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West Elkstravaganza!
Report Submitted by Diana Piggott
(trip) Date: Friday Apr 14, 2023
Submitted: Friday Apr 14, 2023 at 20:30
Participants:
Me, myself and the hot, hot sun
Discussion:
More fresh grooming at Elk Pass! Very welcome, since much debris was blended in.
Snow temp at 9 am in the shade ~-9C, very hard and fast. Skier tracks up Blueberry looked enticing, but West Elk Pass was my goal, and a very supportive crust with very little snow on top made it easily achievable. A few recent tracks led to Couch HQ, which looked rather derelict.
The tracks led on through the meadows to the Hydroline, and then turned south. By 11 am, the sun was getting quite hot, and adversely affecting the snow. I skied up the clearcut just far enough to see Elk Lakes, and then had a most wonderful descent back to the hydroline! I don't carve turns, but others might have a great time doing that, especially before 11 am. Not deep powder, though, just a very few cm on the nice crust.
Then I had a hard slog on sticky snow in the hot sun up to Elk Pass (main), with snow temp getting close to zero in the sun, still about -5C in the deep shade.
The descent on Elk Pass trail was very good, a little soft in spots, and still very hard and fast on the steep hills!
On the way up, I was passed by a skate skier, travelling light and fast. On the way down, I met several other skiers heading up. It was a very quiet day on the trail.
Total distance: 17.60 Km
 Blueberry Junction
 Couch HQ
 Sheepish clouds over West Elk meadows
 Very tame tracks on the clearcut slope!
 Slogging up sticky hydroline
 Back to civilization, Elk Pass picnic table!
4 comment(s) posted
Comments:
2023-04-14 at 21:07 - comment by aqua toque
2023-04-15 at 17:35 - comment by ulrikeski
Great report! Where you on light touring skis with metal edges or skinny track skis?
2023-04-15 at 17:51 - comment by Diana Piggott
Thank you, ulrikeski. I was on light touring skis, my old Rossi BC 65s, which sadly will need replacing soon. They go almost everywhere with me!
2023-04-15 at 17:58 - comment by HenryL
Stunning photos Diana.
Hey, there's no such thing as a tame turn. Sounds like the clear cut was a hoot!
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