Looks like that's it for winter...

A bad sign when the bridge is "dry"
Well I guess that’s it for another ski season. Winter came to an end with a crunch and the great spring skiing lasted about as long as the great powder skiing – 10 days ! Then an incredible string of 5 or 6 days in the mid 20’s °C rolled along and the snow just vapourized. I got a few good spring skis in including a couple of excellent “warm bench sitting” sessions. In all I think I skied 8 of the last 10 days so was certainly scrambling to get all I could in while there was snow to ski on. Seems odd though to have packed away all the skis on the 21st of March… So it goes I suppose. Some of my pairs of skis never even saw any action this winter! Some might suggest that means I have too many boards but I disagree instead preferring to stock “the right tools” for any given job;) Most disappointed that my backcountry touring skis only saw the “NRC ski track” on grooming nights and never ventured into the real woods. I kept waiting for ski season to arrive in the Adirondacks so I could do a couple of ski-shoes. When it did, it also arrived here and while I was doing loops in the Gatineaus the snow came and quickly went down south as well. Ah well, next year will no doubt be a bigger snow year.
Foggy morning at P16 as the snow vapourized in the hot sun

On again off again in this "'tween season hike"
To close out the winter hiking season I slipped down to the peaks for a last climb of the season. While it qualified for a winter hike it sure didn’t feel like it. With a high of +24°C I hiked in shorts and a T-shirt. My summer hiking boots were also used although I did (eventually) need a selection of traction devices. Down low things were bone dry with the usual rock and root type of trail. It wasn’t until I crested 3500ft that I came to any signs of winter… and even then I only needed µspikes until the summit of Giant at 4500ft so my snowshoes got a free ride on my pack up that one. Fortunately I opted to add Rocky Peak ridge as well and the col between the two was more sheltered from the direct sun thus had a mix of surfaces. At first it was snow… so I put on snowshoes. Then I got some good ice walls so the crampons came on. Then the snow was hard packed but shallow – back to µspikes… and then nothing at all so bare boots to the bottom of the col. Only to repeat the process going back up from the col to summit of Rocky Peak ridge…. And then all over again on the return trip up Giant to head for home. Certainly was glad to be back on the main trail where it was once again almost summer conditions. On the way home I grabbed a sandwich on the patio in Saranac Lake and gently baked in the sun as winter wound down. A set of pics from the hike can be found here. Strange days indeed but on to some spring activities now I suppose.
Hot, hazy and humid... not the weather I associate with March...

The weather(wo)man giveth...

and then taketh away. Since the last post, "powder season" has ended. It lasted about 10 days in all - perhaps apropos given the abbreviated ski season we've had this year. Still, it was good while it lasted with endless loops in the winding network of BC trails that the park has to offer. "What about over there? Ohh, that's a good idea" was often heard rattling around in my head - and so back and forth I cris-crossed the trails trying to touch them all. Of course I didn't get to them all because I assumed it would go on forever... well, for a week or two more anyway. My annual "redline" project seems doomed to fail now as I still have a handful of BC trails to ski this season and they certainly aren't in the best of shape. A couple cross ponds and I'm not keen to swim them... but so it goes. They'll wait for me next year.


In it's place, powder days have been turned (rather abruptly) into spring skiing. A few double digit days and a whack of rain have done a lot to reduce the snowpack in town. In the park spring still has a ways to go but the weather(wo)man is working hard there to. Some more very warm days ahead. Spring skiing could be a short romp as well. Not making the same mistake this time tho'. Getting some good tours in before the snow melts away. Not sure if we'll ski into April but another week is surely in the cards. Today I got a (last?) "firetower" mission in the books on perfect corduroy. Had to overcome DST by getting up extra early and skiing fast to beat the warm sunshine but I got it done in good order. By the time I was closing the loop the warm sun was starting to turn the top of the snowpack to slush which slowed things down tremendously. It did however make the descents a lot of fun so not complaining.

Perfect corduroy for those up early enough
This week could be a lot of early skis before the day gets too hot and turns the tracks to slop. Gotta ski on before it's gone.

Bluebird day at the tower - hard to beat