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.