December 31, 2002

I just finished clearing almost knee deep powder out of my driveway and needless to say that new snow has improved the skiing immensely. Virtually everything that could be closed was due to avalanche hazard and so things got skied out pretty quickly, but there was still some fine sliding out there and of course the promise of good things to come when the bowls open. (I wonder though if the patrollers will be in much mood to play with loud explosives tomorrow morning?)

On a personal note, this is the last day of the year and my resolution for 2003 is that this is also my last ski report. This is for strictly personal reasons and not due to any pressure from anyone or any technical or financial consideration. There is almost a tradition of my threatening to quit after each season, but I always ended up relenting under the cumulative guilt trip of numerous well wishers. This time however, I believe I am made of sterner stuff (read older and grumpier).

The site itself will stay as the popular trail map and archive of old reports might be useful for visitors trying to get a handle on the range of conditions and slopes they might expect. I will also continue the listings for now, but as traffic on the site will drop dramatically without the reports, the value of those will drop as well.

I can't say I won't occasionally miss writing the reports (at least the positive ones) and of course the people interactions that result from them, but I have been doing these things for perhaps eight years now and all good things must come to an end eventually. So to everyone, may your powder be light and deep, your trees flexible and evasive and of course your beer cold and cheap. :-)

For one last time, at 17:50 it is -4 C at the house and partially cloudy.
Craig