Today may be the best “two days after the powder day” powder day that I’ve ever had. Yesterday, I desperately wanted to ski Cannon. I knew it was going to be bananas despite being a day after the storm. But I was extremely fatigued from skiing Magic on Friday, I simply didn’t have the legs.
I responded to my alarm with ambivalent lethargy. I assumed today would fail to inspire yet still merited the effort. I wanted to ski natural snow again before the impending rain. In six hours, I made seven runs. By my standards, that is a statistic suggestive of an incredible day at Cannon.
My first run was a top to bottom stunner, via Taft to the Hards, featuring soft packed powder a midst occasional and easily avoidable thin coverage. The bumps had amazingly lines but occasionally required turning high on the bumps to avoid grassy troughs. Taft to Upper/Middle Hard is perhaps my favorite top to bottom in bounds trail combo and it is always a blast when conditions are great. Conditions would deteriorate by my second time but it was still a blast and always worth doing the hard way.
But Taft to the Hards wasn’t why I overcame my ambivalent lethargy and struggled out of bed. Over the saddle I went for my first of five laps. I found the same delightful soft packed powder but without as much thin coverage. Mittersill was actually skiing better than ungroomed open runs at Cannon proper (but it would not have withstood as much traffic). I angled towards my favorite line not expecting much but finding a few untracked turns of boot deep powder. Surprisingly better than expected but not yet enough for a powder day tag.
Things started to turn miraculous on my second lap. I opted for a well known old favorite, surely it was already sacked but a few scraps might be up for grabs. En route, I eagerly snagged a significant amount of untracked or barely tracked turns; over looked pockets of joy. It was incredible, it was unexpected. But it was only just beginning. I came to my anticipated line and everything changed.
Completely. Untracked.
The entirety of Mittersill’s trails had long been sacked but a single line remained virgin two days after the powder day. Not a secret or subtle line but just barely off the radar. I dropped into a snaking narrow line sporting boot to knee deep untracked. Unreal. Mittersill can still be an amazing place before the lift starts turning. My day was already made but the laps for more were about to begin.
Second tracks. Third Tracks. Fourth Tracks!?! It was astounding. It was awesome!
Still recovering from Friday, I came to Cannon with few reserves. But I dug deep, I kept on saying one more run. One more time up and over that saddle. I need to get in shape. One more run, if not for the powder then for the trip next month. Give it all you got.
