Mark Renson
New member
With a thaw->flash freeze->holiday crowds looming on the horizon, I lamented via e-mail how several Patrol Directors must be sh*tt*ng bricks over the upcoming weekend. When I rolled into the lodge parking lot after refueling on some well-earned pints, I stepped out onto an ice skating rink .....oh sh*t :shock: .
Next morning, we got the Nor'Incher :lol: that missed us last weekend. That was the only highlight of the day. We got the word that Upper Antelope, Fox/Vixen, Broadway, Bunny to the base would be open and that was it - think of it as a big "Y" on the mountain. I hopped on The Double and ohmigawd .......Birdland was BRUTAL and I ain't talkin' about BRUTAL GROOMING, either. Boo had to be set up and if you had the snow drill, then you were "The Man" on the patrol.
Yes, there is a base, but folks, these are the Worst of Times. Snow will improve things greatly .......but we need snow. Duh.
Actually, much of Upper Antelope skied nicely ....ummm, maybe that's 'cuz it's all relative. Bunny, went downhill in a hurry. After a while, a descent on it got more terrifying at a logarithmically increasing rate. The upper headwall was nerve wracking and then when ya' got past the Bunny-Beaver cache, it turned into porcelain and then when ya' went around the elbow, it became extreme glare ice. After a while, we strectched a long rope across the top of Porcupine, Chipmunk and Gazelle and opened up an easier route through Birdland and Chip Bowl. By the end of the day, temps dropped to -10F.
Sunday, it was the same story, just a little warmer.
Even though I have Presidents Day off, I'm heading into work for some droning at MegaCorp. Last Friday I could see that conditions would be rough this weekend (but not that bad) so I promise to come in and help out with some testing. Skiing vs. Droning and Droning wins
.
NOTE: I was told that this Winter is very similiar to 1972 and it dumped that year in March and April. Stay tuned.
Next morning, we got the Nor'Incher :lol: that missed us last weekend. That was the only highlight of the day. We got the word that Upper Antelope, Fox/Vixen, Broadway, Bunny to the base would be open and that was it - think of it as a big "Y" on the mountain. I hopped on The Double and ohmigawd .......Birdland was BRUTAL and I ain't talkin' about BRUTAL GROOMING, either. Boo had to be set up and if you had the snow drill, then you were "The Man" on the patrol.
Yes, there is a base, but folks, these are the Worst of Times. Snow will improve things greatly .......but we need snow. Duh.
Actually, much of Upper Antelope skied nicely ....ummm, maybe that's 'cuz it's all relative. Bunny, went downhill in a hurry. After a while, a descent on it got more terrifying at a logarithmically increasing rate. The upper headwall was nerve wracking and then when ya' got past the Bunny-Beaver cache, it turned into porcelain and then when ya' went around the elbow, it became extreme glare ice. After a while, we strectched a long rope across the top of Porcupine, Chipmunk and Gazelle and opened up an easier route through Birdland and Chip Bowl. By the end of the day, temps dropped to -10F.
Sunday, it was the same story, just a little warmer.
Even though I have Presidents Day off, I'm heading into work for some droning at MegaCorp. Last Friday I could see that conditions would be rough this weekend (but not that bad) so I promise to come in and help out with some testing. Skiing vs. Droning and Droning wins
. NOTE: I was told that this Winter is very similiar to 1972 and it dumped that year in March and April. Stay tuned.