bigwavedave Posted March 4, 2012 Report Share Posted March 4, 2012 Forecast calls for another 3-5" overnight, guess I better pack the surfboard just in case. I think that guy has his bindings mounted wrong on that Dupraz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 5, 2012 Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 Lake effect magic hovers over Spirit Mt...a few inches of fresh snow over groomed packed powder today made for slow but very carvable conditions and hazy sun. Brought out carvers Russ, Ken, the illusive Jolsen, and time traveler, Gary, straight out of 1989 on a Kemper asym equiped with two piece "hardplate" bindings, flux capaciter and vintage appropriate one piece snowsuit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2012 @russi'm going to be in duluth on next friday march 9th on personal business. Bob - sent you a PM with info (but the way you send PMs has changed since the vBulletin upgrade)....if you didn't get the message, my cell number is listed in a post here from a couple of days ago - give me a call and we'll make sure that you're good to go. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 I'm coming up tomorrow if anyone can come out and play. Anybody out today? Conditions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khoward Posted March 6, 2012 Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 I'll be there early tomorrow afternoon and planning an epic session. Had to work this evening, but we had a short snow squall - 0.3" this afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2012 Never got above about 26F today, so my guess is that you'll have great conditions in the morning; I'll be out in the afternoon, probably around 3 or so. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 7, 2012 Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 Great conditions today. Started out sunny, mid 20's, perfect carving conditions. Started to soften up by 10-11AM but remained great for caving--we butchered Gandy Dancer by early afternoon, leaving deep trenches. By 3-4PM things started firming up into bumpy crud. Jim, Russ and Ken all made appearances, but not while the camera was rolling. New Kessler hover-board Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2012 "Started to soften up by 10-11AM but remained great for caving--we butchered Gandy Dancer by early afternoon, leaving deep trenches. By 3-4PM things started firming up into bumpy crud" You certainly have the touch for being at the right place in the right time lately....after you left yesterday the light went flat so I took a break and waited until the lights came on, but by then the entire hill was a virtual skating rink. I could still see your (deep) Gandy trenches when the hill closed at 8pm. Saturday sounds like the better day for this weekend, but I'll be out both days on patrol duty. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 We're in for a stretch of warm and rainy days starting this weekend. Saturday looks good, I may come up Friday too, as I might have the day off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khoward Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 We did a couple of runs around 6PM. Empty Grand Ave parking lot is a bad omen. Wind-scoured crust. We'll try again tomorrow evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 Tried for a quick session late this afternoon; between the flat light and the hard surface, I gave up after a couple of runs. Saw Ken slip-sliding around too. I'm going to Giant's Ridge tomorrow to see some new terrain. Bigwave - if you come up Friday and need a place to stay, give me a call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 i'll be up at spirit this weekend. friday morning i have plans but might ride in the afternoon if it looks good. will be around saturday too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 Giants Ridge, tomorrow? Keep an eye out for the Butcher of Biwabic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2012 So Bigwave and I hooked up at Giant's Ridge today; $29 each (Spirit pass gets you $10 off). Bright sun, a few 'chunky' spots, but overall outstanding groom, and a whole new set of terrain to play on. May have to start thinking about more than one trip a year up there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2012 Spring came early in the northland this year; temp was in the mid-20s when we started at 9am but soared into the 50s this afternoon. Despite the soft conditions, Bobble, Bigwave, JOlson, and Ken (he's camera shy) came out to play: <a href="http://s996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/rwmaron/?action=view¤t=March102012006.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/rwmaron/March102012006.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 Spring came early in the northland this year; temp was in the mid-20s when we started at 9am but soared into the 50s this afternoon. Despite the soft conditions, Bobble, Bigwave, JOlson, and Ken (he's camera shy) came out to play:<a href="http://s996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/rwmaron/?action=view¤t=March102012006.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/rwmaron/March102012006.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> i had a good time early to mid morning. it was good riding with everyone. thanks to russ for the lift ticket. too bad gandy was off limits. i don't quite understand the physics why soft snow feels like riding on sand paper. getting over that first hump on 4-pipe was a challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 (edited) Fun day yesterday, even later in the day carving up the soft snow. Rode until about 2PM, I did several "last runs" with bobble before finally calling it quits. Two full days in a row and my old knees are feeling it today. Had a beer with bobble and Mrs bobble afterwards. To my surprise bobble was not wearing a suit and tie under his snowboard gear and did not puff on a pipe. RE the snow later in the day: I think it has something to do with the high water content of the 2' of new snow last week, it felt like sandpaper, but maybe it's a water-surface-tension-suction type of thing, because it was worse when your board was flat. Sure felt like you had the brakes on when not on edge. Would require some serious waxing/structuring magic. Hope our local carvers Russ, Jim and Ken continue with the hill reports. I think Spirit has enough snow on top of a good base for some nice granular, corn snow conditions, but this warm weather is gonna get people thinking of other things. Edited March 12, 2012 by bigwavedave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khoward Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 We had a great weekend riding with everyone this weekend. Started out with variable conditions with soft spots at the bottom and some crustiness higher up and in shady spots. Juggler Joe and Double Jaw had some serious issues with ribbing and gashes from the groomer. Russ, Jolson, Ms. Marlys Olson, Jane and myself started the day. It got progressively slower and less carvable by early afternoon and folks called it a day. Russ and I hung in there till 2PM till it was quite pointless. Stopped by SkiHut and picked up a block of warm-weather wax for Tuesday afternoon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khoward Posted March 13, 2012 Report Share Posted March 13, 2012 Arrived at Grand Ave at noon. The Express chair was just making a pitiful buzzing noise and had been abandoned. Four Pipe was roped off at the level of the base of Double Jaw so I hiked the hill. Could've been worse, it could have been at 13,000 feet. The snowpack held up quite well through the rain on Monday. Met up with Russ and Ski Patroller Don riding hardboots at the top of Double Jaw. They eventually fixed the Express lift, but conditions slowly deteriorated and called it a day around 3:30PM. My board was coated with sticky tar and resins - needed to completely clean and rewax. We're gonna try for an evening session Thursday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 14, 2012 Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Is the snow starting to turn to granular/corn yet? Was it still sticky slow? I wonder if the stuff you picked up on your board is what made the snow feel slow since that last snowfall? It did have the feel of dirty snow, but I saw no signs of dirt imbeded in my wax. I might have to come back up there to investigate. I have Friday off. I think I'll avoid Saturday and all the St Paddy's day hoopla. Sure feels like the season is winding down fast. I almost took my bike out for a spin today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2012 Is the snow starting to turn to granular/corn yet? Was it still sticky slow? Not sticky slow like the weekend - in fact when you could find a stretch of untracked snow, it was fast and 'surfy'. Unfortunately there weren't too many untracked stretches to be had. Don and I are planning a couple of hours Thursday morning. The projected overnight temperatures starting Thursday are outlandish - things are going to go down the tubes pretty fast after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khoward Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 Had a meeting this evening after work that was canceled, but decided not to try Spirit with the heat. Heard that conditions weren't prime. Very unsettling for March 14th, and forecast to continue. Jane and I are planning an evening session tomorrow - could be my last at Spirit this year if we don't stay open past this weekend. It's supposed to be a little cooler for one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobD Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 At this rate I don't think even Lutsen will survive much longer :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 15, 2012 Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 Still thinking of coming up tomorrow, Friday, for one last blast of the season. Interested to hear how it was today. BobD you might be onto something with the whitewater kayak, might be just the tool to get down the hill in the coming days. Possibility of thunderstorms are in the NOAA forecast everyday for the next week starting Saturday. Let's see, do we shut down the chair lift when there's thunder and lightning? Sounds like summertime weather, guess were're gonna skip spring this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 15, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2012 Got down to 35F last night, so things were pretty firm this morning, then gradually softened (and slowed) - nevertheless I stayed out until noon. Patroller Don has definitely got the hardboot stoke now after touching the snow a couple of times on Blue Ruin: <a href="http://s996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/rwmaron/?action=view¤t=March152012001.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i996.photobucket.com/albums/af89/rwmaron/March152012001.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> Forecast low of 33F tonight, so I suspect that tomorrow will be about the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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