The Ski Report 2001 ~ 2002

 

Sunday, November 25th, 2001

Ken and Jeremy got in the first trip of the year on opening day at Crystal Mountain. I decided not to go...lack of enthusiasm for low snow cover. Steven's is planning on opening on Thursday and I hope to be there.

 

Thursday, November 29th, 2001 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 1

The snow finally arrived with one huge storm in the past few days and dumped deep snow in the Cascades. In just 4 days, all the resorts received enough snow to open. As of tonight, Crystal Mountain is reporting 70" at the summit, and Mt Baker is reporting 58" on the Pan Dome and calling for up to 36" more by this weekend. At Steven's, they are reporting 39" at the base tonight. On the upper mountain, the snow is over 4 feet deep. A large group met at Ken's this morning: Me, Ken, Chuck, Tim Goodson, Rob, Speed, Jeremy, and Todd. We took my truck and Speed's new Tahoe and ran up the hill. We rolled into the upper parking lot at 8:30am and the snow was obviously deep and light. Most of us put on fat skis and took off. It was amazing for the first day...totally cool off the groomers and pretty deep powder. All of us headed up Hogback together for the first run and just cruised. After a couple runs on that, we'd just arrived at the top and they announced Tye Mill had just opened, so we went there and played in the powder on something a bit steeper. The trees we great, but a little problematic in places...there were large holes and hidden holes and we all got stuck at least once. Ken buried a ski so deep I had to click out, dig to his ski, and pull it out. He was on his old Atomic Powder Cruise with the wasted bindings and they finally gave out, so Ken, Chuck, and I skied to the trucks and Ken switched to his K2 Explorers. We caught back up with everyone else and headed back up on Tye Mill. Ken, Dave, and I got on the chair and Speed dropped his pole. He reached down to grab it and it stuck and jerked him right off the chairlift upside down. That was pretty funny. We hit the side of Barrier a few times and headed to the Bull's Tooth (Soft Landing still closed) around 1pm for lunch. About half the gang quit after that, including me. We headed down the hill around 4:30pm. Good group pic, good shot of Chuck...

 

Sunday, December 2nd, 2001 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 2

Steven's reported 15" of snow overnight on top of the 2 feet since last Thursday. Met Speed and Ken at Ken's house and took my truck up the hill. Got a rare speeding ticket on the way up the pass, but it was relatively painless. Rolled into the upper parking lot at 9am. First run on 7th Heaven...it and Chief opened yesterday. Deep powder in places, but a lot of variable conditions. Many runs down Tye Mill and 7th and a few down the side of Barrier. Dave Hunter was in the camper parking lot, spending the weekend in his motor home with his kid, and we were talking to him on the radio most of the day. I parked in front of the halfpipe cutter, and on one chair ride up I looked over and saw a pipe cutter sitting by the snowcat shack and freaked, so we went to the truck around 11:30am to make sure it was still there and to eat lunch. It was...Steven's must have 2 pipe cutters this year. Shots and brats for lunch. Went back up and took 4 hard runs from 7th to the base and we were done. Rolled over to Dave's camper and chatted for a bit...left the parking lot at 4:30pm. Couple good pics of Speed...

 

Wednesday, December 12th, 2001 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 3

Ken, Speed, and I met Tim and Doug in Monroe and headed up. Mostly groomer day...backside open now. Cruised around...easy day...lunch in parking lot. Shot of Ken jumping

 

Saturday, December 15th, 2001 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 4

22" new in last two days. Headed up with a bunch of people: Ken, Chuck, Trish, and me in my truck, Timmy, Jeremy, and Todd in Tim's car. Beautiful day...lots of good powder on the backside. Ken skied with Trish for awhile while we tore up the powder. By the time Ken joined us, he was pretty drunk. We went into the trails on the backside...we had put the trail in earlier. Ken fell a couple times at the first runout into the trees and broke a binding on his Atomics. Jeremy and Ken traded skis and Jeremy skied out on one ski. Ken could barely stand up and between me and Chuck, it took us about 2 hours to get him out of the trees and back to the lodge. Lunch in the lodge and then we left. Chuck drove most of the way home. Good shots of Chuck and Timmy jumping into the parking lot...

 

Wednesday, December 19th, 2001 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 5

Picked up Ken and Todd and met Doug and Tim in Monroe. Almost two feet of fresh light powder. Best day of the year so far...deep powder, big air...hit a couple 30 footers and was catching little air everywhere. Fell lots...dipped a ski at least four times at high speed and tumbled, but snow so deep and soft that it didnt hurt. Mostly. Group photo

 

Saturday, December 22nd, 2001 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 6

No snow since Wednesday. Groomer day, we were all on long skis. Me, Ken, Tim...cant remember who else..

 

Whistler New Years:

 

Friday, December 28th, 2001 ~ Whistler Village ~ trip notes

Left Seattle around 9am...Chuck, Trish, Ken, Todd, and me in my truck...Jeremy and Eilean in thier car, and we met Doug and Tim in Tim's truck at the first rest stop north of Arlington. Got my truck and Jeremy's car thru customs w/ noproblems. Doug,however...got the ol anal probe, but they let him in eventually. Got to the Pinnacle Whistler resort at 3:30pm and moved in. Walked thru the village and hit the liquer and grocery store. Chuck made pasta and we ordered Misty's pizza for dinner and then Me, Chuck, Todd, and Ken went to the Longhorn to shoot pool. Whistler Photos

 

Saturday, December 29th, 2001 ~ Whistler Mountain ~ 7

Up fairly early and on Whistler Mountain by 9:30ish...no new snow in days and weather is clearing and cold. Ice in places, but the top around Peak and Harmony chairs was still good. All of us except the girls skied. We stayed together most of the day...only getting split up breifly. Whistler Photos

 

Sunday, December 30st, 2001 ~ Whistler Village ~ trip notes

Very hung over...I didnt ski. Most of the other guys did. Conditions were worse than yesterday with a lot of ice. Eilean took us all out to dinner at the Keg. Whistler Photos

 

Monday, December 31st, 2001 ~ Blackcomb Mountain ~ 8
All 7 skied again today. Conditions a little better and snowing now on the upper mountain. Skied Blackcomb all day, hitting mostly Seventh Heaven with a little Glacier Express too. Burger lunch at the Horstman Hut and off the mountain by 4pm. Got some good pics of Chuck wiping out. Eilean made tacos for dinner and we partied in the rooms until about 11pm before heading down to the Village. Tickets to get in were not sold out this time, but the RCMP was out in force enforcing the 0% alcohol ban from 10pm-12pm New Years Eve. That didnt stop many people. We were just outside the grocery and liquor store at midnight and it was fun...not nearly as big a crush as First Night 2000. We took the girls back to the room a little after midnight and we all headed back down. Todd and Chuck had fun but by the time Ken and I got back, the RCMP was getting rough, so we called it a night and went back to the rooms. Whistler Photos

 

Tuesday, January 1st, 2002 ~ Whistler Village ~ trip notes
Up early. Everyone in pretty good shape. Ken, Tim, Doug, and Jeremy went skiing early and Chuck, Trish, Todd, and I went out to lunch and shopped a little. Came back to the room and relaxed a bit, then I walked Trish up to meet Ken at the Longhorn so she could ski some. Sitting here now writing this, we have these rooms paid for thru tommorow but several people either want to leave or have to leave tonight. And it is snowing finally. Hard. Forecasting 20cm overnight. EDIT: Chuck just called in sick. Whistler Photos

 

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2002 ~ Blackcomb Mountain ~ 9
We all stayed another day. Ken, Chuck, and I tried to ski, but it was raining all the way to the top of Seventh Heaven, so we skied down soaked and quit for the day. Shopped in the Village for a couple hours, hit Humptys on the way home. 2 hours at the border for the line, no problems. Whistler Photos

 

Sunday, January 6th, 2002 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 10

Ken, Jeremy, and I headed up. Outlook hasnt been good...weatherman predicting rain in the Cascades. About 4 inches of new when we got there. Went to the backside and skied OOB most of the day. Jeremy was on his board and keeping up well. By lunch it was snowing in the parking lot and we put up a tarp to eat lunch under. Speed showed up just as the snow on the frontside was turning to rain. We went up Seventh Heaven and there was a pretty bad rain crust on all the nice snow, so we went over to the backside again and it was starting to pile up back there, staying cold and not raining. Skied hard all day...were on the first chairs of the day and didnt leave until 4:30. Ken drove most of the way home while I slept.

 

Wednesday, January 9th, 2002 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 11

Dont remember...

 

Sunday, January 12th, 2002 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 12

Big powder day...many people went...lots of fluff...

 

Thursday, January 17th, 2002 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 13

No new snow in days, freezing temps moved in last 48 hours. Got to Steven's at 9am, was 22° in the parking lot, a little colder on top of Barrier. I only skied a little, then slept in truck and warmed up. Icy day, took a few fast runs on the backside and off of Hogsback/Tye Mill. No photos.

 

Saturday, January 19th, 2002 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 14

Starting to lose track on the Ski Report...big snows coming....a foot today...a foot prediceted tonight and another foot tommorow during the day. Winter storm warnings across the Cascades. More, I hope....

 

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2002 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 15

Best powder day of the year, so far. Picked up Ken and Rob and headed up the hill. In the parking lot by 8:30am. Tim Goodson was already there with his mom. The backside was closed until about 9:30am, so we took a couple runs on Tye and Seventh. The powder in the trees was very light and thigh deep. Once the backside opened, we headed in there. On the second run, near Corona Bowl, I hyperextended my right knee very badly and ended my day. I slept in the truck while everyone else skied. Knee bad next day...very swollen...several days to recover. No pics.

 

Ed Note:

After I wrecked my knee, it was much worse than I thought. I took about 2 weeks off before skiing again, and that was an abbreviated trip to Steven's...I quit a couple of hours into some backside skiing because sitting on the chair was causing a lot of pain and swelling in my knee. Skiing on it was fine. That was mid-February, usually the big snow month in the Northwest. Not this year. February was really poor this year, which was fine with me as I couldnt ski powder anyways. In March, the storms hit and dumped a lot of snow, enough to push Steven's very near the 200" base mark and to make conditions on the Pass very bad. Twice this year, cars were swept off the road by rogue avalanches and at one point the Pass was closed for nearly 48 hours due to avalanche danger. Ken skied a lot, staying ahead of last year's totals most of this season. I didnt because my knee hasnt felt good enough and I havent felt good enough about it. Today was my 3rd day of skiing, and the first day of real skiing of any kind since Jan. 23rd.

 

Thursday, April 4th, 2002 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 18

Woke up to clear skies and sunshine in Seattle. Picked up Ken and headed up the hill. Beautiful day to be in the mountains, perfect bluebird day. Dave Hunter was already up there in his camper, ready for the weekend. Season passes went on sale a couple weeks ago for $399 again and Ken got his last Sunday, so today was my turn. We ran the frontside only, staying on Barrier and Hogsback most of the time and just going fast. Hit the terrain park multiple times and it was in very good shape...we all had fun playing in there. Headed to the lodge at noon to pick up my pass and then hit the parking lot for taquitas and brats for lunch. Brought Bobdog with us and he wandered around and begged a lot. After lunch we hit Seventh Heaven-Tye Mill-Big Chief and went down to Dave's motor home for a little break. Skiing through Chief Trails took all the energy out of us: it was getting very warm out and the snow in the trails was a bit sticky and hard to turn in...Ken and I were on our 193cm Carves and Dave was on some insanely long 220cm racing boards. After that we just took Barrier up and headed to the truck. Coming down the hill, the air temp was running 68°-72°....spring has sprung.

 

Saturday, April 6th, 2002 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 19

Beautiful day on the pass. Ken and I headed up early and cruised groomers and hit jumps in the park all morning while the snow was nice. Blue skies and sunshine as the temps rose. Started out around 30° and rose to 40°+ by mid-afternoon. Snow became so slow as to be unskiable so we quit around 1pm.

 

Sunday, April 7th, 2002 ~ Steven's Pass ~ 20

Got a late start...much dickin around on the way...and got on the slopes about 10am. Me, Ken, Speed, Dave, Tim, Joe. Weather was mixed rain/snow all day and caused conditions to be less than great. Ken nearly got his new season pass pulled for skiing in the closed off terrain park where they were holding the mountain bike downhill race today. He was pretty drunk and having skiing problems, so it didnt take much for the patrol to catch him and give him a lecture....they eventually just let him go.