Due to the Martin Luther King holiday today it's more crowded that it was last week but the storm that has been sitting over Steamboat since noon yesterday has dumped enough of our wonderful light and dry Champagne Powder to go around and it's forecast to stay until tomorrow.
There was a huge line at the Gondola when I arrived at 8.20 am so I headed straight for Pioneer Ridge where it's usually a lot less crowded. I wasn't disappointed. There was plenty of untracked powder - deep enough on the steeper pitches like Royal Flush for some face shots - and some great tree skiing on Nash Junction and Fetcher Glade.
After several steep, deep and very energetic runs I needed to go a little easier on my legs so I headed up to The Ridge and Big Meadow via the Storm Peak Express and Morningside Chair.
On the way home I had heaps of fun on the bumps of BC Liftline and Mother Nature. These are usually pretty tough but bumps with a foot and a half of fresh powder are so forgiving.
I ended with two runs on See Me while waiting for my ride. On the last one I fell at full speed (the most dangerous words in skiing are "just one more run"). As my left ski detached I landed on my back and slid some 30 or 40 metres down the hill and in the process lost one of my poles. Unfortunately when these things telescope into lots of deep, soft snow at high speed they can end up anywhere, so I'm off to the ski shop a little later to see if I can buy a matching pair (they're only new this season) so I'll still have a pair when I lose the next one!
I thought for a little variety I'd try providing a visual overview of today's runs marked in yellow (click the images to enlarge).
Update: I forgot to mention that this was the driest, lightest snow I've ever seen. Not just Chamapagne Powder but $250 a bottle French Champagne Powder!
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