Bluebird

Blue'bird, a - Slang term for a day of absolutely ideal skiing weather, with blue skies and perfect powder snow.

Nothin' but blue skies

Okay, so we didn't have powder - but the sky's brilliant color more than made up for the lack of fluffy stuff.  Not bad for the last Thursday in January!

The mountain is out!

And besides, it was a weekday, and I was at the mountain skiing!  Such lovely weather made playing hooky from work that much sweeter.

Dramatic cloud bank below

Teaming up with my usual Thursday ski friend posse, we traveled to the top of Mt. Hood Express and gaped at a cool cloud bank hanging below. The deep blue sky and bright sunshine were a huge contrast to the thick, white fog hanging in the valleys.

My ski buddies

But enough about scenery.  Time to ski!

Lots of long shadows today

Although the day was windy and a little chilly, the endless solar energy seemed to make us feel warmer.

Snow looks better with blue skies

My friends and I traveled over to the Shooting Star Lift, where wide open runs offered nice views of my favorite mountain.  Gotta stop for a photo op or two!

The views can't be beat on Shooting Star Ridge

When searching for places to ski, I'm always paying attention to the number of people on a run.  If a trail is populated with snowriders, I always assume it's because conditions must be good. 

Linda contemplates the clouds

From the lift, we spotted a gully with a bunch of skiers zipping through.  Deciding to give it a try, my friends and I were rewarded with a wonderful trip through some amazingly soft powder.  The winds had blown the loose snow around, and it had all settled into the gully's bottom.

Skiin' down the gully

Glen had an app on his phone that tracked the number of runs, total distance and vertical, and time spent on the slopes.  At the end of the day, it gave us this nice summary.  Eighteen runs and 16,141 feet vertical!  Not too shabby. 

Stats for the day

When the valley is fogged in, it's nice to get up to the mountain for a midweek ski break.  Blue skies and sunshine do wonders for the attitude.  I returned to work Friday, refreshed and cheerful.  Only one day left until the weekend - when I could return for more.  And hopefully another bluebird day!


Sharing with:  Our World Tuesday.