sibhusky

On my calendar. More than likely I'll be working most of those days, but as the time gets closer, I'll try to think of something that an old lady can do with a youngster she doesn't know that well...

Sib is an old married lady and only knows "hotspots" by reputation. The Great Northern is apparently THE bar to hit. And the Bulldog Saloon is supposed to be great for burgers...and the bathrooms. I hear they have naughty wallpaper or something. The Blue Moon is the place for country dancing, it's half way between here and Columbia Falls. I have been to NONE of these places. But I would have been in them if I were 30 years younger. When are you going to be out here?

Where are you going?

Gee, I'd have thought they'd have hit that back in the 80's at the rate they pack people on the slopes.

A couple more from yesterday. Siblet was bombing the slopes on her race skis: No pictures from today. We had fresh powder and it was coming down pretty hard, so the visibility was, well, typical.

Did anyone notice that ski4food got over 73,000 vert in the Greek Peak 24 hour challenge? All I can say is WOW! Legs of steel!!! Can he walk or is he laid up for a few days?

Here's their latest promotion: "From now until the end of the season, you can ski & stay in an on-mountain condo for $99 per night. This is good 7 days a week from now 'till the season ends. It's based on double occupancy, and there is a three night minimum stay, but that's pretty much it for restrictions. You can visit our specials page for all the details." And aerial photos here: http://media.skiwhitefish.com/WMR-aerial-photos/

Yes, on those days without fog, the sky is an unbelievable DARK blue. And you'd fit right in. There's tons of Ron Paul lovers around here.

I never heard the nursery rhyme.

After reading Into Thin Air, all I can say is all those guys are NUTS!

There's a sign where I work: That which does not kill you only postpones the inevitable. I'd buy it, but it would upset Siblet. I'm 56, I'm not gonna climb Mt. Everest.

Two views down Langley on Feb. 22: Views of Elephants' Graveyard and surroundings on Feb. 19:

Her rate of velocity through the trees is about quadruple mine. I won't go in with her because she leaves me stranded and lost in an unknown forest. I'd be better off by myself. I only go in the thick stuff with people who have patience. And I've scaled back a lot this year. I've only done some of the places once, for instance, and always with a buddy. Last year I'd go off into the trees by myself, I guess relying on my cell phone and consciousness for survival. This year I only do trees that have a high level of popularity or are clearly visible from a popular trail. I just want SOMEONE to notice that my red jacket ISN'T MOVING. On some of the snowy days (in fact, MANY) visibility was so bad that you could barely see the chair ahead of you. That's not a day I want to ski alone on the less frequented trails. Your body would be covered in an hour and they'd find you a day later when they hit the "mogul" and it shifted.

Kind of, but my life has essentially happened and it's just a question of whether I die of old age or skiing.

What's an NF?

Times three. I feel like I lost a friend. Skimom, if you're out there, let us know!

Thank god Siblet isn't racing anymore. Now I just have to worry about the fact that she wears a POC helmet (see discussion on the Ski Racing forum and Epicski) and has decided her new interest is off piste in the powder and trees.

I noticed he's not racing USSA this year?

Why is Hosp "our girl", when Vonn, an American married to a guy from NY, not?

If you're driving from Jackson to Schweitzer, you might want to swing by here. A bit more acreage than Schweitzer, but the same weather systems.

Heck, yeah! I postponed the work until I got home. Here's the snow report for today, all about YESTERDAY: Snow Report updated by Caeli: (8 am update: 2 more inches have fallen since 5:30 am--total is 4 inches...) Unbelievable. Hands down, yesterday was the best day of skiing this year. The good news is: there are sure to be more world class days. Last night we received 2 inches of fresh powder at the summit, bringing our snow total to 245 inches. Brace yourself--we are only halfway through the season. It remained cold all night and there wasn't any major wind, so I'm looking forward to what today will bring. The forecast calls for 2-4 inches of snow accumulation today. Yesterday morning began with deep powder, bottomless at times, partly sunny skies, and people hooting and hollering all over the mountain because the skiing and boarding was AMAZING. The front side opened first, so the first full chairload of skiers migrated to Big Face where soft pillows of snow beckoned from the chair. At least 20 skiers descended at once, laying down rhythmic lines and sending up billows of powder. Next it was North Bowl Face and Haskills. Skiers and boarders were launching off the rocks into soft snow piles (don't try this unless you know what you're doing and you have great health insurance...) The constant onslaught of face shots made it hard to see, but who needed to see? Bad skiing was forgiven. Good skiing was immortalized (especially when retold at the 'stube last night). The sound of dynamite subsided and then Hellroaring opened. Like traveling wildebeests, the entire mountain migrated to the West, driven by the desire for a fresh line. Watching this mass movement from Chair 1 was like being on safari in Africa. Packs skated down the cat track, dropping into Sling Shot, Picture Chutes, and Gray's Golf Course. The cliffs were almost invisible under the snow. Even the bottom of the Glory Hole and Hellfire were transformed into a gentle roller coasters--skiers and boarders seemed to converge seamlessly. Rare, indeed. The East Rim opened just before Hellroaring, and the pack beelined to the east, where First Creek and East Rim brought some of the best snow and shimmering rime covered trees. The Backside was in deep. I heard stories of thigh deep powder in the trees, floaty turns, and untracked lines all day. It was good, really good.

Pictures of my house today

Adding some more pics to the thing right now in case you have any display issues. Upload may take about 10 minutes, starting from 7:45 PM MT.

Since Doug can't post photos from his Jackson Hole trip, I thought I'd provide some Big Mountain pictures