sibhusky

Closing day, more fresh snow. Going to be really nice...tomorrow. No, I will not hike up.

Today. Snushing most of the time, but also had rain and graupel. Terrific soft snow, great fun. Sibby's in her glory in weather that sends most running home.

Before someone starts on about snow depths vs. snow fall.... The snow fall number is whatever the depth is on opening day without any regard to how much snowfall came in the prior months. Then they start adding daily new snow fall to that settled base starting point. Other mountains start counting their snow with the first storm in October and never report that all that stuff melted before the base started holding. They don't do it that way here. If we get a foot in October, and it melts, it is NOT included. Only the remains of that foot that are still around on Dec. 8 or whatever are included.

Looked up what was available. To date this year, 256 and 96. So, yes, not a stellar year. But, the base depth has been worse on closing day. Of course, that's in two days, so if the weather doesn't cut it out, the numbers could get worse. Fortunately, they are calling for snow. We'll see.

Not sure about "normal", but worse than last few years. I keep meaning to do a look up for snowfall and base going back in time. I know it's the worst since 09-10. Oh, and probably won't make 1.3 mill. It was forecast to be pouring today so I didn't go up. 100% probability, but...guess what... wasn't that bad up there. Showers if anything, but mostly sun near as I can tell. Will go on a SATURDAY (gasp) to make up for it. But...can't make myself ski longer days when conditions are getting hazardous, so will probably miss that 1.3 by a few feet.

The good skiing seems to be lasting until about noon.

The pass with the Fiberlene is done WITH the iron, so it's not pulling anything OUT of the pass, just absorbing wax that is still liquid. If I was allowing the wax to cool, maybe I'd be pulling something out of the base, but at this point it's liquid. You can see there is still wax on the base, believe me. They still get set in a hot room (utility room) to slow down the rate at which the wax cools, then get scraped 6 - 12 hours later, and brushed like crazy. Although I think in the spring wax may or may not be key (I think it's a clean, fresh structure, personally), I know that on the cat tracks (and we have many here) I am rarely passed unless someone has been in a tuck TRYING to pass me. It could be I'm a good glider, or...it could be that I take care of my skis. Good glide = time saved. Today, I beat friends who I was skiing with, and started down the trail at the same time as, by the amount of time it takes to remove my boots and get my shoes on. Normally, from a SKIING perspective, they would beat me, hands down. But...not when it's all about the glide. This couple knows beans about wax..and it showed.

Conditions are such that every day I've got to be convinced to take a second run, so...not sure if this is the last pic of the year or not. Tried my powder skis in the slush today and it seemed to improve the swamp skiing, so maybe I will ski another day or so...

The only "layer" that matters is the one touching the ski. The rest comes off. I resisted Fiberlene for years and finally tried it. I'm a convert. Scraping is a cinch now AND you can SEE the dirt that comes off the ski with each pass of the Fiberlene. I'd always thought that, after extensive pre-season prep and only skiing on mid-winter snow that the dirt issue was negligible. Apparently not. Something black always comes off with the first pass, less on the second, and none on the third. Tells me that was something I could have been forcing IN to the base during the scrape period, so I'm sticking with it.

So, did you/will you go back to retrieve the skins? Sounds like a nice find for someone.

Boo. More sun. Place is getting to be a swamp.

Just one? http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_5263eee8-09df-11e2-9b6c-001a4bcf887a.html?mode=jqm One of the new ones is the product of the son of a friend.

Just a picture, the only one I took. I am not a fan of spring skiing...

That's running during ski season? I'd be worried about the brakes icing up?

Would love to see some pictures of all these changes since I left. Can't even picture the roller coaster thing.

I would have had more if I hadn't slammed into a tree one season and followed that up with shattering my knee cap. And I did work for four of those years..

601 same time period

Guess everyone will have to be satisfied with just Whitefish Stoke. Since I carry my lunch, though, I'll never be able to keep Doug happy.. I have six more days planned.

I turn on the iron, rub wax until it starts dripping. If it smokes, I lower the dial a tad. Iron in wax. Use iron with Fiberlene to mop up excess. Don't over think it.

Day 70, my "goal" day. Had it all today: Sun, fog, rain, snow, graupel, hardpack, slush.

You're going to post some pictures some time?

Finally got to Gray's Golf Course. Grizzly habitat, so closing soon.

That's quite a tour, how long were they gone?

Another blue bird day, but temps started higher in the AM, so things were getting slushy by 1 PM. Brought out all the nuts, and a ton of anklebiters. Sorry, I guess I am a spring grouch, prefer frigid, windy weather with FRESH SNOW to this stuff.

Glorious blue bird day! If we can't have powder, then let's have this!