| Lebenz |
11-18-2004 12:39 PM |
after 2 years we finally agree on something and I'm cruel.
Well really, I made it up. The number of pow days varies immensely. Last year December was AWESOME. And then next to nothing.
The year before it sucked without exception.
Back in 99 I think it was, it was unbelievable! Most powder days in 30 years on skis. Wild pow. Relentless pow. Cooooold pow. Soft pow. Wind driven pow. Fantasy pow. The kind of pow where you can pick your depth. Ski a foot down or 3’ down. Untracked lines on almost deserted mountains all day. During the week, of course. Nearby Mt Baker reported 1,000+ inches (yes, over 80 FEET) of snow for the season. Snow that covered the lift towers. Snow that filled your dreams. Sick free-fall. Was my record season for days on skis.
But far too often, because we’re a little way off of the Pacific, and the peaks are only 7,000’ we get what’s known as Cascade Cement. Sometimes 3 feet of it at time. Talk about cruel.
The folks in Utah, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming get the goods in the states. Lots of snow, coooooooooold temps, and beautiful peaks around 11,000’ and more. Folks in Montana invented “snorkel” skiing. At Big Sky they have to close the lifts sometimes because it’s all but impossible to ride the upper lifts without getting frost bite. The cold makes for some of the driest and deepest pow anywhere.
The good news is that my local ski hill got their Forest Service approval to dump about $90 million worth of new lifts, restaurants and related. Gonna make it the USA’s next destination resort. Unfortunately they were also rated #7 resort in the US by one of the ski mags. There goes the ‘hood......
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