Hi there! I am back for a short duration to take advantage of the last days of the season.  Friday was clear and cool with an 8:00AM first Tram.  The overnight temps. did not freeze up the snow pack, however, it was certainly supportable.  The off trail is super sun cupped making for some rough riding.  By 10:00AM the softness began and off trail became more manageable and invited a bit more adventurous lines.  Significant meltage has occurred over the past week leaving some shots, which had good entrances last week, unapproachable without down climbing .  Very minimal grooming has been done in the out of area sections and the routes to the bottom, and mandatory walking is required to traverse the ,now melted clean, sections of the cat tracks.  The Bass Highway is one such section so plan on a bit off a hoof, and care should be taken going into this area as the width of the remaining snow is skinny and will only accept cautious deceleration.  One of my good friends was brutally clocked last week end by an up hill skier jamming the section.  Unfortunately both were injured and took a ride through the rocks and stumps.  Be aware!!  !The dirty snow is very slow and the whiter snow is a bit faster, but do not let that lull you into a false sense of wild abandon, as a nasty double eject could have your name on it.  The dwindling terrain and congested skiable terrain presents hazards so I am only mentioning this as I want every one to go into the FUN summer season injury free.  The Peruvian side is doable and there is one solid way down the cable lines on the lower mountain , however, the lowest run out section is undermined by rivulets and you can break through at any time.  Again, care should be taken.  Walking is mandatory coming out of the Chips section as well as Who Done It.  Twenty minute trams are a bear to make with the walking and the variations, so the most quality will be found up high.  Mineral Basin is closed for the season.   Go early and get the best of it because it goes fast.  See you tomorrow!!

This entry was posted on Friday, May 29th, 2009 at 4:21 pm and is filed under Snow Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.