The answer my friend…
still chasing the dream
The weather has been a big factor on this trip. Every day we seem to highlight a different meteorological feature and today’s winner was the wind. We started the day by going back to Tropicana where we had great fun two days ago. When we got out of the helicopter we were greeted by winds gusting to at least 60 MPH. This makes for both tricky skiing and of course difficult flying. Our pilot today was Ben and there’s a saying around the lodge that goes “Ben would do it”. He certainly did a masterful job today because shortly after the flying started snow and fog joined the wind for the perfect bad flying weather trifecta. Despite that we managed to get 5 runs in before heading back to the lodge for lunch. After our food break we headed out for a few more before the weather gods shut down the heli for the day.
the cat pack waiting for a ride
As I’ve mentioned before Snowwater has cat backup for just this kind of weather. So midafternoon we all piled in and headed back up the hill. While we all would rather have been flying in the bird, the cat does have its’ advantages. It’s a much more social place with tunes and plenty of good conversation. It’s also a great place to take a nap if the urge hits. And at Snowwater while the cat terrain is short, it’s also steep and lots of fun. Adding to the excitement is the mad rush that occurs when 13 powder junkies all see a steep untracked powder laden slope below them. The guides do their best to spread us out but patience seems to decrease in direct proportion to how much new snow is on the ground. Fortunately there’s plenty of lines for everyone and there’s an extra rush of adrenaline when people go flying by you as you make your way down the hill.
Tara and friends lining up for the next Chinese Downhill
All in all it was another fun day out on the hill. Where the wind hasn’t compressed the snow, it’s still quite soft and deep. And for tomorrow there’s rumors of another weather feature we have yet to see – the sun. Bring it on!
January 16th, 2010 at 9:10 am
Personally, unlike Ben, the saying about me is “Geoff wouldn’t go.” As far as what tomorrow’s weather will bring, “the anwswer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.”