Cnd. Rockies early season roll call

[Eldo]

So who's going where and when?

LL opens on Saturday. Not sure why they aren't doing the traditional Friday opening for us mid-week skiers. Still no word on whether it will just be the Wiwaxy 500 or a real opening.

Anyone been up to Fortress recently? (DougW?) I might go there Sat and skip the weekend crowds at the Lake.

Sunshine opens next Thursday. I will be there doing photos, if anyone wants to track me down. If it's decent I might be back on Fri or the weekend to hike any closed runs (IE Angel and Divide) for some fresh.

Time to get the season underway.

(Oh, also COP is fulltime starting Friday, for you park monkeys.)

[PlayHarder]

Ski tune & porn (picked up Yearbook yesterday) for Friday night, Ripping the shit out of Wiwaxi Saturday. Likely sneak away for SSV opening day.

[Canuk]

The only powder in the immediate future for me is going to be of the talcum variety...

This guy, , has done much too good a job for me.

Have fun out there.

[Oarhead]

Will be missing opening day a the lake this year .
I have my candidacy exams in less than 6 weeks so i am shitting Cinder blocks right now. I am hoping to still get a day or two in to blow off some steam and so that I don't go psycho and kill some poor bastard that looks at me the wrong way.

Have a great weekend all and be safe.

Last I heard about LL was that it was just the wiwaxy 500 but that was before the monday snowfall. When I was up there on saturday the other lower slopes were pretty bare - just a dusting on top of rocks. Apparently the summit lift line and upper boomerang are in decent condition and the pro-patrollers ahve been skiing that for the last week.

[mntlion]

So who's going where and when?

LL opens on Saturday. Not sure why they aren't doing the traditional Friday opening for us mid-week skiers. Still no word on whether it will just be the Wiwaxy 500 or a real opening.

Anyone been up to Fortress recently? (DougW?) I might go there Sat and skip the weekend crowds at the Lake.

Sunshine opens next Thursday. I will be there doing photos, if anyone wants to track me down. If it's decent I might be back on Fri or the weekend to hike any closed runs (IE Angel and Divide) for some fresh.

Time to get the season underway.

(Oh, also COP is fulltime starting Friday, for you park monkeys.)

I'll do the LL opening if more then the ribbon of doom is open.

Watch for T steel at SSV if you go to explore the upper mountain. wawa is in great shape. Girlguide and I have been boot packing this week, Some good turns betweent the rocks. Looking like a great openign

Tour to the hill on the weekend as SSV is "closed" and no on hill staff will be around. wawa trees is "clean"

[Redskea]

Still waiting for my visa ...........hoping it comes soon. Got some turns at Alta (hiking) last week and hopefully tomorrow in Tahoe (currently snowing outside.) I will be at SSV (thinking positive thoughts, fingers crossed) 3 days after my visa arrives.
Mntlion- I think the dog wants to be up boot (paw and belly) packing with you guys. She's so not into long roadtrips. She did like Moab though

[Merlyn]

I'll be at Lake Louise for Saturday with mntlion, and will be at SSV for opening day.

I was up at Fortress last Saturday - it was okay, but nothing great. The winds this week are probably doing some damage.

[DougW]

I'll be in Banff for the weekend for a curling thing but hopefully not curling just drinking. Might be interested in hitting SSV sat or sun for some turns or LL if other than Wiwaxy 500.

[powslut]

I'll probably be doing some wiwaxy 500 action midweek. May be at Sunshine for opening day as well. Not as stoked for the early season shitshow as I have been past few years so I might just hold out on the resort and head to the icefields instead.

[mntlion]

I'll be at Lake Louise for Saturday with mntlion.

I will be?????

Cool I thought that I was going to sleep in with girlguide

Are you showing up on Fri night?
Nellie roast with Michelle and Steve.

[Eldo]

As of this morning the brain trust at Louise sez only Glacier chair and Wiwaxy on Saturday. Tickets $30. If you want to use a Louise card you have to use the first free day, which is a royal waste. For you pass holders, it's no problem, but right now that's too steep for me to do weekend turns on a green run.

I'll be hiking at Fortress on Saturday. According to some posts at Biglines the storm that came through Monday/Tuesday made things quite good again. Although as Merlyn says the wind since then may have had an effect. But the backside chair has some areas that are fairly protected.

I will be at Sunshine on opening day, so I will see many of you up there. REdskea, I hope the papers come through asap and we see you up here soon! Enough goofing off in the U.S.

BTW, Oarhead, what are candidacy exams for?

[Oarhead]

^^^
PhD in Mechanical engineering. I am doing research on prosthetic hips and predicting their failure (without having to carve some sucker patient open). I am currently relearning my undergraduate education and trying to learn about orthopaedic stuff on the side. Bullshit is not an option when everybody knowns more than you.

[flanker769]

The Lake for me on Sunday and a mix of Sunshine and the Lake next weekend.

[Eldo]

Yikes! Forget about Fortress until it gets some major snow. Went up today and it was total survival skiing.

The backside and farside have been blown down to the dirt except the gullies and trees. Apparently there were winds of 100km/h on Thursday/Friday and very warm temperatures. Remaining snowpack is now isothermic mush with a nice rain crust. Nasty stuff. You made a few turns on top, then broke through and got your skis trapped under the crust.

Gave up on doing runs after a while and went to check out potentially better areas. West Woodpecker is shaping up nicely since all the snow from the back seems to have blown in there. Still a few too many litttle trees sticking out to make turns, but we dug a pit and found 150cm of snowpack. A bit of sugar at the ground, and one weak interface about six inches from the surface. Probably surface hoar from a week-and-a-half ago's cold and sunny weather. But at least a winter snowpack and not spring iso.

We drove up to Highwood on the way home and it was also toasted by the warm weather. Chatted with a few boarders who said the snow was crap, but they had a fun day. We did too, but last week was way too warm on the eastern edge of the mountains, even at elevation. Probably better further west and north, maybe the icefields. Sunshine has probably been spared and should be good later this week.

[Redskea]

REdskea, I hope the papers come through asap and we see you up here soon! Enough goofing off in the U.S.

Sounds like the snow is better here, or was until todays warm temps.
No sign of visa so I'm trying to go touring everyday down here incase it's a real short season.

[random]

Sooo, good times had on wiwaxy?
I’m planning on being down fri/sat for a little bit of the shine, little bit of the lake, maybe even a little rail gong show action, and of course a lot of trouble in the streets as per usual.

[PlayHarder]

Wiwaxi was... well, wiwaxi. Still pretty thin up there and spring-like conditions on Saturday. Heli was moving up and down all day preparing for the gondola with all the shiny new cars sitting in the back lot.Hoping SSV has a little more for opening day.
Sounds like it was a good choice to not hit Fortress on Saturday.
Redskea - we're pulling for you, I can make up a sign and protest in front of the Harry Hays building for you if you need. Enjoy the snow.

[Idris]

Skied the Wiwaxi this morning with mtnlion...fun to be out on the snow and not having to walk for it, fun to be in a totaly new place (for me)...but the skiing was mildy better than the UK..but the place has potential.