Iola

BEST day of the year nordic-style this year. Late season; 9-mile is ungroomed in spite of 12" this week, the 'Rocks is kaput. But Iola is rocking it. About the best conditions I've seen there anytime, certainly the best of the year. All spurs are open. Spring conditions, we roll out at 22 degrees, back when it's softening. Barb was hammering the choice hills.

OK, Better

Picture's worth 1,000 words. A video..

Whitewater

Squeezing a little more Winter out of this year. Rest day on a trip to a super nice area, Whitewater, near Nelson BC. I'm skiing OK. Ripped a binding out of my ski yesterday, more likely due to a poor mounting job that any herculean effort on my part. 2-4" of new snow daily. Enough to freshen things but not make it epic.

Good food, good friends, nice town. Awesome hill. Super intimate and laid back. Three chair lifts - just three. Locals are all outstanding skiers, from ages 4 to 74. Lots of accessible backcounty and the attitude that using it is expected and acceptable behavior.

Best story so far is from the A-Squad. Jeffrey and Nate spied a high and steep ridgeline. They were working their way to it. Sign after sign - 'Area Permanently Closed'. Finally they ask a ski patroller, how do we get there. She says, "Oh, Razor's Edge. Go up there, angle left....". Finally they arrive. Snow to the armpits. 45 degrees, which is so steep that you can't see down it. And both sides off the ridge drop off steeper, sometimes to cliffs. And it's well forested. Right turn, over the ridgeline, left turn, over the ridgeline, right turn. As Nate said, "you better not catch an edge there". They skied it twice.