Skiing Mt Bachelor

[liveonearth]

Today I covered the whole mountain. I started out at Sunrise Lodge, and worked my way to the edge of the resort I hadn't seen yet. It was wandering intermediate runs with still fresh new snow along the edges. I started bouncing on my skis and pretty soon remembered the joy of powder. The neat thing about skiing powder is that YOU MUST have equal weight on both skis to ski it. For me, if I start the day on powder, even if I can't find any powder later in the day, I retain that both-ski feeling and ski better.

I didn't even try to telemark turn today. Not once. It hurts my foot, and it's exhausting. And I can ski parallel on those skis just fine, so I do.

Middle of the day they started up the Summit lift and I saw the ski patrollers get on to go up and open the mountain. There was already an excited line forming, and acres of perfect trackless powder up there. But it was going to be awhile before they would let us on the lift. Those patrollers have to report to the guard shack at the top, pick up signs or whatever, and go out and mark and ski the terrain before they let the public lose on it.

So I headed down to pick up a hot chocolate and enjoy one more run before going to the tippy top. Waiting in line for that highest lift the sun was warm on my legs and there was this guy in a chartreuse ski suit who was elbowing and poling his way to get in front. I learned to ski in Austria, though, so I know how to jockey for position in a lift line. I was a sneaky little punk at 12. That guy even planted his ski pole between my legs but I still got on the same chair with him, and he wasn't such a dick once he got started on his way to the top.

I decided to traverse left and try to find a bowl with a low enough angle and good snow. I dropped into a bowl just to find it alternating icy and deep. I would get in about 3-4 turns and then get going too fast, and end up on my ass. Twice. At least I didn't go over forward. On tele skis you can really faceplant good.

The bowl narrowed down into a deep little cup, and you had to start chussing at the right height to make it top the top of the other side, where there was a slot in the rocks to go through. Once through the slot you were basically down, but you couldn't tell that from the bowl. It was pretty cool.

I skied a couple more runs but the best part was the powder in the morning. I am back again at the house and have soaking in the hot tub. Such a spoiled life! I'm glad I went out again today because yesterday wasn't that much fun. Today I enjoyed being alone, perhaps because I didn't expect anyone to meet up with me. I listened to my ipod.

Anyway.

Comments

[neptunia67.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a lovely day. I'm glad.

fresh pow pow

[xplorher.livejournal.com]

ooo i am happy you got some freshies!!
i recently skiied 4 days in a row at Steamboat..
every day there was a coupla inches of freshies from the night before. it was truely an uplifting experience! i'v skied 1/2 my lifetime. started at age 4 and pretty much ended at age 20 when i blew my knee playing frisbee. the pain of a torn ACL wasn't worth the risk of getting on slippery boards and pointing down hills..so i turned to the safety and solitude of xcountry skiing..which was cost free and i could take my dog.
because i did the majority of my alpine skiing on short steep hills in Michigan, I am a stranger to the joys of light fluffy powder!
Steamboat changed that!
It was like dancing on clouds!
The combo of having some high end rental equipment (volkl 153s..and technica boots..verrry nice!)
and the fact that it was my first time skiing with new technology designs (short, fat and shaped,
I was in HEAVEN!!!
Heaven on earth!
Those days skiing Steamboat helped me sort out the changes I needed to make in my life in order to be a happy, healthy and functional human being.
Amazing what a spiritual experience skiing can be!
I am happy you got some turns in on Mt. Bachelor.
I remember being invited to a ski camp at Mt. Bachelor when i was a young teenage ski racer.
Instead of accepting, I refused the offer.
Even back in the 80s I was stuck in my substance abuse thinking patterns.
Times they are a changin'!!

[marijkab.livejournal.com]

wow, what hideous scenery- how did you manage? ;)
We're getting alittle snow and a wwhhoooooolle lot of rain, here. In fact, we're up to almost 3 inches for today. glad you're getting out.