March 7, 2005
Lifts/Runs
Lifts Open: 10/10
Runs open: 90/107
Snowfall
24 Hour: 0cm (0in)
48 Hour: 0cm (0in) 7 Day: 0cm (0in) Year to date: 447cm (176in) Snow Pack: 166cm (65in)
Text and Photos by Gerry George,
Mild temperatures, sunny skies and a warm balmy wind this weekend turned the snow to slop faster than you can say, “is not this the beginning of March?” Yup, it looks like Spring is about a month early in a year that has seen winter come and go more than a few times.
Still, the snow on the upper mountain seems to be holding up. It is still freezing in the morning and that is a good thing. It seems to be keeping the snow from becoming isothermal so by the afternoon there is just a layer of soft corn snow over the harder base.
Getting down is becoming the tricky part. Some of the runs on the lower slopes, the ones with a bit more of a southern aspect, are bare with snow patches. You can make it down, just pick your runs carefully and take your time negotiating through the tricky spots. Not a good place to be using those new skis you just bought on sale last week.
Griz days was this weekend and the Dummy Downhill drew some pretty large crowds. They changed the venue this year as the old venue was snow free but that did not stop the dummies from catching some serious airtime. It is amazing to see the amount of effort that goes into some of the construction of these craft. And man can some of them fly.
So is winter over? Only time will tell. The long range forecast is calling for a gradual cooling trend into next weekend with downright frigid temperatures coming back. Minus nine is the call with snow on Sunday. Remember the last really bad winter we had a few years back? April had the best powder of the year. Fingers will be crossed that this season ends like a lion.


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