likely my last post before the new year. we are going out of town for 5 days. hopefully find some fresh powder and great nordic skiing in sun valley area.
high pressure and cold air has made for some very mediocre skiing (despite what big dave and his crew are saying) today i made one run. cold, crowded and well, mediocre skiing make for low motivation. there is some okay backcountry skiing conditions, but low snow cover down low makes for troublesome travelling.
there is some okay nordic skiing going on. here in whitefish, we need way more snow. but the glacier nordic club has been grooming about 1/2 of the big mountain trails. they are also currently connecting down to the trails groomed on stoltz land, for iron horse. this makes for more quantity, but man, it just puts you farther down in the hole, with an unescapable climb out. i did that today, and it was exhausting. good excuse to have a couple of beers tonight though. although this skiing is not great, as it is very hard, fast, narrow in spots and steep; it is still something, and i am grateful to rob and mark for their grooming.
how great would it be for the big mountain to restart grooming the trails up there? they are fun, though tough, and plentiful when they are all groomed. a great way to finish or start a day up at the resort.
news report from an avalanche rescue in italy. why should we wear beacons even when skiing alone? read the following
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/27/seven-skiing-deaths-dolomites-italy
hopefully you can pick up this link. if having trouble, elsewhere on the page and see if a different tab comes up you can click on.
so i hope everyone has a great new years, and that by the time we return, so will the snow pattern. just in time for the mass exodus of visitors. i am looking forward to skiing with friends you just cannot find when it is so busy.
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There is a contradiction in the current Avalanche Forecast. Conditions near Marias Pass are considerable avalanche danger below the 5800ft elevation mark. Pit was assessed at the 6800ft level. Ski triggered propigation is possible. We had shooting cracks and dry slab activity on the North West aspects of Mt Shields. Upper elevations were holding much better above the rain line. Use caution in areas with rock out croppings where buried depth hoar can present a much larger hazard. Heavy snow fall and rising temps will also play into this increased avalanche hazard. Call if you have any additional questions. ~ Greg Fortin 892-2173
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