Snow phone reported 30cm of new snow and a base of 155cm, up from 135cm the previous day. It seemed like a honest 30cms but with freezing level at about 900m so I passed on Peak to Creek. Visibility was good and wind didn’t seem significant. The new snow consolidated quickly. Seemed heavier then yesterdays whiteout and low viz conditions where I didn’t even bother to take pictures because its not often you get to lap Harmony and Peak without crowds when its snowing 6 – 8cms an hour.
I rode Whistler, and it was extremely busy with long lineups everywhere I went. Peak & Harmony both opened around 10ish, but it didn’t seem to alleviate the crowds at the other lifts. Neither Franz chair or T-bars were open to help with the problem either. Simply too many people. Give me whiteouts and snot-freezing winds and no crowds any time.
Wind slab in some aspects – apparently winds were up to 100km/h. Unlike yesterday didn’t manage to trigger sluff or small slabs even on the traditional convexities on Headwall. Still managed to squeeze out untracked powder but there were lots of people to raid powstashes. Garbonzo runs were open – eg Tokum; Bearpaw. Quit early – 6 days straight of skiing with no day less then 10cms new and I’m bagged. Here’s Andrew on West Bowl when Peak opened.
Ryan in Whistler Bowl missing out the rock-strewn skiers left which concealed freshies.
The next lap I managed to convince the group to deke over to Sneaky Petes. A few rocks at the entrance scares away gapers and leaves some untracked.
Not much fresh left on West Bowl; by the time we got to it the rabid hordes had already had their fill
Colin finds the high traverse into West Bowl. Some patrollers have tracked out the Weekends above the bowl.
