IN THE DEEP

It never ceases to amaze me the emptiness of this time of year.

With 5" new  and an excited "still snowing" following that, the 5am report fooled only 100 of us. The line at the Gondy didn't make up half the covered maze; I arrived about 8:15 and was only about 20 back in the singles line.  Craig is in Denver yesterday and today training United Airlines on how to handle customers with disabilities and their equipment (yes, 'bout time United), so I had to brave the (gasp) lines alone. Ha. Lines. Therefore I was quite pleased to find every line today as empty as can be. Only took two rides on Four Points and one on Storm, but never waited in a line of more than 20 bodies for either.

The run down Rudy's was buttery smooth still, and the two runs (that good!) down Cyclone were like scurfing along the beach in a west coast fog. Best I can explain it. Ankle deep snow with no crusty noise underneath, like water. Pea-soupy gray sky above, as if it were trying to push out the last of the flakes. Gnat-sized flakes fell for the 75 minutes I was up there, and the sun is now bursting through. The tree glade below Storm North was the deepest I saw, untracked, glorious, and scurfy-smooth.

What I like about skiing alone is the peace. While I always chat up my neighbors on the lift, the ease of riding where and how fast you want to an earful of JJ Cale is sweet symphonic bliss.  No looking around to make sure someone hasn't buried themselves is a nice, rare, change.  I met one of the new TrufflePig's bartenders on the Gondy and rode with him again when he caught up to me - heh - at Four Points, excited to test out that new eatery's Apres Ski Happy Hour!  Other than that it was me and JJ, gliding through the thin untracked goodness on Mt Werner today.  But I do miss my powderhound, and can't wait to ski with him later this week when (not if) we get more snow.

-See you in the Deep!

The season's first official powder day left plenty of locals giggling down the trails today.  We made first chair on Four Points and beelined it right to a knee-deep Cyclone, smooth like butter with two tracks down its rolling, silky glade.  Despite not remembering to switch out Craigs Tiger racing ski for the Bro powder ski, we had no incidents with a buried mono- the snow billowed over his head, leaving a 30 yard cloud in his wake.

Next we headed up Storm to hit the Face, meadow, and Sunset, all barely tracked, also knee deep, and buttery. The snow is super light, with 12• temps overnight, the conditions have been kept intact.

After a top-to-bottom Buddys our early season legs were toast, and we took one more lap down Storm Rainbow and below, making it down by 10 in time for a full days' work!

It wasn't snowing but it was socked in above the saddle, and is  supposed to start snowing again this afternoon, as well as some more on Wednesady and Friday!

-See you In The Deep!