I have never seen Whistler look so beautiful as it did Tuesday morning. Poleck and I got up the mountain just as the sun was cresting over the Horstman Glacier. The 10cm of snow that fell overnight was followed by brilliant blue skies, and the morning sunlight was fitting of a Warren Miller ski film.
Skiing down to Pakalolo, I had one of those moments that will last a lifetime--the snow was consistent and grippy, perfect conditions to make those huge fast sweeping turns that send powder arcing to the side, instantly turning golden in the sunlight. It was one of those rare moments when I was able to ski the way I picture myself skiing, the way I would want to ski if someone were filming. Fortunately, I have no photos of the day, and forgetting my camera was an excellent accidental decision. The pictures would have been a cheap imitation at best.
Spankys is a gonzo dream. Three bowls, each as steep as the next, a veritable patchwork of rocks, cliff bands, narrow chutes, straightlines, cornices and trees. The lines you can ski are limited only by your "skier's vision" and guts. The morning cold kept the snow light and fast, before the sun could warm it to a heavier paste. We made two laps, stopping briefly to jump a cliff I've been eying all season (PMN: it's the big one to skiers left of Paul's cliff near the top of the bootpack).
In the afternoon we headed to Whistler. The most memorable (and scary) event was watching a skier fall down Air Jordan. Air Jordan is a highly technical double-stage cliff drop. Skiers enter from the top, and jump a 25 foot cliff onto a small patch of snow, the only exit from which is jumping a 40-foot cliff below. A fall on the first stage sends the skier tomahawking at top speed over the lower cliff band. The skier jumped the first cliff, but was bucked to the side. Losing a ski, he flipped twice before falling 20 feet onto a vertical rock face and bouncing off the rocks onto the snowfield below. It was brutal to watch, but thankfully he was OK.
It was one of the best days of the season, and also my last day at Surefoot. My visa expired yesterday, so I had to stop working. That means the month of April will be dedicated to a) skiing and b) all those things I've been meaning to do but haven't had time to accomplish.
Skiing down to Pakalolo, I had one of those moments that will last a lifetime--the snow was consistent and grippy, perfect conditions to make those huge fast sweeping turns that send powder arcing to the side, instantly turning golden in the sunlight. It was one of those rare moments when I was able to ski the way I picture myself skiing, the way I would want to ski if someone were filming. Fortunately, I have no photos of the day, and forgetting my camera was an excellent accidental decision. The pictures would have been a cheap imitation at best.
Spankys is a gonzo dream. Three bowls, each as steep as the next, a veritable patchwork of rocks, cliff bands, narrow chutes, straightlines, cornices and trees. The lines you can ski are limited only by your "skier's vision" and guts. The morning cold kept the snow light and fast, before the sun could warm it to a heavier paste. We made two laps, stopping briefly to jump a cliff I've been eying all season (PMN: it's the big one to skiers left of Paul's cliff near the top of the bootpack).
In the afternoon we headed to Whistler. The most memorable (and scary) event was watching a skier fall down Air Jordan. Air Jordan is a highly technical double-stage cliff drop. Skiers enter from the top, and jump a 25 foot cliff onto a small patch of snow, the only exit from which is jumping a 40-foot cliff below. A fall on the first stage sends the skier tomahawking at top speed over the lower cliff band. The skier jumped the first cliff, but was bucked to the side. Losing a ski, he flipped twice before falling 20 feet onto a vertical rock face and bouncing off the rocks onto the snowfield below. It was brutal to watch, but thankfully he was OK.
It was one of the best days of the season, and also my last day at Surefoot. My visa expired yesterday, so I had to stop working. That means the month of April will be dedicated to a) skiing and b) all those things I've been meaning to do but haven't had time to accomplish.
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