JF 3/5 TR WMMR Cardboard Race Day

[C1erArt]

Fortunately it only comes once a year. Got there a little early at 8:30 and already there was a 10 minute line getting to the parking area. Since I had a 4wd, they parked me in the dirt lot right behind the top of east mountain lift. Booted up in the car and skated across to get my ticket. At the end of the day it was an easy ski thru the woods back to the car. On the way out there were cars parked along the road up to Clubhouse drive, but unlike last year they were only on one side, so oncoming traffic could pass, and it wasn't any problem getting out around 11:30. They had a compactor garbage truck right there, so we won't have to look at the cardboard carcasses for the next couple of weeks.

 

Around 30 last night, up to 40 today, clouds cleared up and it was very sunny. A noticeable wind blowing up the hill. The groomed slopes were fairly soft, but held up well by the time I left. The bumps were hard and icy in the morning, and the glades were also very firm. Did e mtn to start, they groomed Rivershot, but Floyds is still bumped up. Some regular bumps on top, but they become disorganized half way down. The right side of Floyds and Robert's Run were ungroomed and bumpless, but were frozen crud - easier to stay in the bumps. With Floyds out of action for most people, River Shot became pretty much a zoo. For some reason, everyone came over to e mtn early, and the Challenge and Exhibition lifts were empty.

 

Didn't run Elevator, looked icy and bumped all over except the very top. People halfway down saying it was pretty icy made me think better of it. The right side of Lightning where you can cut over to Floyds under the lift was ungroomed, but not bumped, needed to soften up a little. The right side of lower lightning to the right of the tower above Elevator was bumped and were nicely spaced.

 

Challenge glade bounced me around a little, should be nice later in the day and this weekend when it warms up. Some rock flowers are starting to peek out of the snow though.

 

They left bumps on the right side of the first Challenge head wall which were pretty nice, and also on Tbolt on the first and last headwall with grooming in between. Fortunately I didn't blast over the last headwall (a ungroomed sign there would have been nice) and was able to navigate the bumps, although they were pretty scattered. The first headwall bumps were very far apart and most people skied between them.

 

Exhibition bumps were more my speed though. The bump field takes up the whole left side up to the tower, and the bumps are chopped down to manageable (for me at least) size. They kind of peter out at the end of the headwall, and then pick up again before the last tower. Skied them around 10:30, so they were getting less icy. Not sure why they are so much smaller after all the snow - might be the flying bodies wiping down the tops.

 

All in all, a nice morning. The slopes were getting crowded, but the lifts lines were empty. A lot of people hanging out on top of the slopes enjoying brewskis.

Edited March 5, 2010 by C1er

[Barb]

Thanks for the report I was wondering what was happening with the bumps

Edited March 5, 2010 by Barb

[JFskiDan]

you are brave for skiing on wmmr day.

[C1erArt]

Actually skiing was great as long as you stayed in the glade and bumps, or otherwise skied faster than anyone else. Just getting in an out of the parking lot was a pain.