Old Friend

Fri Feb 21

Luke comes to town and Adri still sick.

Indecision. High avy danger continues and SnowBowl sounds pretty good. Luke and I get to talking and just like old days, a late night results. Ok not that late.

Saturday

Indecision remains in the morning. I'm feeling like Snowbowl is a long ways away. Today, laziness payed off in a big way. I took a look at the map and found a gem of a spot in our extended backyard. Three runs of perfect powder, endless burn trees, one of the best double pillow drops of my life and almost no approach. Four thousand vertical. Oh yeah, Luke is a rippin' skier.

Sunday, snowing at Snowbowl. Descended just under 30,000 vertical feet today and every run was better than the last!

Walking

Sunday Feb 16

Meet up with Andrew for our second day skiing together and somewhat of a rebutle for a moderate day up at Gash earlier this season. We skied three perfect tree runs at just under a thousand feet vertical in terrific (albeit a bit dense) powder. Also mixed in an exploratory run a little further north that was a little under fifteen hundred and relatively low angle. The powder turns seemed endless. We had a great day characterized by powder and a skin track that blew in every run making for tired legs.

Monday (Presidents day holiday)

Met up with Jon, Blake, and Jess for a late start day in the front country. I knew I would be slowing this group down and expected it but was embarrassingly vocal about my struggling pace. Lets just say I mentioned a few excuses. Regardless, a terrific day! Seven thousand feet and some change, perfect burn trees and great powder. The wind was blowing, snow snowing and stoke high. I would have loved to ski another run but it seemed that my legs were toast. We returned to the car with plenty of daylight left. Car to car in about six hours.

February Continues

Sat Feb 8

Jamie and Jeremy came for the week. On the drive up to Whitefish, the Missions were clear and inspiring. Fireworks for commence at our arrival and burst low in the cold around us. Sunday was clear at the top of Big Mountain. We were lucky to have views of Canada and the park. Jamie is an impressive skier and was so strong all day! Jeremy had a skills day and learned really quickly.

Monday a trace of new snow had fallen overnight and skied much better than it sounds. After warm up runs we were off to the steep and bumpy back diamonds. Towards the end of a long day we ran into Matt and his brother and teemed up for some steep tight trees and extremely good snow. Jamie had no fear in the steepest double blacks of the trip.

Tuesday tired legs all around didn't stop us from skiing the four new inches of powder! Jamie loved the steeps in connie's coulee and Adri just rips. Terrific three days on the mountain with my family. Back to Hamilton in the evening.

Wednesday raining in the valley, snowin' in the mountains! Rest day.

Thursday Lost Trail was all Powder! Not the hero snow we all think of, but more delicate and difficult to ski. It was heavy on top and light underneath. This combination worked Jamie and Jeremy in the morning. After lunch we found that the wind had whipped up a cocktail of creamy goodness and kept pouring rounds every lift ride. Jamie couldn't get enough of outlaw. A steep rollover double black. Jamie worked on linking turns in the steep bumps. She's got it! What a day!

Friday, enough is enough. Legs worked from yesterday's challange we decided to change it up a bit. We toured the "backyard" on snowshoes and snowmobile. Jamie and Jeremy each accompanied me on  powderful and thrilling side by side rides up forests roads that were narrow and steep. It seemed like there should be some good skiing around somewhere... We all celebrated with dinner at the Plonk with Jamie's good friends L.C and Joel. It was good to meet Joel, who was inteligent and had inspireing words. The company and conversations were memorable all around. A memorable day!

Saturday was terrific. We headed up to Missoula again to see Jamie and Jeremy off, but not before having some fun... Jeremy was really impressive in his first day at the bouldering gym. He got the concept and completed routes impressively. Then to the Brewery for local brews and darts.

It was so good to have Jamie and Jeremy around. I hope they consider a more permanent recreational forecast.

February 1st & Second too...

... None

Saturday

Matt, Matt and Ben

8000 vertical today.

Sunday

Adrienne charged today. "Missoula start", 3300 ft. Met Eric and Dan who informed me of some serious anti blog sentiment in the rut.

Since I am nearly positive less people read this than I have seen skiing any where other than Gash Point. Not too worried.