poutanen

Headed up to Lake Louise today to take advantage of their spring discount ($25 lift tickets if you hold a season pass for any other resort in the world!) We were on our way yesterday but it was raining and we decided to turn back. Today was 100% blue bird all day long! About -5 C at the parking lot in the morning, a little cooler at the top, upper mountain stayed below freezing all day, about half way down turned into slush from about 11:00 on...

First run we headed up the gondola at 10:00 or so, then headed down to the base of the top of the world chair. The entire run was the worst hardpack I've ever been on! It was like they groomed spring snow, and then it had freezing rain fall on it. No fun at all...

So we headed to the top of the world anyway, and came down a few runs on the same chair. The upper 1/3rd of the mountain was actually pretty good, but the mid section near the base of the chair was hardpack pretty bad. We decided to head for the back and found the snow there much better! Took a run down saddleback and whitehorn to the paradise chair. The GF decided once was enough for her, so she went down the the BBQ and DJ setup at the main lodge for some lunch.

I headed over to the summit platter to see what the snow was like up top. Well. Oh my. Took one run down the chutes between boomerang and ridge run (see pic below) and the snow was AMAZING! It was so good that I had to do another lap. This time at the top of the platter I kept climbing up to the very peak of mount whitehorn, then I peered over the lip and got a crowd looking back up at me! I didn't want to go with them below me in case something broke, so I waited a bit and then launched over the edge. Then I crossed the cat track where everyone was watching me from and went back into the double black chutes... The boarding was unreal!

I just noticed on a trail map that those chutes are usually closed, so I guess today was my lucky day. Only one or two other people came down through them while I was in there, and they were pretty savvy looking skiers. It was fantastic on a board, enough snow to actually enjoy carving through it, but steep enough that I sort of did a combo of jump turns and carving. Anyway, here's a pic of the chutes that I hit, I hit "exit only" the first time and "free fall" the second...



Pics to come!!!

poutanen

Looking down "exit only"...



All signs point to good snow and no gapers!!!


Looking over the ridge after the crowd moved on...


Took a pause half way down to show the pitch. Was good shit!

linvillegorge

Beautiful. Meanwhile the last lifts in CO stopped running today and the mountains are damn near bare. There was a lot of terrain that never even opened this year.

It's always a bit sad to see the season officially end, but honestly, the end of this season just feels like euthanasia. It was time for that old, sick horse to be put down.

__________________
"People say that marijuana smoking is going to get in the way of my career. I say to them that on the contrary, my fighting career is getting in the way of my marijuana smoking." -Nick Diaz

Megatron X

I agree. Went to mammoth this weekend and it's really bare. When you go up to the top you see all the brown and that half the mountain is closed. You know it's bad when they have signs out that say not enough snow cover on runs that are open.

aubzobot

Too funny I spent 60% of the day today on summit. As stated previously it was AMAZING, I loved the whole vibe of everyone there, it just felt kind of celebratory and like everyone was just hanging out. By the afternoon it was pretty slushy and my friend and I just messed around in the trees and gapping grass spots. We would then head to the park and eventually huck our first 270's, and 540s. Not a bad way to end the season.

poutanen

Yeah it's funny how the weather goes, many resorts in my area had record years for snowfall. Slow start but a strong March and April. Lake Louise is open for one more weekend and they're predicting another few inches of snow late this week.

Cool! I was on the summit around 11-1 or so doing laps... The vibe was great, one of the best days of snowboarding I've had even with the icy mid mountain and slushy lower. I really wanted to try the airbag but the GF was getting ansy to get going. Did you head off the back side of summit? I've never been in those chutes before and can honestly say it's probably the steepest continuous terrain I've ever been on. The snow was great though! I did see some avy runout spots off the paradise chair, not sure if they bombed or if they happened mid week when no one was there...

Bluebird baby!!! lol There are slopes all over that I look at and say to myself that if I could just get a heli or splitboard up I'd love to try it. Great lines all over the place!

Cheers

linvillegorge

As a final, farewell "fuck you" Old Man Winter is puking snow on us right now. Too little, too late asshole!

Oh well, we badly need the moisture anyway we can get it so I'll take it.

__________________
"People say that marijuana smoking is going to get in the way of my career. I say to them that on the contrary, my fighting career is getting in the way of my marijuana smoking." -Nick Diaz