good day at A-Basin

Yesterday I ventured out for a solo day at A-Basin. It was the first time I've driven up on a Sunday instead of a Saturday... traffic was completely different, among other things. But the more exciting topic was the skiing, so let's get to that. First off, as a precursor, I hadn't been out in about 3 weeks, so I wasn't sure how well I would ski. There also hadn't been any new snow for at least a week, so I wasn't sure how good the snow would be. It was a crap shoot, and the gamble paid off.

That was my first day on the Pallavinci lift area of A-Basin, and I highly recommend it, especially when Zuma is closed. I did laps on Pali Face and surprised myself at how well I skied. That's not the steepest line I've ever skied, but definitely very fun and worth checking out if you haven't before. I was able to sustain chaining turns for as long as I cared to rather than until I started to get out of control, and my mogul lines improved too. It was as if the lightbulb finally went on this season! Those nagging thoughts in the back of my mind about digressing this season were sent packing for some other year, and I was thrilled at the day.

Sunday also gave me the chance to try out my brand spanking new Light Smoke Flash jacket from Patagonia (50% off!) to see if it was warm enough and wind-resistant enough to stand up to truly crappy weather days on the slopes. That puppy passed with flying (...red, actually) colors! It was so windy (50mph gusts) that the Montezuma side was closed most of the day. At the top of the resort wind was bombarding everyone with up-to-penny-diameter ice crystals which stung any unprotected skin. When Zuma did open, I ventured over once and immediately headed back to Pali Face where the snow was much better. It simply wasn't worth waiting behind a ridge like a penguin until the wind stopped so you could slide down a sheet of ice. Along with being a good day to put my new jacket to the test, it was a real lesson in wind deposition; new snow coverage was replinished throughout the day. At one point in particular I had to stop for at least 2 minutes due to whiteout conditions, and when I pulled my hands from my face (being pelted by the newly deposited fluff...) a brand new powder/corn surface was laid out for me to enjoy.

Now that we're approaching mid-February, I'm anticipating some good spring storms to come through and provide some good powder days for me to close out the season with. Time will tell. I'm looking forward to my free day at Monarch in April courtesy my Gems card. To be perfectly honest, I haven't explored all that much new ground this year, and have to admit I haven't found anything that matches the sustained steep lines of Loveland's ridge or Winter Park's Vasquez Ridge... the potential is there but the snow hasn't been. Next year I might just get some Loveland 4-packs and the Intrawest pass again... we'll see. But not so fast, there is plenty of days left in this season, so I'll keep you posted with whatever new territory I discover.