Craig's Report - December 06, 2007

Boo, Not Whoo, Hoo!

With the hill opening the day after tomorrow, I should be burning with powder fever, but alas this year the spirit, like the snow pack, is weak. The hill was still closed to hiking this morning, while they continued to expend enough explosives to do a small war proud. I think the signs may have come down later in the day, but by that time I had already headed out and so restricted myself to skulking around the lower mountain. It was a depressing walk.

The temperature has dropped and what snow there is down low is now crusty or icy depending on whether it was previously trodden upon. I am not sure what lifts or runs they will decided to open Saturday, but it seems hard to imagine the point of running Deer as there really isn't any place to ski from the top of it. Even Boomerang seems doubtful and indeed they will have to scramble to even find enough snow to get folks on the ramp.

One could hope it is better up top, but I heard a second hand story of one the most senior of the pro patrollers falling a half dozen times in a trip down the breaking crust on Arrow. If this be true, then what hope would there be for mere mortals who dare to venture off groomed. To add to the delights, the forecast for Saturday now suggests the morning might start off at a chilly -20 C.

Still for skiers the gloomiest time is just before the storm and it certainly wouldn't be unknown for the 'flurries' now predicted to develop into something more substantial and the cooler temperatures will allow for a bit more artifical snow to be made. Finally with expectations so low, anything this side of horrible on Saturday will undoubtedly be a spirit lifting delight.

At 16:00 it is -2 C at the house and snowing very lightly.


The Boom chair load has grown some of those nasty gates, but they will have to hunt for the snow to build the ramp to them.

Looking up the bottom of Kodiak, with the Boomerang runs above.

Elk from just by the Bear chair load.

Hopefully they will be able to make some more snow for the Bear chair load. I assume the old bull wheel will get dragged away before opening.

The large piles of man made snow that were left to lie fallow during the warm rainy days, have started to be spread around. This is looking up Dipsey from just by the reservoir.

Downhill from the same spot a cat is chewing on another pile. The Bear load is off to the left.

Incline from the Orange Trail looks pretty sad.

Sky Dive doesn't look much better.

Silver Fox from the top of the Deer chair.

A cat works to build a snow road up from the snow gun between the base of the Deer chair (at right) and the base of the Timber chair (way out of frame to the right).

A liftee works on the sadly necessary download ramp at the bottom of the Timber chair.