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Cypress Diaries 2010-11


BlueB

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(Ug, I replace my gear every few years to try to avoid that kind of thing!)

It says (as you say) 3 degrees, raining at the base but snow higher. The forecast seems to be for rain in Vancouver on Sunday too... does that mean Cypress is a wash-out, or can you ride it reasonably in these conditions?

Sitting in YVR waiting for a 'plane in 24 hours time, hence I'm trying to figure out what to do.

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Tomorrow will be a washout. Your only good bet would be riding the Sky Chair, high up, short and steep, moguls or trees. All other trails go back to the base, which means you'll be wet riding any other chairs.

Monday will be wet too... Reasonable weather window will be only Tuesday to Thursday, then back to warm and rain again :(

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You're right, of course. I took notice and went to Grouse instead, where the visibility was nearly zero (video to follow) and the conditions mostly rain. I'm going to be gently steaming myself dry on the flight home. Grouse is easier to get to transport wise, with more flexibility for the likes of me who got rained off Grouse after a few hours this morning.

I hope it gets better for you guys soon...

Oh yeah, at least one person at Grouse recognised the Kessler, and it rocked even in crappy conditions. I hope I didn't scare any CASI trainees, blasting out of the mist at mach 2.

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Oh yeah, at least one person at Grouse recognised the Kessler, and it rocked even in crappy conditions. I hope I didn't scare any CASI trainees, blasting out of the mist at mach 2.

With instructor jacket...must be Ruwi, I doubt Tenorman wud go out in the rain...unless he just received his 2011 F2:rolleyes:

RT

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Right philw

That was me "nice board" my comment. I didn't bring a carving board to ride due to weather. I saw you once while riding the Screaming Eagle chair. I tried to sneak in a run every time the rain stopped and the sun trying to peak. It didn't last so I was soaking wet. Been teaching with my hard boot setup using Dynastar 3800 163.

Cheers,

ruwi

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Start early at 9AM. Tiny carvers gather Gary, Rod, Beagle and later Blueb join after teaching last week "fun" school kids group:freak3:.

Toys:

Gary-Head Ski163; Rod-"Sick" Triple decambered Banana156(?); Beagle-Prior169(?); Scooby- SGRace185 & WCRM177; Blueb-Virus Vampire177

Fun dry carving day after a wet week. Nice granule groomed with a couple inches soft compact layer under neath ontop the evil icy stuff on the very bottom. The granule groomed layer hold for a few hours due to noone on the hill before start loosen to sugar icing.

Getting rusty after a week off. Widen the stance 0.5" on SG to 19.5" by moving the rear binding backward to stablize tail for finishing turn and it worked. Stays on SG till 11 before switching to WCRM177. The WCRM is alot lighter and easier to switch but not as smooth-ride as the SG on uneven bottom hard pack. I guess SG longer effective edge and the tapered tail made it more forgiving. Blueb ride looks effortless on the Vampires even thou he explain he had to crank the flex early before every turn otherwise board will go wide. Call it off @1PM heading to Crazy Raven Pub for wet sosializing:rolleyes:

RT(24)

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What a day! For once Cypress site reported less snow then it came down and worse (by far) visibillity then it actually was. That kept the masses in the city, leawing the mountain to the "faithfull". 20cm of fresh, over frozen nastiness of past few days.

Rod started early on Spearhead and softies, joined by George on ATV, followed by Roy on 3800, Garry on skis and me on Aggression 163 freeride, later Tanker 192.

It was just shear fun, wherever we went and we went everywhere! Tracked, byt fresh lines could be found without too much effort. Ice could be felt under, hen digging too deap, though.

I killed the Aggression - stainless cap delam, by falling over a chunk of ice hidden under the pow. Ah well, it rode extremelly well while it lasted... Tanker was solid as a tank, as usual. I rode it better then I remember in the steep bumps...

Roy's polishing his new found "projection" technique on the steeps, doing great job.

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That was me "nice board" my comment. I didn't bring a carving board to ride due to weather. I saw you once while riding the Screaming Eagle chair. I tried to sneak in a run every time the rain stopped and the sun trying to peak. It didn't last so I was soaking wet. Been teaching with my hard boot setup using Dynastar 3800 163.

Sorry I didn't come over for a chat then - not the best conditions there, but way, way better than I get at home so I took what I could get. They were making the best of the conditions anyway. The visibility was so bad that I couldn't find my way around what is probably a fairly compact area - I got lost at one point and ended up riding the beginner chair, much to the amazement of the liftie: "are you riding that on this run" (actually I didn't realize it was a run, just a way to a lift).

I took my wet gear on the 'plane later in the day and some of it didn't get dry until I got home! Goretex actually works reasonably well in those conditions.

I met a bunch of (friendly) trainee CASI people on the bus up there. It was kind of funny, as I have read their material just because, and all these guys on the bus were revising for their instructor tests that day. I didn't see them on the slopes, but that doesn't mean they weren't there. There were a lot of "assisted snowsports" people there and lots of lessons going on.

I have some video of riding in zero visibility now... not sure what I can do with that!

There seemed to be a generally positive response to Alpine gear there - lots of questions, all friendly.

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Ahm, somewhat crappy conditions today... Rain to snow, to fog, to snow, to rain... Heavy Heavy stuff on the ground, bumped up by the mid afternoon. Kinda carvable, though.

Rod started early and left early. Scoob and me started just after 10am and left by 1pm. Toys: Spearhead, Banana, 2x Tankers, 3800, Kessler BXn... I got worried that I might do to Kessler what I did to Aggression yesterday, so I switched to Tank after an hour or so. As usual, Tankers drew quite a bit of attention and "ah, ohs" ;)

I had quite an unpleasant conversation with a British guy who took out a ski kid on a green run (kid merged in recklesly, though). To my polite comments about riding safe, guy wanted to drop the gloves and fight!? I gues he was quite lucky that he didn't get the hard boot on the shin ;)

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I had a different experience.

9:00 to 11:00.

JJ was ho-hum. Coyote 7 had a little bit of spittle on top of yesterday's shredded snow.

Then I went to Crazy Raven :). It had 12" of wet fresh over groomed, so it was extremely smooth. With the Dynastar 3800 - 163 cm, it felt pow-like. Not quite pow, because it was wet, but still very surfable. The wax was also slick.

Almost nobody there. I could see my previous tracks for the first 5 or 6 runs. Did about 90 minutes of Crazy Raven before it got tracked out. Probably 10 to 12 runs total. Good visibility too.

Got soaking wet.

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...Then I went to Crazy Raven :). It had 12" of wet fresh over groomed, so it was extremely smooth. With the Dynastar 3800 - 163 cm, it felt pow-like. Not quite pow, because it was wet, but still very surfable. The wax was also slick. ..

Nice finding...

Me & Rod start 9ishAM. Blueb came later with Luka.

Toys: Rod - Crazy "Tricambered" Banana 156, Scooby - SG185, WCRM177

Start in bad condition, Visi was limited to variable all the way to 12.30. Snow condition crushty corduray - groomed drunken groomer :freak3: with deep gulley in some spot and lots of base ball ice chunks to soccer size. Had to move one big one on JJA, I was wondering to start new sport "soccer carving":rolleyes: Take a break around 11.30 and plan to join Blueb with on ski...:onot happening as soon as I saw the sun shining on Rainbow. Finish at 2.30.

RT(25)

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Cousin..,Blueb and later me...These crew are hard core. Blueb & Cousin came early and me came later. Light rain but it's like some one spray tiny droplet into the goggles, we had a few runs on Midway and we had to call it off since fogs blinded us, off to the lodge hoping it clear up...not happening. Otherwise snow in good condition. Toys: Blueb - Virus Vampire, Cousin of Beagle - Prior, Scooby - WCRMWide

RT(26)

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I was hoping that someone would give a report... Ah well, it's gotta be me, again.

Spring-like conditions in January!?! *&X@!! Ok, still better then the rains we had over last few days...

Biger group of carvers got together to play and brought up lots of toys. See the pics.

I tested the new F2 Silber Carbon, see the 2011 Silber thread and Plan B Plate on Coiler Classic 179, more to come in Plan B thread... I managed to blow the ankle buckle on my rear boot, 2nd time in 2 years, so I couldn't push as hard as I wanted.

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Rod & me came at 9AM - Rockstar parking - great location to park for boards testing. Blueb, Tenorman & Cousin.. join later. Snow condition "fast" fine granule soft compact in the early hours around JJA/Eagle chair thn turn to soft dry mushy at noon. Panorama was the best condition but my SG was too long and to fast for this run and I stay most at JJA. At noon move to Lions chair and play all day between Rainbow, Midway & Collins.

Toys: Blueb - Coiler PR179 + PlanBPlate; Cousin of Beagle - Prior 4WD 169cm; Tenorman - F2Silberpfeil172 2010&2011; Rod - Crazy"Triple Decambered" Banana -156; Scooby - KST185+Hangl, SGFR185, PRIOR WCRM177.

Had a few warm up lap on SG185 before switch to KST185+Hangl. Surprisingly easy to have this board to carve on its edge and very stable. Last time I remember the HanglPlate felt so "monstrous" under the boot. This deck w/ HP can really dig deep on its edge. The height of the Plate+the binding will turn the board quickly/sudden flip of its deck once the board turn pass around 45* angle, it will shock the h**l out of u if u not prepared. But once it hooked you can rail it on its edge. With the weight and the height of the plate, this board not easy to skid, it just want to do one thing slice thru the snow what ever the condition. Switch back to lighter SGFR185 and I stayed all the way even after tried the WCRM177 on the choppy condition. The wide waist help float the board thru the choppy/mushy and its long edge slice thru with ease, fast and forgiving.

Tenorman, did crazy stunt at UPPER JJA at it scares the h**l out of me...

I was watching up hill and Rod was down hill. Tenorman just switch into his last season F2Silberpfeil172 when he made his heel side turn and he miss judge the edge due to the HAZY visibility. He was in full blast big radii turn and he was dissapear instantly. He was gone so fast that I was still moving my head following where he was supposedly to be when I realize he's not there...thn Ooo sh*t:eek:...Good thing I was lock in into both bindings and I go where he's dissapear. Tenorman drop about 10ft into the bottom of the valley, good thing the valley wall is a V shape with low angle slope and off course he's aiming into the only tree:rolleyes: in the valley. He stop a few inches from the tree...It was a good laugh after that scary moment...too bad I don't have the camera...

Great day guys, it was a fun day...

If weather on Saturday turn out to be good, will be back on the slope.

Cheers

RT(27)

Another crew's act cought on camera;)

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Sunny, hard pack, no people, great board... What else to wish for?

I started at about 9am, Scooby and Cousin joined at 11ish... Lessons between 11:30 and 1:30, all the rest play time!

Mt Stratchen side was all hard packed but very carvable, as usual best grooming on Midway. Black mountain side, with all the snow making power was rather tricky - from fast sleek surface, you suddenly run into a foot of loosely packed man made pow. I didn't venture to the Ravens...

Wrong gloves (short, tucked into jacket), EC and frozen cord = road rush on the arm. Ouch. Still not as bad as what we do to ourselves in the summer, skating.

My only toy for the day was Scooby's old metaltop WCRM 177 with Vist. Awsome! I tried it before in slushy conditions, but today it really shined.

Scooby, the "gear monster" brought a plateless SG, Hangled Kessler and PlanB on Coiler. He seems to be getting hang of the PlanB now - I saw him doing his best ever heel side then transitioning into an equaly good toe turn.

Couz is starting to ride really good, too.

Another sunny cold day coming up tomorrow, but I don't think I can ride. More likely Thursday...

Thursday, Friday, we'll probably see some wet snow.

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1:00 to 3:00

Snow was hardpacked like the previous day. Sky was overcast, so light was flat. Eagle chair was closed all day.

Collins was a bit hacked, so I went to the Midway chair. Just like yesterday, it was nice hardpacked corduroy. I had to rely on the corduroy to read the snow due to the flat light.

One of the ticket checkers commented on how low I can go. I gave him the scoop.

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Hardpack Corduroy. Visibility Unlimited, some clouds/fogs thn clear up. Sunny at around 1PM. Snow start to get mushy but still firm for nice turn.

BlueB, Rod "Hooplah", me start early. Rock Star parking. No line up every where. Traffic start after lunch but still no line up. BlueB teaching till 11.30 thn free all the way.

Toys: BlueB - PRIOR "CARBON top" WCRM177, "METAL top" WCRM 177+VP; Hooplah - PRIOR AM 160ish, Scooby - SGFR185+PBP, COILER PR 179

Got bad experience at upper JJA and landed my head first :freak3:

Wednesday Feb 8th will be sunny, if things are good will back on the slope.

RT(30)

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