Some fresh snow had fallen on Monday, but not enough to get me seriously excited. So time to write down the last few days and prepare for the first few days in Canada.
Tuesday was my last day of skiing in Japan. The lack of fresh snow and not exactly high expectations meant we went to Cortina one last time. There we found quite reasonable conditions, followed by the usual pizza and bathing in the onsen. All in all, it was better than expected and of course we chatted wistfully with our good friends about the last two months. After skiing, I packed up and had a little farewell party at the lodge. On Wednesday I traveled to Vancouver. The prospects there are excellent and it looks like Canada is once again the snowiest region. As every year, record amounts of snow and cool temperatures promise skiing at its best. My 11th time in Canada and I've never been disappointed? I used Thursday to visit old friends. This day was unfortunately the day of the big earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Friday was and is very sad. A lot of shocking news arrived from Japan. Fortunately, all our friends are healthy and well. My thoughts are with those affected. I am extremely sad and deeply affected by the events.
On Saturday, we drove to Mount Washington in British Columbia for the first time. First we took the ferry from Vancouver to Vancouver Island and then drove another 100 km by car. And at 10 a.m. we set off into the woods in 45 cm of fresh snow, guided by a local. They were really great forest runs, some of them really steep, albeit short. The area has a good lift system. At the weekend, as in many places, you have to be patient and queue at the lift - and unfortunately, everything is also quickly tracked down. Some areas open a little later, as the ski patrol is still busy with avalanche control. The "Backside", which was opened up a few years ago with the new chairlift, has greatly enhanced the area. There is also backcountry and thanks to the new lift it is quite easy to get back up after backcountry excursions. Mount Washington is definitely an area worth a visit. From here you can also visit the Mt. Cain area. The current snow depth is 640 cm(!), which is considered normal here. My ski bases are happy, I haven't taken any stones with me yet? We drove to the resort the evening before so that we would be at the lift when it opened on Sunday. However, our satnav had its own ideas about how we should drive the last section of the route and, thanks to our rally driver Steve, we had a 40-minute odyssey over hill and dale. When we arrived at 9:30 am, the lifts were just opening. Despite the weekend, there was hardly anyone there, so powder was guaranteed for the whole day. Everyone knows everyone up here and everything is very relaxed. As a "newcomer", you're first looked at obliquely and then asked why on earth you came here. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side. A heavy storm and rather mild temperatures meant we could only enjoy moderately good powder until midday. The area offers easy to moderately difficult descents and two ancient T-bar lifts. It feels like 40 years ago, but it was also very nice to enjoy the snow again without the hustle and bustle. There are many gates leading from the area into the backcountry, which supposedly make for super beautiful descents, but unfortunately we were unable to check this out as the weather and avalanche risk were too unfavorable.
More pictures from week 10 in the gallery
Another week has passed and so I only have a good 10 days left until the end of my snow trip this year. The weather forecast is pretty good: fresh snow again! So next week should also be good again
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