April 9, 2006

We have noticed that ski conditions are very unpredictable. Yesterday was a bit of a surprise. We skied at Alyeska. The temperature was in the 40’s as we headed down the road. The sun was trying to burn through some light cloud cover. We were expected a day of spring conditions. We dressed in light layers and as we rode the lifts up we started to feel a little cold. The resort was uncrowded. We waited in no lift lines.

We didn’t see anyone skiing any of our favorite runs. We just figured the conditions were demanding. We selected a good warm up run. As we dropped into the gully, it became immediately apparent that the snow temperature was pretty cold, but had probably been warmer the day before. The bumps and pushed snow were frozen into place. It was almost impossible to ski. We quickly traversed back to the groomed run. A little further down, we tried one of our favorite steep pitches. The result was the same and after a half dozen turns we both gave up and traversed to the groomed snow.

It was a real disappointment since it was already pretty late in the afternoon and the upper mountain just wasn’t softening. We decided to try the lower mountain. It was the right choice. We skied lap after lap on the lower mountain. It was soft and grippy. We were leaving beautiful S shaped railroad track marks all over the groomed runs. We were skiing much faster than normal. It was fun. It was the most fun we were going to find so we just enjoyed it. The lower mountain doesn’t have much ungroomed or steep terrain, but we skied whatever was available and had a blast. The only real downside was the slow lift that serves the bottom half of the mountain, but it was warm and it gave us a chance to rest.

I fell once on a beginner slope. We were skiing through and I was really trying to put my skis on extreme edge angles. This is difficult at slow speeds because it requires great precision. Someone skied past close enough to make me hesitate which misaligned my balance and my ski direction. In other words, I went one way and my skis went a slightly different direction. I flopped over on my side.

Kris got a cheer in the same area. On some of the easier terrain, we tend to play a little more. We ski backward. We spin around. Kris did a spin on a narrow trail and someone skiing nearby was really impressed and told her so.

So it wasn’t at all what we expected, but we skied until the resort closed and had fun on the easier part of the mountain.

We weren’t sure where to go today. Alyeska had gotten a couple inches of new snow overnight, but the temperatures were below freezing. We were concerned that those frozen moguls wouldn’t be any better with a little snow on top of them. We predicted the bottom of the mountain would still be fun, but Alpenglow had free skiing for members today. We checked their phone message and they reported 39 degrees and spring conditions. We expected soft slushy snow. As we climbed the mountain, the gravel road was dry and clear for the first time this ski season. The last quarter mile, things changed. It was snowing. The temperature dropped to 33 degrees. Visibility seemed a little low. This is not what we expected.

We rode up the surface lift unsure of what to expect. We headed down a gully area and were surprised that the snow was deep enough to provide a smooth ride. The snow was a little heavy and the visibility wasn’t great, but the smoothness of the untracked snow beckoned us to pick up the pace and commit to some turns. We expected spring conditions and we got powder. Heavy powder, but smooth untracked snow, nonetheless.

They opened the other chairlift today. We had never ridden this chairlift before so it was a new experience. We had climbed this mountain in the summer and had actually followed this chairlift on the way back down so we had some idea of the terrain. It was nice snow, but the terrain was a little less steep than we like. We made several laps, but the coverage was thin in areas which funneled most skiers into a narrow area. It was getting harder to find smooth untracked areas to make turns after a few runs.

When they opened the normal chairlift we ride, we headed over to it. There were only about a dozen people skiing this chairlift so we were able to find smooth stretches for several hours. We were skiing fast and smooth and having a blast. Finally, they closed the chairlift and the only lift left was the surface lift. We were pleased to find nice snow still available there and made a couple laps to finish the day.

As we skied up to the lift for our last ride up, another skier asked Kris if she would wait at the top of the hill because he wanted to ask her about her style. We waited at the top. He explained that he was impressed at her speed control and wondered if she could give him some tips. Kris was a little stunned that someone would pick her out to get skiing tips from. I keep telling her that we look like we know what we are doing. I guess she got some proof of that this weekend.

After skiing, we attended the member meeting. There were only about 30 people in attendance even though there are over 250 members. We got to listen to the president and elect the board of directors. It was eye opening that it was a pretty small group of people. I could see me becoming a member of the board. I have served on a non-profit board before and I could probably contribute quite a bit based on my engineering and ski industry background. Who knows, maybe I will attend the next board meeting just to investigate.

The road to Alpenglow passes through military land. On the way back down the mountain, we ran into a military group conducting some exercises. There were about 50 people standing in the road with machine guns. We slowed down to the prescribed 10 mph as we drove past. It was kind of strange.