard Bowl towards the Bear's Den from Dancer.

Looking back up the other way from near the top of China Wall.

Can you guess what parts of Bear the mowing machine missed?