IN THE DEEP

There are obvious rewards for patience. For those who have said all year, "it will come, it always does," with that deep inner peace of knowing that winter was just around the corner; for those who read the Farmer's Almanac and said, "it's always right, just believe;" for those who enjoyed every blue bird groomer day anyway thankfully, this week is your week.  Your patience has paid off.

Twenty seven whopping inches yesterday broke the Steamboat record for deepest day.  And it was probably 35" by the time I came down after 10, perhaps 38 or 40 by the end of the day?   Yeah, that's three feet!

Today the ski area reported another 9" at 6am, definitely more like 12-15" in Pioneer Ridge by 9am, and it's  snowing sideways with those big fat pancake flakes that stick to your jacket and goggles and pile up fast and furious.  We're looking at another two feet today...

But it doesn't stop there. Tonight we're in the middle of a Winter Storm Warning (I love these, but it seems redundant to warn people of an eminent danger when we can look outside our window and see it's already here).  They're calling for another two feet.  I can add, that's 5-6 feet in 3 days.  Has there been a week like this since the epic 1996 January that held the record of 26" in 24 hours that we broke yesterday? 

I saw this in a Pirate Theater once... I think it's time to bring "24 in 24" back this year boys!

Today I did laps down Pony with the girls, Cabin Fever, Diamond Hitch, Royal Flush, Ambush, Longhorn, Flying Z, Drop Out, and every where we went it was the same story- bottomless leftovers from yesterday with a fresh coat of Champagne frosting. Especially in the trees. Can't beat that.

My last thoughts: Thank you Mardi Gras Gods.  It always dumps the motherload on Fat Tuesday!

I didn't take out the camera today because it was intensely blowing, and my sit-skiing powderhound was at work... so today's video is brought to you by the best at Steamboat:


©Steamboat2012


Keep it coming, Mama, thank you for this week's love In the Deep!

We called the snow report this morning twice at 5:30am. Then again at 6:30. It was so funny, we recorded it.

"Did she say twenty seven inches?"  And she did say it was still snowing.

Around 7 I checked my snow report app on the Droid to be sure ~ Vail: 0".  Winter Park: 4".  Steamboat: 27".  Holy shit. Patience pays off.

I've lived here since' 98, and I don't remember a day like this. Craig's lived here since '94 and said "that Fat Friday in January of 1996 is the only thing comparable to this."  Today may very well go down as the deepest powder day on record.  Watch for the press release, powder fans.

When we rolled into Gondola Square at 7:40am, there were hundreds, perhaps a thousand, people in line for First Tracks.  It was laughable, they had to cut the line off at 8:20 to get ready to load the regular paying customers. We hopped in before they did, and from the top, beelined it to Four Points and made 10th chair, never once thinking to go over to Sunny Side today. Can you imagine? 800 people on 3 O'clock. Right.

From 4P, we took the first turns down Tornado and Oh-My-God.  Words barely describe, Champagne was up to my ribs and Craig literally couldn't see. He looked like a mole, and had to stop every 2-3 turns to get his bearings. To do it right, there was no turning... it was straight ahead or get buried, with all of Storm Peak Lift riders hooting down at you.

Our second run was no different... from Storm Peak North we tried to get to Cyclone, to no avail- it was just too deep.  We wound up on Rainbow and took Hurricane down, laughing hysterically the entire way.

Next run, we were damned if we were getting to Cyclone, so we hit Buddy's, which was not so deep unless you hit the trees, and on the left it was about thigh deep (no one here is complaining). Cyclone was where we caught our videos... and Drop Out was ridiculous: bombing bottomless bumps like a porpoise, I should have gotten some images of Craig here, but I was too busy trying to stay afloat! 

I have only one word for today.  EPIC.





What a day for surfing In The Deep!

Jesus its coming down and no signs of stopping!