Ymir Lodge

Qua Ridge.

136cm of new snow (according to the Whitewater snow accumulator) during our week at the Ymir Lodge made for highly engaged stability assessments, an endlessly replenishing run selection, thigh burning trenching on the up-track, and  a higher than usual quotient of crotch tickling turns. A week removed from the constant distractions of the modern world served as a psychic reset, and the spacious and well appointed Lodge remains one of the best deals in skiing. 

Mt Seaman.

Smiles

Norns

A spectacular day spent poking around the Norns. Wind-slab sun-crust, and remnant powder in the trees made for lots of variety. Looking forward to a week at the Ymir Lodge, with 4′ of new snow in the forecast. 

Mt Airy

Cam, 2000′ to the valley.

After days of lapping powder lines through the trees at Red, it felt great to ski some big alpine backcountry lines on Mt Airy. Boot deep consistent powder, no wind effect, eerily cooperative visibility, stable (enough) snowpack, and a stoked group of friends made for a memorable day.

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Got Wood

If you’re prepared to take your chances ducking and weaving through the shrubbery it’s easy to ski powder for days at Red Mountain Resort, but it doesn’t always go to plan. Yesterday I took a branch in the face that required a visit to the ER. Yowch.

Goat Range

I’ve been more focused on skiing than blogging these past few weeks, but here’s a few pics from a 5 day 50th birthday (not mine, yet) trip in the Goat Range during the recent deep freeze. With stable conditions and a motivated group, we got a lot done. Photos by Dave and Terry.

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Jan 2nd, 2017.

Elise.

With another deep freeze upon us, it’s damn cold in the shade and whenever exposed to that biting north wind, but there’s still some sweetness to be found in our local mountains.

The Powder skirt comes in handy.

Dec 28th, 2016.

Dave, Field of Dreams.

And then the sun came out. Remarkably little wind effect, and cold dry powder on every aspect and elevation, making nearly impossible to make a bad turn in the local backcountry. Finished the day dropping all the way in Patterson. 

Record Ridge.

The joy of living in an uninsulated cabin.

Merry Christmas

It’s been a typical early season at Red Mountain. There hasn’t been an exceptional amount of new snow, but enough, with fresh lines aplenty for those brave enough to navigate the off-piste obstacle course. Crowds have been as scarce as any evidence of summer grooming.  There are some new faces checking tickets and loading chairs, tasty new brews in Rafters, and somebody has been busy putting up signs, but little else has changed. With the much hyped “Own the Mountain” crowd-funding campaign  losing momentum, and the massive new concrete skeleton in the parking lot still just a massive concrete skeleton, perennial community concerns about over-development seem misplaced. My friends, family and I are all healthy, taking time to enjoy skiing that gets a little better every snowfall. Merry Christmas.

Exploring

Lapping perfect powder gets monotonous for some. So instead we sledded into a new (for us) drainage in the Valhallas, breaking deep trail until the sleds got stuck,  continued slogging on skis until we ran out of day, and got one run in on a steep clear-cut. 

Snow on the Way

NOAA Forecast for 6000′, just south of Kootenay Pass.
Sunday 

Snow likely, mainly before 10am. Cloudy and cold, with a high near 10. Wind chill values as low as -9. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Sunday Night 

Snow. Low around 7. Wind chill values as low as -9. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.

Monday

Snow, mainly before 4pm. High near 24. Breezy, with a southwest wind 18 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Monday Night

Snow, mainly after 10pm. Low around 22. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Tuesday

Snow. High near 30. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible.