Craig's Report - October 04, 2007
Getting in the Mood
It has been a soggy week down here in the depths of the valley, with our backyard rain guage claiming over 100 mm of rainfall in the last five days. This hasn't really encouraged wandering up the mountain, but when I did finally get out during a break this afternoon, I discovered the Griz has been doing some pre-season training up there and from what I saw, he appears to be in good form.
The first sparse slushy patches started a little below the Bear's Den, proceeded to more or less continuous coverage part way up Ballet and on to about a 30 cm coat of dense heavy snow up by the Bear snow plot. The cliffs above looked to have an even more satisfyingly white coat. Whether any of this will stay is anyone's guess, but it at least seems like a good omen. One negative is that I don't think they managed to complete the safety cable for the patrol up on the Lizard Ridge and I imagine working up there would be awfully difficult now.
At 17:20 it is 5 C at the house and the rain has just started again.
 Currie Bowl from the Ski Hill Road. |
 Lizard Bowl from the same spot. |
 There are still only occasional slippery patches of snow at the Bear's Den, but it does start getting more serious not too much above here. |
 Looking up the valley from Cascade. Shortly after taking this picture, those fat Fernie flakes we all love, started to fall. |
 Just a little further up Cascade and by now I was happy to follow the compressed track of a snow machine. |
 Lizard Bowl from just above Sunnyside. That nice little snow fall had ended all too soon. |
 The upper part of the Bear run. It may not look it, but the snow was about calf deep here. |
 Looking down Bear from just below the Tower Six road. |