happy thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Hope you still have some leftovers if you are enjoying them, or they are done if not. Since this is the one weekend a year i eat turkey, i try to get in as much as possible. then it is back to my semi-vegetarian diet.

Finally the cold weather has left us be. We are going to get some cold snaps through the dark months (remember the record lows we hit last year in early October?), but this one seemed long, and with all the wind, extremely cold. and of course, with cold weather, we just do not seem to get much snow. But as the temps rose, so did the snowfall.

Finally yesterday I got up on the hill yesterday (medical reasons kept me away, as did some late season hunting. I did say semi-vege). The snow coverage is considerable, and full throughout the resort. It will be interesting to see how much they open up next Saturday. One could argue that they can open the entire mountain. I would be surprised, as that takes a lot of effort, but then again, so does closing runs with string lines and signs.

While the snowpack still needs some compaction, the warmer temps and new snow have helped settle the snow, firm up some bonding and hide some dangerous objects. Skiing with care can take you down just about any slope you want with ease and enjoyment. Or, of course, you can go balls to the wall and take your chances. This is usually the option for the young, and those that think they are. (you know who you are, right pp).

I am not surprised, what with all the early season snow, but I have not seen the mountain skied up this entirely before the lifts opened, well, ever. Sure there are endless untracked lines remaining, but there are indeed ski tracks everywhere.

So with 6 days left until the lifts run for the public use, keep on hiking, get in shape for what could be one of the top opening days ever.

We should start to see USFS avalanche forecasts starting next weekend, and the Flathead Nordic Patrol has added an observations page to its website, plus, i always welcome any and all input on this blog, of what skiers are seeing and skiing in their adventures. i know people have been out and about beyond the Big Mountain, so come on folks, share some knowledge to get this season off to a safe and incredible start.