Elk Mt 2/27/2011

[spring_mountain_high]

arrived around 8, crowded lots due to PA junior championships being held...rode the elkwagon up the hill, bought my first walkup weekend full rip ticket in a loooooong time (just started a new job so midweek days and/or extended trips were not in the cards this winter)...the lodge was crowded with racers and their families, but once we got booted up and outside there were minimal liftlines(mostly ski-on, longest wait about 1 minute), and very little crowding on any slopes...day started out sunny and then clouds rolled in, was probably in the mid 30's, no winds to speak of...i was a little apprehensive skiing my first weekend day in many years, but i was pleasantly surprised...elk ftw

on friday they got 6-8 inches of snow with an hour of niar sandwiched in, and saturday night picked 2-3 inches of drier snow overnight, which freshened everything and left surfaces very nice...they left a few runs ungroomed, as is their wont...a few slick spots here and there on the steeper pitches, especially on ungroomed seneca, but nothing terrible...trail sides has some nice sugar to push around...bumps had some icy troughs, but also some soft spots, just had to pick a line

went from 8:30-2:30 got in 20k vert and called it a day...was nice to get out before today's weather shitshow...PA skiing might be f&^%ed for the season

 

[〽❄❅]

...almost but not quite yet, i did a 12:30-4:30 tix today and snow conditions were hanging in there pretty good, def not a slush fest. As expected all ungroomed mogul runs were icy although a few people looked to be having no trouble skiing fluid lines. A bit of ice around the top of tuscarora, it's lower section and mohawk were nice. Seneca had a few icy patches too. All other Diamond runs were pretty darn good given the recent warm up's and rain. There were few spots where the soft groomed snow was skied off exposing a hard base but they were very easy enough to avoid or ski through.
I really liked that there was a good deal of white stuff covering the surrounding landscape rendering a nice winter/spring thaw like atmosphere for PA. I suspect the weekends rain will finish that off
I really hope weather dot com forecast for a chance of snow Monday and the following Sat bring it back, or else yeah it's pretty much done and prob my last of PA for the season.

 

[spring_mountain_high]

read that they've been making some snow past couple nights, so maybe it'll be good for another couple weeks...i'm thinking of going up at least once more before closing day