This was a weird, interesting, and occasionally really fun day of skiing. After a quick up and down the Jet Chair, I started off the morning with my skins on for the first time since December. Nice to be earning some turns again as the powder machine has finally been turned off and fresh snow required hiking. Unfortunately, temperatures were warm this morning and the fresh untracked was heavy and difficult to ski. Still a fun adventure was had with a combination of lift serviced and earned turns this morning.
Finally began my lift serviced activity around 11a after my morning jaunt. While switching to alpine gear at the car, the sun changed to rain. Not sleet, not hail, not freezing rain, etc. Nothing crystalline about the quality of the precipitation. The precipitation was being absorbed into my jacket instead of bouncing off. It was a fantastic two months of below freezing temperatures without a thaw, but the melt out begins today. Thankfully the base is still very deep. At one point today, I plunged my pole down into the snow below the handle!
Shortly after the rain began, Jay turned off the lifts due to fear of lightning. But the pause was short lived as the storm never materialized. The unfortunate result was every single skier and rider either went inside to eat or queued up at the lifts. Nothing could be done about the situation, but it made for a rough half hour of redistributing all the skiers once the lifts began turning again. It also made my planned early chow break before the lunch rush hell. I actually came back and left the lodge twice before I was able to find reduced traffic on my third try for food.
As a general rule, packed down snow skied much better and easier than fresh or untracked snow. I found some great lines in the trees on a packed snow base that was soft, edgable, and a delight despite the occasional rain that continued on and off throughout the day. Nearing the end of the day, I actually made the three tram car wait because I had never skied the Face Chutes and wanted to get them in this year. I took the line directly under the tram itself and was rather unimpressed. It looks a lot steeper from below and from the sides.