Well for the third time in a month we were blessed with a powderday of life changing proportions. With less than 10 inches on the report I pulled back the curtains this morning to find it puking snow outside. For those of you wondering how hard it was actually snowing let me put "puking" into context for you. According the legendary Dougie Fresh, a long time Steamboat local and powder connoisseur, there are three levels of snow intensity. Dumping, puking, and nuking. Any day that is is "dumping" is a great day and we are getting anywhere from 1/2 inch to 1 inch per hour. If it is "puking" we are getting between 1-2 inches per hour, and if it is "nuking" it could be snowing anywhere from 2-4 inches an hour.
So knowing that is was puking out and the daily snow report always leaves you wondering what has happened between 5am, when the report is recorded, and 9am when skiers actually reach the top of the mountain, I ventured out early to get some fresh tracks. By the time I reached the ski area it was snowing even harder (not quite nuking though) and I loaded the gondola just after the first tracks crowd. What a pleasant surprise when I exited the gondola building at the top to find lots of snow and a ski patroller that said there was 14 inches at PHQ (Patrol Headquarters) at the top of Sunshine Peak at 8am. 5 new inches in 3 hours = its officially puking!
After a beautiful run down Rudi's Run and Lightning on 8 inches of fresh groomer I parked myself at the Four Points Lift to wait for an 8:45am opening and just happened to be first chair. By the time I reached the top of Four Points I had decided that Four Points Lift Line was my obvious choice for a first run and some amazing first tracks. I flew through the champagne powder that Steamboat is famous for at an amazing rate of speed. When its that light it is also really fast. The whoops and hollers of friends and locals from above me on the chair kept me going the whole run. With one of my favorites under my belt I headed back up Storm Peak to start my favorite string of powder runs.
Storm Peak face (the middle, center field, mustache, whatever you want to call it) to Sunset to Moonlight trees never lets me down and did not disappoint this time either. Then it was off to Keith's Ridge and 12:30 trees. Next run took me down upper 3 O'Clock and 1:30 trees. Then it was off to Black Powder, Tomahawk, and Ramrod. From there, South Peak Lift delivered me to Craig's Ridge and West Side. And then it was time to head down which always means a top to bottom run. Top to bottom this day took me to Sideburn, Rainbow, Rudi's Run, Vagabond, Lower Concentration and then back into Rough Rider to access the lower part of the Thunderhead Lift Line. With my day at and end and some time in the office starting me in the face, I raced to the bottom and hung up the monoski for the day...With a HUGE smile on my face and one last look to the sky to thank the snow gods for blessing Steamboat once again.
0 comments