Return of the Unknown Celebrity Skier

Another weekend trip to the mountain.  This time I teamed up with my friends Kim and Tamie.  I ski with Kim on a regular basis, but haven't skied with Tamie for awhile.

  
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Who is that masked woman?

Tamie likes to cover up when she's out skiing.  I mean TOTALLY cover up.  She pulls her face mask up so high that it hides her entire face.  Not even her nose is visible.  (Although we tease her, Tamie is probably the smart one.  She won't ever get skin cancer.)

Last time we skied with Tamie, Kim said it looked like we were hanging out with someone famous.  Tamie was then dubbed our "unknown celebrity skier."

Looong lift line

There'd been a dumping of snow the prior day, and the upper Cascade lift didn't open.  But today the weather was calm enough to de-ice the lift.  Hungry for fresh tracks, when my friends and I got wind of Cascade opening, we hightailed it on over.  Unfortunately, so did everyone else.  The lift lines were epically long. Kim, Tamie and I took our places and braced ourselves for the wait (at least...I think it was Tamie.  But I may have been waiting with Goldie Hawn.)

The photo I took when the lift stopped

Finally we got on a chair.  Up, up and away!  Until....the lift stopped.  Ugh!  After hanging in mid-air for several minutes, I got out my camera.  I figured I might as well take some photos of the lovely snowy woods while I was waiting.  Well, I'd no sooner gotten the camera out of its case, when the lift came to life.  My friends told me I need to take the camera out more often when we're stuck on the chair.  (Although I think our "unknown celebrity skier," aka Madonna, may want to avoid the paparazzi.)

Luckily the lift started running again

Ahhh....forward motion once again!  Up we traveled, all the while enjoying amazingly beautiful views from the Cascade lift.

Our mystery celebrity skier

And the ski down was sublime.  Nothing better than making tracks through fresh snow.  My friends and I made a quick stop at the bottom of the hill, and I snapped a shot of Tamie with low clouds in the background.  At least, I think it was Tamie but I can't be sure.  (I may have been skiing with Sandra Bullock.)

Looking down Heather Canyon

We skied a few runs down the Cascade, until my friends were ready for lunch.  Upon reaching the lodge, we discovered it was a 15 minute wait just to get a table in the restaurant.  Fifteen minute wait?  There was skiing to be had!  I decided I could skip lunch and get by on the powerbar in my pocket.  I told Kim and Angie Jolie I'd meet up with them when they were done eating.

Heather Canyon from the bottom

I headed straight over to Heather Canyon.  I'd heard rumors it was open.  Heather is a steep canyon with lots of double-black diamond runs - someplace my friends aren't willing to go.  Now was my chance to ski it. 

I was hoping for some fresh pow, but found the canyon's slopes wind-scoured and icy.  I did happen upon a small gully filled in with fluff, so I rode that down until I hit the trees.  The forest was full of wonderful soft snow, and I was able to get five blissful turns before reaching bottom.

Afternoon blue skies

My Heather fix now satisfied, I did a couple more runs before meeting up with my friends.  We headed back over to the Cascade lift.  By now, the morning's clouds had lifted, and blue sky filled the horizon.  Hood stood out like a lofty white sentinel. 

I catch Kim in action

We found a fun run.  Skiing on top of a gully lined by a cornice, I found if you went straight down the top of the cornice, the snow below was velvety-soft.  It was so nice, we had to go back and try it again.  Both Kim and our unknown celebrity (Katy Perry?) voted it the best run of the day.

Ski tracks make cool patterns on this slope

The second run down the cornice, both Kim and Tamie (or maybe it was Nicole Kidman??) hit some deep snow and wiped out in unison within a few feet of each other.  It was such a funny sight, I quickly dug out my camera to memorialize the scene.  But Kim was too fast.  She saw what I was doing, and sprang up right away.  Foiled!

Kim and Demi Moore

Skiing down the gully's bottom was especially scenic.  Hood rose up at the head of the canyon.  The sky couldn't have been any bluer.  Perfect photo op!  The girls consented to a couple of shots.  Here are Kim and Tamie, enjoying a bluebird day (at least I think it was Tamie, but it very well could have been Mariah Carey).

There go the girls!

Another wonderful day on the slopes.  Sunshine, great snow, and fun companions.  And it's not every day you get to ski with a celebrity.  Although I think I skied with Tamie, I can't be sure.  It may have been Meryl Streep!


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