Alpy Today

[greenmachine]

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

The Good - Oustanding snow quality. Rockies quality. Elevator gate and chair 2 open early. I can't believe how filled in the upper mtn is.

The Bad - My frustration level is rising. Even on a week day the chair 2 line was rediculously long. I haven't had a single day when the middle or upper traverse has been open. The only reason not to ski at crystal is a longer drive and a pricier pass. I had to park on the road too. I kept thinking how sweet a full day at Crystal would have been today.

The Ugly - So I decided I'd bail on work for a few hours to cruise up and sample the goods. I only had a few hours and didn't want to get up there and wait for chair 2 to open or just ski the armstrong. Based on what I'd heard about chair 2 yesterday, avie conditions, and the track record so far this year I decided that 10-12 would be better than 9 - 11. No way would they get 2 open before 10. Well I got out of work late, there was traffic leaving Seattle , and ended up getting up there at 10:30. All the lots were full and had to park on the road. They had opened chair 2 apparently at 9:30. I was wrong. Sure I'm being high maintenance but I hate making bad decisions when it comes to pow. Like picking the wrong first run on a pow day.

It was definetely still worth it. Had 2 awesome runs down nash to elevator. Elevator was deep and fun but started to get heavy late in the day. I just wish that alpy could be consistent with chair 2 opening and that there wouldnt' be so many fucking blokes like myself going to alpy. Every day this year has been hurry up and wait.

So I'll quit my bitching but how was Crystal and did the middle or upper traverse ever get open?

[girlski0912]

Just got reports from Xtal today....are you sure want to hear this????

Deep. Both South and North opened immediately. Went totally blue, stayed cold. It was good today.


However I am stuck in an office in the Couv while the boy was out playing. All I get is a lousy dinner out of the deal.

[pollard]

snow quality today was top notch and it was bluebird. I shot a full roll of film today but the crowds have made up my mind to get a pass elsewhere next year.

[Uncle Rico]

Ok, here it goes, my first post...been reading for a while and am finally sacking up - go easy on me.

Crowds indeed sucked, but definitely started to thin after about 1:00. This is about when the Lower BC gate opened. Patrol set a track on high traverse. Made a couple laps out to Piss Pass for some absolutely epic turns.

Elevator was off the hook early-on. Best runs of the day. Still plenty of goods to be had in the BC tomorrow - but probably will be insanely crowded.

[rbtree]

Yes, the crowds were bad for a Friday, but nothing compared to what tomorrow will bring. As well, the Randonnee Rally is manana, and they likely won't open the chairs early for the public.

I'm still editing pics from today, which was very very good. Passed up a chance to skl with and shoot my old number one model Wayne Grevey at Xtal today, as I got up a tad late, and the roads were a mess getting out of Skiattle. Did shoot Rodeo Steve and JD's ripping dad Jim today, as well as ex troller Dana, a hard charging babe! and another up and coming ripper, Chris....Elevator and Rocks Off were schweet, as was the bc when it opened later. Last run, the High T was finally open, halleluyah!!

I know Xtal was good, as Wayne had told me the bc was open all day yesterday, and the blower pow was pushing 3% moisture content when it fell....nearly unheard of for the PNW...Baker's appeared to be about as light! Alpental's snow, while great, was denser as is usually the case, but still awesome and one of the best days ever, given the bluebird conditions and cool air which kept the snow good all day, even in the sun!!

It seemed quite stable today, the 30 odd new over the last two days appeared well bonded. But a 'troller said a 30 inch slide released late this pm just past the Dead End Trees ropeline on C2, near the line that runs to the hughway. Hmmm.. it may have had some sun effect...

[rbtree]

Some Alpental eye candy:











"Rodeo" Steve on Elevator




Jim Thompson, who taught JD by example!




Chris, getting the only air of the day, expect more tomorrow when JD graces the palette










Rodeo again, exploding powder mounds




slidehow of these images and more is here:
http://photobucket.com/albums/c78/rb...rue&interval=5

[Squirrel99]

yeah rodeo!!! SICK!

[girlski0912]

Good to see that Rodeo is actually skiing this year. We were all a little afraid that after the wedding we would never see him out on the hill again.

[Sphinx]

Did the rally this morning. Skiing cruddy bumps on light gear was a challenge.

Skied the lifts for a while.

First lift skiing in two years. Felt very strange. I thought the snow was pretty tracked out, but we still had fun. Hit the Elevator area, then headed to the backcountry. Certainly not faceshot material, the snow must have settled a lot in the last day or so. Snowed pretty hard from 10am on.

[Grange]

Kick ass pictures.

[powstash]

Some Alpental eye candy:

The anticipation of this photo and the possibilities are making me salivate. Never thought I'd want the PNW as bad as I do right now.

<thread hijack> girlski - have you been skiing Hood or making the trek north to the motherland? Just curious </hijak>

[rbtree]

I thought the snow was pretty tracked out, but we still had fun. Hit the Elevator area, then headed to the backcountry. Certainly not faceshot material, the snow must have settled a lot in the last day or so. Snowed pretty hard from 10am on.

Not faceshot material:


Jeff, after a sweet pillow drop

This was on Wallstreet, where we filmed two runs worth of JD and crew eating up the awesome pillows, flutes, and cliff drops.

Plenty of lines to be had, sure it was tracked a bit, but remember, Friday was bluebird and the hill was way crowded for a Friday. Bummer the sun was gone, but you take what you can get. Broke out the film camera for the A crew.

Actually, it snowed very lightly all day, with only a skiff on my truck...prolly not even an inch up top, and nothing registered at all on the telemetry..funny.

Headed back up this morning, tired, getting a late start, may go touring with the Traslin brothers, who placed first and fourth in the Rally.

[majortom]

Seriously gorgeous pics those

[rbtree]

powstash, that line, which requires a steep bootpack of some 400-500 vert, peels off left for a good 800 vert or more of 40-50 degree goods, or right for the same 500 vert that you climbed up...the only way I've done it. We mighta skiied and filmed it had it been sunny yesterday. But JD's dad Jim showed us a line that woulda gone down. Jim skiied it some 15 years ago..it is in the 60 degree range--pretty obvious in the center here:


Oh, and on the other side of Denny Mt ridge, is a line that has a 65 degree section above a cliff that was skiied on rappell by Chris Foy a few years back.

[shirk]

Oh man that looks sweet. It makes my teeth hurt, will have to seek out a dentist in the white room tomorrow

[girlski0912]

The anticipation of this photo and the possibilities are making me salivate. Never thought I'd want the PNW as bad as I do right now.

<thread hijack> girlski - have you been skiing Hood or making the trek north to the motherland? Just curious </hijak>

I have skied Hood once this year. Every other ski day has been up north. The drive hasn't been that bad and once I am up there I either crash with the boy, Monique, or at Casa de Squirrel and BC-Flow. And hope to see you up here next year!

[Anxious Mo-Fo]

[rbtree]

Here's some pics from yesterday with the mini-digicam...a few winners, hoping for much more when I get back the Fujichrome.....

JD, no need to limbo under the hemlock:






Jeff the wing flapper



trying to find the bottom


More non maggot friends enjoying last run safety meeting at Piss Pass...Jager, Bud, and ...bud

afterwards, Nate goes airborne exiting a 50 plus degree rib on Unicorn

[rbtree]

I don't know who did it (Nick Ley?), but Kevorkian (across the road from the ski hill) was done yesterday. Dang thing might be 60 degrees and is narrow as all get out. Props to whoever dun it.....looks like it was a oneplanker.



It warmed up a bit today, but the snow was still all right. We did a few more photo laps in the bc. Just past Piss Pass, we saw a ski maching down the hill JD chased and caught it. Later the skier and his friend were near us on Wall Street. The fella didn't know his way around, lost sight of his partner Andy, and skiied into the Wallstreet cliff zone. He stopped in time, but couldn't get back out, so Andy went for patrol. This we found out at our next Piss Pass stop, as Andy came by with two patrol in tow, who threw the poor sap a line and a belay seat and pulled him up and out.

[Dr. Crash]

Nice snow today. Had a quick run down Elevator at lunch, in between classes. Saw Squirrel up there, which was nice. Tim, get some sleep

Did the Mountaineers Patrol Race yesterday. 20 miles backcountry trip, 5000 ft elev. gain. Mostly freaking uphill. Had to ski bumps all day today to get my downhill fix.

drC

[rbtree]

Here's some pics from yesterday with the mini-digicam...a few winners, hoping for much more when I get back the Fujichrome.....

JD, no need to limbo under the hemlock:






Jeff the wing flapper



trying to find the bottom


More non maggot friends enjoying last run safety meeting at Piss Pass...Jager, Bud, and ...bud

afterwards, Nate goes airborne exiting a 50 plus degree rib


While we were enjoying life at Piss Pass, a solitary skier arrived, smiled and asked us where the powder was. We laughed and pointed back toward the ski area. But he was jovial, pulled out a beer, so we grudgingly allowed him to join us for the run. We headed to the Hummocks, then into the very steep Unicorn. He wasn't skiing all that well, apparantly. Ed told him where it was easier, but he said he'd do the gnar. I was below setting up to shoot Nate, when the guy cartwheels slowly down this narrow icy runnel, losing his skis in the fall. Nate, being the gentleman, edged down to the ski and tossed it as best he could. It stuck where it is seen in this photo. The guy had to climb for it. Then it took him ages to get out of Nate's way. Meanwhile a troller came by below us on sweep. We told him we were helping this poor fella out. ..Dang, I hate to see gapers in the bc...to top it off, the guy was on burly 188 G4's....yet he could barely get back into his binders.

[Dr. Crash]

I need a back up pair of 188 G4s for the day mine give up. Ask the gaper to donate them next time you see him.

Great pics!

drC

[Dr. Crash]

Some Alpental eye candy:

I plan to ski this after I'm done with the teaching. Two ways to ski it: on this side, and droppin on the other side and ski down to the highway. A bit of a hike, but oh so pretty. Anybody's interested to join?

drC

[Schmear]

You can also drop in to hiker's left behind the ridge and down a hollow, and wind up back at the bottom of C-2 after a mild traverse. That's all I'm sayin' about that.

Great pics, Roger.

[Woodsy]

fire for Alpy on Sunday,
STOKED!