We spent the Monday of my penultimate week of skiing in Mount Washington, where we had driven to the resort the evening before and once again treated ourselves to the luxury of ski-in/ski-out accommodation so that we could safely catch the first lift. We were worried that the huge amounts of snow forecast could block the access road and we didn't want to risk that.
And the predicted fresh snow actually fell: 45 cm overnight, 65 cm in 24 hours - a great snow report from the ski resort at 7 a.m. and it continued to snow heavily. Of course, we were in a great mood and nothing stood in the way of a fantastic powder day, or so we thought? Unfortunately, we hadn't reckoned with the sun, the rising temperatures and the strong wind. At first, almost everything was closed due to the necessary avalanche safety work. Later, parts of the area opened up. The snow became heavier with every run, and the valley station of the new lift was snowed in and had to be shoveled free in hours of work. Almost all the snow groomers were needed to clear the access road, the parking lots and the accommodation from the masses of snow, so the chances of opening were almost nil. Disappointed, we left the area early to drive to Whistler the same day. Tuesday was my first day in Whistler this season. Although I've been here many times, Whistler-Blackcomb (WB) is on my itinerary every year. Without WB I just miss something! The size of the area, the steep and super steep alpine and forest runs, the impressive lift system are simply unique for me. You can spend many days here without getting bored. It had snowed overnight, which meant four days of fresh snow in a row, even if the snow wasn't always super easy to ski. On this day, the snow was great at high altitudes, even if it was a little heavier further down. This is normal in Whistler in mid-March, as the resort is very low-lying. All in all, a great day and more and more fresh snow throughout the day - what more could a freerider want?
I was once again thrilled by Whistler on Wednesday. Ever since the Peak to Peak gondola opened, I've been looking down the forest run right below it with shining eyes. Unfortunately, the conditions were never right - until today! An ingenious descent with steep and very steep sections. Absolutely brilliant jumps and a great view of the gondola hovering up to 400 m above the ground. We could only ski the north side, but this is the better one anyway and also makes it easy to return to the ski area via the forest road. The descent is now on my list of best descents.
Thursday - and I was truly in love with this region. After more than 150 cm of fresh snow in the last few days, the weather became increasingly sunny and the Blackcomb Glacier opened. Great powder snow and this stunning view for good measure! One skier triggered a large avalanche that day, but luckily without being buried: The many trees snapped off by the avalanche testify to how lucky he was. In the afternoon, we took the sensational Peak to Peak gondola to Whistler Mountain and then skied our favorite descent "Peak to Creek": From the very top to the very bottom in the forest, and in March. The snow cover is more than three meters thick and even at the bottom the fresh snow was still okay. As we had really enjoyed the last three days, we decided to stay another day On Friday, the weather was at its best and even the snow was still very good for the time of year, even after two days without fresh snow. Most of the fresh snow had been blown away, but we still found some nice powder turns in the woods. We realized again today just how big the area is. Two locals gave us a lift and showed us runs that we hadn't seen before, even after all these years. Endless vertical meters in the somewhat denser forest, but not tracked. After four days, it was time to head back to Vancouver. It was Jay's last day. Steve and I are going to tackle Mt. Baker again tomorrow. They got almost three meters of fresh snow there in a week.
Saturday was already the return day for Jay and Steve. However, Steve only had a flight shortly before midnight and therefore still had enough time for a day in Mt. Baker. With a snow cover of over six meters and some fresh snow, nothing stood in the way of a dream day. The sun was occasionally covered by clouds, but otherwise it was winter magic at its finest. Unfortunately, we were hardly able to ski off-piste. With 280 cm of fresh snow in about 10 days, the avalanche risk was still high and so we mainly stayed within the ski area with small detours behind "the rope". There is a rope stretched around the area that clearly defines where the secured area ends. Unlike in other regions, however, you can leave the area at your own risk. A ski patroller was at the top all day today, providing information about the avalanche danger and also checking whether the avalanche equipment was switched on. A very sympathetic approach, if not everything is forbidden, as in Japan. On Sunday, we had a long drive to Red Mountain. Lars, who I know from Japan and who spent the winter in the Alps, was also coming and so we decided on one day's skiing and one day's CAT skiing (CAT is skiing with a snow groomer in the backcountry), bringing the last full week of skiing to a close. Two more days on the slopes next week, a trip home with detours and I'll soon be back in the office...
