Winter's Back!

7:02 am
Snowing in Eugene

It has definitely been an usual winter. If that's what we still call it. A nice pre-Thanksgiving snowstorm...six weeks of high pressure delaying opening day until the first weekend in January. Spring conditions in February and a few light dustings here and there. Conditions still ski like early season.

So...when the forecast calls for a cold front moving in from the north, we pay attention. When the temperature drops below 45 F and it rains all night, we get up early. When we get up early and it's snowing in town (our house is about 750'), you load your gear.

How could we not be stoked? Today could be the best conditions of the year. We're off!

The drive was grueling. The snow was sticking by about 1500'--just outside of Oakridge. People don't know how to deal with it.

Under the railroad bridge at the base of the The Pass.

And up to The Pass.

8:50 am.

We got there with 10 minutes to spare, only to find the ski rack completely frozen shut. A few whacks with a wrench...some broken plastic, and into the line for first chair. Well, close to first chair.

Pure blizzard conditions.

Is this thing on?

I wore the chest harness with the GoPro for some viddy action in the woods.

Two runs in, we meet ski buddy Mark and head down Timburr. I got about 50' down and piledrived a hugh drift. The GoPro captured the carnage. First time I went down this year...and first time I've come out of the Rossi's since I got them last year. I guess the bindings do work. That's good to know, I suppose.

Well, clean up that mess and move on.

To the backside and into the woods.

Fun!

Dylan leaps the whale's tail.

Snowplosion!

Everyone is having fun. Dylan, Mark, and Mark's friend Ted.

We ventured down SDN. It was ice bullets for the first 100' or so. Very nasty. Then it got nice.

Mark tears up the trees on Eagle's Flight.

I.

II.

By 1pm we were pretty shot. Dylan and I took one last run down SDN. It was very much Alaska Spine conditions. Bulletproof ice with deep spines of powder in between. Gobs of fun. We got to the bottom and some kids had built a kicker off a rock and were doing backflips. Dylan one-upped them and threw a rodeo.

Show off.

We were both freezing. It was probably on 20 degrees Fahrenheit, but it's a cold 20 degrees in Oregon. Besides we were both feeling a little broken.

Back down the road and into the ongoing blizzard.

It didn't snow/rain all the way down, but it was still going off pretty good. The forecast is calling for continued cold and snow. We'll be back tomorrow!