Blackcomb and Whistler - Nov 23 - 26, 2006
More gnar to be sessioned - this time on Blackcomb as Mother Ullr deposits first 25 cms and then another 20 cms of snow. The first day Blackcomb opens and it promised to be a good one. Didn't take any pictures of the first few runs as we charged out of the gates. I took a few pictures of the boys charging In Deep trees. Here's Rich ...
Yarra can charge too
Sharon goes ...
Then we find some unschralped powder in sunlit trees - Czech it out
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The next day, November 23rd, is more of the same except the light is a bit more flat and the Glacier Express chair opens. The first few runs are go go go .... chest deep blower fall-line runs. Then we chase down Rich and drop into Diamond Bowl
The rest of the day we lap the not-yet-opened Blackcomb Glacier skinning up the Showcase T-Bar accessing the top of Blackcomb Glacier. Hmmm I seem to recall there's no crevasses around here are there.
Sharon seems to trust my memory for crevasses and drops in
The runs were so good, I was shaking at the bottom with the pure ecstacy of the drug that is pow pow. Here's Rob with Husume in the background, there are lines in it!
Rich down the Blackcomb glacier playing crevasse slalom
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Peak Chair opened on Whistler on November 25th. I pretty much blew up keeping a good start out of the gates and getting close-to-first tracks down Surprise. After another top to bottom lap down to the Red Chair we went hunting for more pow on Lesser Flute. This time we hooked up with a buddy Dan Mitchell, who we know from Escape Route in Whistler.
Lesser Flute was insane. The snow was outrageously light. Despite being cooked, we managed to knock off a couple of gorgeous openbowl untouched powder runs down its face. Dan's expression pretty says it all.
My powder glands have overflowed - my legs have gone 12 rounds with Mr Pow and Mr Pow is winning and has more to come.
At 1800m on Lesser Flute on NW slope 24 11 06 - at 12 12 pm. HS is about 205cms on ridgeline lee slope. There's much more on the windloaded NW aspects. No distinct layering detected with coarse probing. No layers till about 135cms - top 135 cms is fist density - insanely light.
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Put a fork in me, my legs are now well and truly done. So much for easing into the ski season and touring; this snow is insane. Back to Blackcomb again this Sunday November 26th. A couple of laps on Glacier Express then a tour in Blackcomb Glacier to find that the 30 - 40 kmh winds have created quite the wind slab (approx 10 - 20 cms thick and quite cohesive in places, aspect skied was NNW and NW). Powder-hunting took us then over to 7th Heaven which was still not yet open so gaper-free.
Jon finds Kootenay powder in the coast
Brian shredding gnar
I'm going to have to talk to these guys about brighter jackets - I keep losing them in the clouds of pow
Johnny Zee was the token splitboarder today making us all look like hacks
Pow pillows on 7th untouched by gapers make for fine takeoffs.
and even better landings
Kootenay boys take off too you hosers eh ...
Incoming .......
Johnny Zee making it look easy.
