Extremes of Spring Skiing

You thought skiing was over?

Oh no - not by a long shot.  There's plenty of snow on our mountains. 

Sunshine on the mountain!

Yes, although flowers and trees are blooming throughout the Willamette Valley, up in the Cascades it's still very much winter.  Here in the PNW, elevation determines whether precip falls as rain or snow.  The higher in elevation you climb, the more likely you'll see the white stuff.  Portland is near sea level, and influenced by the Pacific Ocean, has mild winters.  But Mt. Hood measures over 11,000 feet tall, and boasts year-round glaciers.   We tend to get our largest snowfalls in February and March.  And due to Oregon's cold, wet spring, snow tends to stick around - well into the summer.

So.....spring skiing is fabulous!

Katie models her sexy new boots

One sunny Friday in late April, my friend Katie and I decided to partake in some bluebird turns.  Katie had purchased some new ski boots and was dying to break them in.

Twin boots

Katie has good taste in ski boots, doesn't she?

Fog bank down below

The day highlighted everything I love about spring skiing.  The skies were sunny and blue, the air was warm, the snow soft as velvet.  So nice to be on the mountain, enjoying some turns, without freezing our butts off.

Happy to be skiin' in the sun

And the view couldn't be beat!

I never tire of this view

I saw something that day which was a first.  Katie and I were standing near the chairlift when we heard a bunch of loud laughter.  I turned around just in time to see a guy riding the lift drop his drawers, and moon the chair in front on him.  (Guess that's what happens on a warm spring day!)  I'm amazed the guy didn't fall off.

Interesting clouds

He's lucky I was too far away to get a good photo.  Had we been closer, I joked to Katie I would've taken copious shots and posted his naked behind all over Facebook (Do you recognize this crack?  Hee, hee!)

Another trip to the top

Another bonus of warm spring ski days......chairlift shadow selfies (but no mooning for us!)

Admiring my shadow from the lift

Yep, it was a lovely warm day for spring skiing.  Funny thing was, the weather did a complete 180 degree turn the following weekend.

Ski friends selfie

Mt. Hood had herself a raging spring blizzard!  Over a foot of snow dropped on the slopes.  And, yes, this was the last Sunday of April.  Crazy!

Yes - this is the end of April!

But boy, oh boy were conditions terrific.  It was the best snow of the entire season.  My friend Kim joined me for the day, and we hit all the steep runs.  I had a blast bombing through the pow.  I even got Kim to venture into the trees.

Kim showing her powder smile

Sadly, tree skiing was my undoing.  While enjoying a blissful run, zipping through a glade, I collided head-on with another skier (no one's fault - we were simply both in the wrong place at the wrong time).  Luckily, he wasn't injured, and was nice enough to summon the ski patrol.  I had the wind knocked out of me, and was afraid I'd broken something.  Although the (cute!) ski patrol guy who came to my aid gave me the "all clear," my chest hurt throughout the following week.  When I finally visited the doc, his diagnosis was a broken rib.

Happiness is.....a late April powder day

Sooo..... I'm on injured reserve for the next 4-6 weeks.  My ski season is over.  I'm sad it had to end this way.  Although I won't be able to ski, run, or work out, I can still walk, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to hike (although probably with a fanny pack instead of a backpack).  And, no worries, I can still hold a camera!

At least ski season 2014 finished with an amazing powder day.  Guess you can't ask for anything more.


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