03-18-09 TR JF

[Robert2]

I figured the sticky no-go-snow needed more slope to make it go so I started today on Lehigh

and lapped a few with Exhibition.

Noticing that some places had glacier ice I went for the ice instead of the mashed taters on Exhibition.

It was all groomed so it had cord ripples but the color was dingy...some brown... dirt was only

6 inches below the surface but to my VERY pleasant surprise the ice ride was fast and no different than a cold 5 degree day in February.

So I just picked the sweet spots and had a blast today... in 60 degrees!!!!!!!!!!

When I got worn out I went to Jane's Lane and found solid groomed cord ice in the shade.

Again..... just a real big WOW!

All I had to do was find the ice and I could ride most of the hills by weaving in and out of the

white fluffy sticky snow patches.

 

ONE park was the same!!!

Find the glacier "crap" and had a nice ride.

Stick to the white stuff..... and it felt like someone was grabbing at my ankles to slow me down

in the sticky snow.

I got video of kids jumping.

 

 

JADIP at JF

[Robert2]

Some additional thoughts about today's conditions.

The mashed tators are great conditions for total noobes.

MY niece rode slow and in control on Sunday in these conditions so

if you know someone who wants to learn to ski but is afraid of getting hurt this might be the right stuff to

learn on.

 

AND WEAR SUNSCREEN!!!!!

My hands were sunburned Sunday so I've resorted to wearing black glove liners under wrist guards so

my hands don't get burned again.

[Robert2]

park jumpers

 

[bigdaddyk]

I had to work dayshift today. I was going to go to BB, but figured the snow would be way too heavy/ mushy at the bottom for my liking, by the time I got there.

[RidgeRacer]

I just got back from a warm and fun spring skiing session at Big Boulder. They still have enough base to last well into April, no thin or bare spots to speak of. The snow was inconsistent, soft in spots and hard in others...lots of fun to carve on. I ended up lapping Drauf, Mittl, Boulder Park and Snowdrift for the most part.

 

By the way R2, what is glacier ice?

 

 

 

I had to work dayshift today. I was going to go to BB, but figured the snow would be way too heavy/ mushy at the bottom for my liking, by the time I got there.

 

Wasn't heavy at all. In fact I was hoping for heavier.

[Robert2]

I had to work dayshift today. I was going to go to BB, but figured the snow would be way too heavy/ mushy at the bottom for my liking, by the time I got there.

That heavy/ mushy... sticky snow is the only thing that chases me off the snow.

That happened only twice this year... during warm snowstorms.

BUT

surprise

its been so warm daytime that we are getting slush spots that then

freeze at night into GREAT GROOMABLE cord ice the next day.

I thought for sure I wouldn't get 2 runs in today before giving up on the sticky snow

but I ended up outside for 2 hours carving on edges on the groomed glacier cord ice.

 

You make your fun where you can find it...... and I found it today.

 

 

JADIP at JF

[Robert2]

By the way R2, what is glacier ice?

 

Glacier ice is that very last 6 inches or so of snow/ice/slush that mixes with

dirt and leaves and turns brown. Then when it melts it looks like blue ice does...real smooth....

usually loses the groomed cord finish and is brown.

BUT

since we keep getting real cold nights it is still taking on a good grooming cord finish and any place in the shade it still rides just like any winter day... real edge carvable... even at 60 degrees today.

So when the really nice white snow that has been pushed around to make total coverage on Exhibition and Lehigh is getting sticky in the sunshine........ I try to find the stuff around the edges in shade near the trees that is still cord ice.

 

It really boils down to your preference of surface.... powder or ice.

Right now it seems we have some of the best powder to play in and its mixed with some patches

of cord ice.

I'd rather ride very fast on ice than slow on powder.

Anyone who falls in the powder will get real wet and not care...because its 64 degrees and sunny.

Edited March 19, 2009 by Robert2