On March 6, 2004 it snowed a ton … as it has almost every weekend in February and March this 2004 ski season. With me is my brother Chai and my friend Colin. I bought Chai some AT gear a year back and this is his first time on the gear in “real” powder conditions.
Off we go to Singing Pass with variable visibility and a good 30 cms new on top of multiple layers. Chai is a good skier and has no problem with powder. Here he is on Flute Shoulder.
Colin on tele gear follows
The sun breaks out as we skin up off the backside of Flute and on to Oboe.
This time as we descend Oboe Chai leads and I let him be slope-test bunny. He promptly craters a few turns down-slope but the snow doesn’t budge. So the slope must be safe!
Off I send Colin down the same slope with Cowboy Ridge in the background
If the snow on Flute and the first pitch on Oboe was deep; the snow in Oboe’s trees swallows you! Here’s Chai…
and Colin
We finish off the day with a skin back up Oboe (we saw natural releases on Cowboy Ridge and didn’t want to tempt fate) and what must have been the run of the season down Flute Shoulder – picture gobs of snow flying over one’s head and choking you.
The next day, March 7th, its snowed more. In fact it’s snowed so much that the lift access to the backcountry doesn’t open. Luckily there’s not many people on the ski hill so Andrew, Ryanne and I get to play in waist – deep freshies in Harmony.
Here’s a sequence of Andrew with Harmony Chair in the background.
It’s actually a rather warm day. Too warm, and the snow lower down in McConkeys takes on the characteristics of mashed potatoes. Here I am in survival mode.
Ryanne on McConkeys
and finally Andrew on the same run
