Blackcomb Spring bump-a-thon

Far too much snow for bears under the lifts this year. In fact it was easily possible to ski to mid-station on the Blackcomb gondola, and you could get to the village with a small amount of ‘Texas skiing’. In the alpine, the conditions were like a mild February day. Only on the Sunday, when it became very spring-like, did it get a tad sticky up high.

There was some great skiing to be had all over Blackcomb. Glacier Bowl was a sea of bumps on all the steeps. The groomers on 7th Heaven were firm and fast early, and then the whole area softened to open up endless possibilities for exploration. Gladed runs like Outer Limits were soft and challenging, and in the mornings Ridge Runner and Rock and Roll were high speed freeways, with no traffic to dodge. (pics here)

The only downside was that the road up to the top of Solar Coaster had been ploughed for construction of the Peak to Peak gondola. Hence a whole swathe of the terrain served by Solar Coaster and Excelerator was closed. This was somewhat disappointing. But there was still ample choice for 4 days.

Whistler is simply a hoot at this time of year. Cheap, relaxed, good weather, fine snow. I can’t recommend it highly enough for skiing in May.

Thursday 8,300; Friday 9,900; Saturday 10,700; Sunday 7,200m

Season totals: 60 days, 30 powder days, 479,300m vertical

Closing Day at White Pass

We decided to head up to White Pass for closing day. It was going to be a warm and hazy day after a hard overnight freeze, so we didn’t charge up for first lift. There was still plenty of firm groomers around 9.30am when we hit the lifts, and a respectable crowd for the end of April.

It got busy for a couple of hours until lunch time, and steadily got slower and stickier on runs exposed to the sun. Unfortunately Jan had a bit of a face plant and a ended up resting in the lodge to recover. So I lapped the firmer, shaded runs that remained in good conditions. With no lift lines and no stopping, by 2pm we were heading down the road, leaving White Pass and it’s 100+ inches base to slowly melt away after this magnificent winter season!

Sunday – 7,200m

Season totals: 56 days, 30 powder days, 443,200m vertical