Jay's Report - March 13, 2006

Jay's Wife's Report

Girls just wanna have fun!

Jay spent the weekend in lovely Grande Prairie watching our son compete in Freestyle skiing. Although he thoroughly enjoyed his time with his son, perhaps you can appreciate if my description of Fernie�s ski conditions are somewhat conservative and limited. I do have to live with him you know!

The 57 cm of snow gifted by the Griz this week was a Fernie grade "A" �local� dump! Although it was trashed and thrashed by the time weekenders arrived for Saturday morning, no one could complain with the bluest of blue skies and a 375 cm base! The hill is in fantastic shape; there is so much snow filling in the low points that many runs have taken on contours unseen in years!

The groomers must have put in overtime as anything not covered in trees had at least one path of corderoy. Boomerang was groomed right to the top! (I watched Phil Mittertreiner hit mach 4 on one of the 84 Boomerang circuits Phil is known to do!) Boom ridge and Bear chutes both had loose packed carvable stuff, while Cedar Ridge was surprisingly fluffy in the morning shade. Snake was a little more work, even for my fat, short......skis. The patient and the lucky were rewarded with some lovely turns when face opened. I was neither.

The afternoon on the new side was tremendous (I mean, it was just ok Jay). Shakey�s, Concussion, Tom�s Run, Stag and Decline had some great, though heavily tracked, snow. The girls (husbands in GP) worked hard, no time for chatting. Jay calls it �Chick Chat�. The last run down Stag ended at the �Stinky Bar� where we discovered that if you stay long enough, seats do free up! We deserved those beers, every last one of them but not enough to convince us to take a slide down the bar top!!!

Sunday was yet again another postcard day, cool in the morning (-8C) and warming by afternoon. The debris left on the upper traverse confirmed the rumours heard in the bar about further avalanche activity - apparently 2 slides in Cedar Bowl. Conditions were more hard packed Sunday, but overall, a great day of fast cruising!

Hate to say it, but I agree with a conversation heard on the lift � we could use a bit more snow, just to soften it up again!! Looking forward to skiing through to Easter!! Keep it coming Griz!

It�s �8C at the house and clear.