bigwavedave Posted January 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2023 On 1/12/2023 at 1:25 PM, bigwavedave said: Hoping for some sun tomorrow. Friday Nope, not today, heavy overcast at dawn with no hint of the sun. Then it started to snow. This was not forecast, but I'll take it. I'd rather have snow if it's going to be overcast. It seems easier to see in flat light when there's light snow falling. We had some drizzle yesterday afternoon, so conditions were similar to yesterday morning—1-1½" of crunchy groom over a racecourse-hard base—great for carving and once trenched up was a rough ride. Rode the same set-up as yesterday—the Thirst XC 171 with modified Geckos. Mr "Ski-to-Die" (so says his license plate) said I was looking really good...really good. I was waiting for him to add, "for a snowboarder ". Rode for 2½ hrs again. Never a lift line, but somehow more traffic on the slopes than yesterday. Pre-MLK weekend traffic? Tomorrow? Forecast just changed from mostly sunny to mostly cloudy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 14, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2023 21 hours ago, bigwavedave said: Tomorrow? Forecast just changed from mostly sunny to mostly cloudy. Saturday Guess they're just messin' with me—it was a beautiful sunny day today! Drove to the top for first tracks. Typical MN firm, great carving. The groom was hard and a bit bumpy over on the Gandy side plus there were some race courses over there. The snow softened up in the sun as temps got into the 20's. Rode for 2½ hrs, would have stayed longer, but the MLK crowds were making it hard to get a clean run. Everybody was in a good mood—it's been days (feels like weeks?) since we've seen the sun. And Jim was there!! @jolson XC races at the bottom this weekend, limited parking. Upper lots were filling up by the time I left. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 18, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2023 We had 2-3 days of rainy and drizzly weather with temps in the low 30's. So, I wasn't inspired to ride today with super flat light and the possibility of frozen groom. I walked up onto the base of the hill at mid-day and found there was 1-2" of frozen granular over an ice base, so probably not bad for carving. We're supposed to get a few inches of snow with probable lake enhancement tonight and tomorrow. I should be out tomorrow. 4pm: Very fine, compact lake effect snowflakes are falling ahead of the storm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 19, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2023 Thursday Drove to the top for first tracks. 2-3" overnight and another 2-3" fell through the day. Rode for ~4½hrs and it never got crowded. You could carve across the whole hill. There was 2" of groomed frozen granular under the new snow with an ice base underneath it all. Temps were just below freezing and the moist snow compacted under the board leaving hardened trenches behind. Rode the 171 XC with modified Geckos in the AM, then switched to the 202 TSm² in the PM. The TS was making trenches 6+" deep, right down to the ice base! Russ was there. It was a fun day and should be good tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2023 Fri 1st tacks, flat light with periods of dim sun. Snow was much firmer than I had expected, really had to push the edge into turns to get a solid bite. Surprisingly there were areas with crunchy, ice chunky snow, but overall it was good carving. As it warmed a bit, I was getting down to the ice base in deep carves (3-4"). It's home-school Friday with lots of beginners on the hill by late morning and generally busier than yesterday. Rode with Russ. I was riding the Geckoed XC again. Called it quits after about 2 hours. I drove though the B lot on my way out to see if the bigAir park was open―searching for softer groom. It wasn't open yet, but I spotted the Dr walking up to the hill and Jane the snowqueen was there too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 21, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2023 Sat Another day with flat light and mild temps. January typically has subzero temps and clear blue skies. I'd gladly trade this for that. Plus, cold temps keep the crowds down. The groom was nice and the snow a bit softer today. DoubleJaw and the adjacent side of 4Pipe were chewed up from a running race this morning. It didn't take long to become difficult to get a clean run, so 6 runs in 1 hour and done. Made 3 runs with the 166 Contra without Geckos and switched to the Geckoed XC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 25, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2023 Wed ¼" of new snow over groomed crushed ice. Flat light, but at least it's snowing. I had several good runs carving with blind faith on crunchy cord until I started hitting hidden death cookies (either unearthed by earlier tracks or old frozen tracks) that were redirecting the board and knocking me off balance mid carve. I managed not to crash, but after my knees kept getting kicked up to their limits, I decided to call it after about an hour. There were telltale droppings of pink hydraulic fluid on the hill, so apparently they're still having groomer issues. 6PM: It's been snowing all day and barely an inch of snow. Maybe there's more up on the hill. I'll be out for 1st tracks. It's supposed to be sunny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 26, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 Sun!!! Drove up for 1st tracks. We had only 1½-2" of snow total. The cord was very firm, some would call it hard (it's why we wear hardboots here). ½" deep trenches at best, except for one groomer pass under the chair where they must have accidentally deployed the tiller. It was soft enough to make a 4" deep trench here... Everywhere else tracks were ½" deep grooves at best. 4pipe had the most consistent groom, ScissorBill & DoubleJaw were okay, but even harder. Everywhere else was awful , even in the park. Hard, bumpy, wavy with potholes and curbs between groomer passes. Made carving virtually impossible. It looked like someone's first time driving the groomer. Everyone at Spirit today seemed to be riding/skiing on 4Pipe. Luckily, single digit cold temps kept the crowds down. I rode for 4½hrs and 3 different boards, switching to Gecko and F-plated boards later on to smooth out our ruts. Russ was layin' down some nice track today too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted January 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 SUNday Sub zero temps and SUN! Didn't get on the hill til about noon today (a late night), but it wasn't an issue. It was less crowded than a weekday morning. Snow was fast and hard, and the groom was mostly consistent. There was a streak of hydraulic fluid down one side of the hill , so they still have some groomer issues. Trenches were mainly ¼" deep, occasionally 1" deep in softer spots. Rode the F-plated Rev 175 to smooth out bumps (and my ruts) in the hard snow. One of the better carving days in quite a while. Oh, and Spirit has announced adding Tuesday afternoons, 1-8pm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 1, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2023 Wed out this morning for a few runs. Subzero cold, but overcast and flat light. The groom wasn't bad, a little harder than Sunday and a bit bumpy between groomer passes. Got bounced around a bit when carving across the hill. Had a scheduled Chiro appt this afternoon. I feel like I need it, as I took a couple of falls yesterday on the hardpack at Jackson Creek. Afterwards, I noticed that the axle on my TD3sw rear heel pad was working its way out. My heel was lifting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 Thurs Sunny, -1°F, NW wind 15-25. Made 1st tracks from the top. Maybe 5 skiers on the hill this morning, half of them ski patrol. The groom was fast & hard, though softer and smoother than it has been. 1 inch deep "trenches". Carved for 4 hours, one of the better days so far this season. ...and the hill was empty. 3 other carvers on the hill throughout the day; @rwmaron , then Kylie, test driving a new F-plated 157 Donek Rev (she's a NorAm racer), then @khoward showed up. Ran into Jane over on the Gandy side. Gandy was still a bit uneven for carving across the hill. Skyhooker was nice. Temps rose a few degrees, then dropped below zero again and the snow got noticeably harder. It was really cold on the express chair traveling 15mph into a 15-25mph wind, but the carving was too good to quit. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 4, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2023 Sat Temps quickly rebounded from -25°F yesterday to above zero this morning. Lots of activity and trail closures today. Collegiate XC racing at the bottom( F-S-S) so, Grand Ave parking full and Downhill Musher closed. Gandy and Blue Ruin are closed for ski racing Sat&Sun. Weekend crowds are squeezed onto the remaining open runs ,so it got crowded fast. Ran into Ken in the parking lot and we joined the growing line for the first chair up. We rode for about an hour as it soon became too busy for spoiled carvers used to having an empty hill. On the plus side, the snow was really nice―smooth, plush grooming, 1-2" deep trenches. Dim sun turned overcast with flat-ish light. Warm and sunny forecast for tomorrow. Same trail closures, so likely another short day. I'm planning to drive to the top for 1st tracks. Ken is planning to ride tomorrow too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 5, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2023 Sunday Warm & sunny. Made 1st tracks from the top, then rode the 1st chair up with @khoward. Rode for 1½ hrs. Snow was great minnesota firm with 1" deep trenches. It got kinda crowded, but we still managed to get some good carving in. There were collegiate competitions all over―at the bottom was a 40K classic XC, GS races on BlueRuin and slopestyle in the rope tow park. I had a skier fall in close behind me (like 20 feet) trying to match my turns. Kind of freaked me out cause I could only see him out of the corner of my eye every other turn, and wasn't sure if he was trying to pass me. He was really struggling to match my turns, so I let him pass and then gave him the same treatment from behind. Tuesday should be nice after some snow Mon night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 7, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 7, 2023 Tues 2.5" of damp snow overnight, mostly groomed. Sunny, warm, could be Aspen, I don't know. This is the 1st of Spirit's new Tuesday afternoon hours, 1-8pm. I made the first tracks 1½hrs before opening and hiked up for the second, and some pics...it was sweet! The snow was chalky, in that it both crumbled and compressed underfoot in a carve. It felt soft and firm at the same time, a little weird , kinda like what Hollywood movie fake snow looks like it would feel. It was still a lot of fun, carving with restraint (foot off the accelerator)....and not crowded either. Russ was on softies today. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 8, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2023 Another beautiful day! Started out about 20° and got up to 40°+ by the time I quit at 2:30. Carving got better as the snow softened in the sun and it never got sticky. Rode with Ken for the first hour or so then ran into Jane practicing in the BX course. Found lots of fresh mid-day cord in the BigAir park. Gandy still has uneven grooming features that mess with carving across the fall line. There were a few bus loads of kids on the hill today. Fortunately, just when it starts to feel crowded, everyone takes a lunch break and the hill is wide open for another hour. The combination of snow, sun and plush corduroy had me feeling that Aspen vibe again today. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 9, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2023 Thurs 3rd day in a row with great carving conditions. Typical Minnesota firm (1" deep trenches), Intermittent sun, temps just above freezing and a strong north wind. Rode with Russ and Ken today. Not crowded, lots of clear runs, except when 6-7 deer came charging across SkyHooker 75' in front of me. All runs were good except for the persistent ridges between groomer passes on Gandy. Rode for 3½ hrs. Started on the Geckoed XC and later the F plated Rev. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2023 Home school Friday. Started out at 5° and sunny. Ken was there. The grooming sucked. Ken called it bullet proof. "Trenches" were ¼ deep at best. I could still see tracks from yesterday under the cursory* grooming effort. Curbs between groomer passes and occasional potholes. Even skiers were complaining. At least the snow softened in the sun when temps rose into the 20's. *You know they can make nice plush corduroy, when your feet sink in 3-4 inches while walking across the meticulous grooming at the bottom of the rope-row park on your way to the slope. Hope it gets warm enough to soften the snow tomorrow so we can carve through the grooming features. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2023 We could use a guy like this at Spirit... ...or like some hills that only hire skiers to groom the slopes and then make them do 1st tracks to evaluate their product. Spirit obviously doesn't do this, but I suspect they do it for the terrain parks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2023 Sat Great carving day! Slightly better grooming, but it was soft enough to slice right through any grooming features. There's a crunchy, firm layer 2-3" under the cord. Made the first tracks and saw @jolson come down right after me. Ken was there. It didn't get as busy as one might expect for a beautiful warm & sunny Saturday. It got up to 40°, feeling like mid March. Ken cut out before noon. I kept getting sucked into one more run and finding the run less traveled with nobody on it and an empty (no wait) singles line for the chair. Rode til 2. Rode one board all day, the XC with modified Geckos I'll be out there tomorrow. P.S. Talked to Larry the XC trail groomer (he's a skier too). The proper term for the ridges between groomer passes is "seams" and there shouldn't be ANY. Spirit just took delivery of a new Piston Bully and they have more drivers than machines. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 12, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2023 Sunday Another great carving day! Like yesterday, but the snow got softer and a little slow in the sun when temps reached 40°. Jim and Ken were on it. Rode for 3hrs. The crowds really thinned out around noon. Got there early, made 1st tracks and hiked back up to get a pic. Day 44 Spirit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 15, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2023 We had over an inch of rain yesterday (a record for Feb) and a skiff of snow early this morning. I didn't ride today, but stopped by the hill and found it was not frozen solid. It looked like carvable frozen granular and I was tempted to go get my boots, except that the grooming appeared quite variable―adjacent groomer passes were slanting at different angles, ridges and holes at the seams, dips and hollows in the middle of a pass where you'd expect it to be flat. Must have been a challenge grooming in the rain. Not many people on the hill. Talked to a couple of softbooters who said it wasn't bad. No report from @rwmaron yesterday? I was waiting for that report from the boarder patroller saying how great it was, and with no crowds. I was surprised they didn't close with all the rain. I plan to go up tomorrow and hope for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2023 Best carving snow so far this year! 3-4" deep trenches! Amazing how fast the hill can recover after all that rain... ...only in the rope tow park and on the big jumps. Rock hard and bumpy groom everywhere else. Yup, just trolling ya. Learned all about it recently. Rode for one joint rattling hour. The only relief was in that little park. The big air park got roped off just before I got over there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted February 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 Went up to the hill early afternoon. The conditions looked promising, but it turned out to be hard as a rock under a scruff of loose granular. That loose granular may have been a carvable surface groom earlier, but it was scraped down to the ice and there are still a lot of grooming "features". Fingers crossed for a couple of chances of snow next week. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khoward Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 Out for first chair today. Big improvement over Thursday (almost anything would be better). Firm, but carvable. A lot of traffic from Homeschool Friday and a variety of 'groomer features' down the middle of Four Pipe. Planning for first chair Saturday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khoward Posted February 19, 2023 Report Share Posted February 19, 2023 First chair again today. Plush groom on Four Pipe, still a bit icy elsewhere. Rode for 7 runs till it got too busy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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