Back to the Mountains

 

Yesterday for the first time in almost a week I went downhill skiing on Pyramid.  The cross country skiing has been so good that for the last few weeks that's pretty much all I have been doing.  But yesterday it felt like it was time to switch back to downhill skiing.  As we drove past the golf course there was still plenty of snow, but it was 45 degrees and brilliant sunshine.  It would have been a slush fest.  

Pyramid was perfect.  Not much wind and fast snow.  I was amazed at how few people were up there skiing.  Earlier in the winter when the conditions were terrible the mountain was packed and you could barely find space to park your car at the pass.  Now it is the best skiing of the year and practically no one is up there skiing.

I think it is because most people associate skiing with winter and only go skiing when there is snow on the ground in town. I've already even had someone ask me, 'where is there enough snow to ski'.  It's like they don't look up at the mountains all around and notice that there is snow on them.  What's funny is that Pyramid is still gaining snow and generally does not reach maximum snow pack until late April or sometimes early May.  There is more snow now up there now than there has been all winter.  But by next week we'll stop gaining snow below 500 feet and then the week after that the gain/lose snow pack line will move up to 1000 feet.

Yesterday on the way up the mountain Nora and I ran into Uncle Dicky skiing down.  We convinced him to put his climbing skins back on and go back up to the top with us.  Then we all skied down together. 

Patrick