Day 20 - Got 5-7 Inches of New Overnight!

The 5 inches of new overnight has made the whole hill skiable again! It also made the roads very slick for the drive up to the hill, today. I saw two accidents, one involved a car flipping up onto it's side and the other accident just slid it's front end into the ditch. It was a super slow, safe, 40 mph wagon train all the way up to the hill. "Better safe than sorry," was the motto for both on the hill, as well as on the way to and from the hill!

I once again had great timing with the opening of Slushman's lift. Got an early start and had run after run on Slushman's skiing the fresh. A bit of a crunchy base under the new snow, but it was amazing how good it skied just 24 hours after being confined to the groomers the day before. The top of every chair was in a cloud thick as pea soup. Visibility got better and better as I descended each run. Slushman's was so fun, each time I came back to get into line, there was no line to get into! I was calling it, "The line that never formed!" After 6 back to back Slushman's runs, I was happy and tired enough to head on home. Ben and I have a wood working project to work on so I am very happy to have had a great early morning on the slopes in the powder and then home to spend some precious time with my boys.

Next weekend, is the last weekend. I have Saladin and Samia visiting us next weekend from Hamilton, so today was the last day of The 2010-2011 Bridger Bowl Season! Skiing 20 days is a good season and getting to go to Mexico, Maui and to Disney World, really made for a memorable 2010 - 2011 Ski Season on and off the hill! Now I can look forward to Blogging my Mountain Biking, Hiking and Canoeing season! The Seasonal Snowfall total for the year was 327" (27 feet) and the hill will close with 115" inches of settled snow on the ground.

Day 19 - A Groomer Day at B-Bowl

Today the snow is just set up like frozen mashed potatoes. To thick to manage, so to ski safe, one must be happy and enjoy the Groomed runs. Saw Becky and Matt Stricker in the DP Lodge. They agreed, exercise on the groomers was the plan. I skied for 2 . 5 hours and then visited Lil' Deb at the Silver Forest Inn.

I got to visit with Dana Daniels, the Comedic Magician, we had just seen as a family the night before, at the Ellen Theater. He and his comedic partner, Dick Hardwick, stayed at the Silver Forest Inn for a few days while putting on several shows all weekend. They had both been working at Disney Land for many years and had tons of material, 80% of which my boys had memorized and performed on the way home from the theater.

I took a few pix on the way up to the hill. The big Green has not happened yet, so my pix taken in town are showing the Brown foliage from last year. It is very common in Montana for the Initials for the Town or the name of the college or high school to be noted on a mountain side for all to see. We have a giant"M" for Montana State University on the mountain side which is also a very popular trailhead. I also stopped at my favorite field that I have often photographed to get some winter shots. I'd like to have photos of this area in each of our 4 seasons. Then I'd like to frame them and show them at my office as a seasonal gallery for my patient's to enjoy.

Day 18 - 5 New Inches overnight and pure sunshine!

I was up early on the hill this morning. With 5 inches of new snow, and needing to leave by noon, I was up early and in line with Pam and Turk this morning! First run was a Shack to Shack run and then down Sluice Box and back to Bridger. Totally untracked the whole way. 2nd run was over to Avalanche Gulch and got the right side untracked then over to Test Face. Someone got the middle line but my favorite, left side was deep and fresh! Caught the lower North Whirlpool untracked all the way by "Big Tree" and back to Bridger Chair. Skied the North Bowl by DRCS and got more untracked into Snow Job and the Nook. Powder Park on down to the Bridger/PK road. PK had no crowds and it was getting close to when Slushman's might open, so I did a Family Chute and a Gary One, South Bowl shot. Slushman's opened right on time and I was able to get three runs of untracked on Slushman's before the line began forming. Skied left side of Mundy's Bowl twice and then right under the chair into Slushman's Gully along the South Boundary line for more linked, untracked turns. The best 2.5 hours I could have had and then headed on home for some family time with Ben and Arlen. I did not have any time to stop and take pix today, so the pix posted were from yesterday. I have had an amazing quality skiing experience this season. When I wasn't able to ski, I have been to Mexico, Maui and to Florida. I really love palm trees, when I can't be skiing! It's great to be home!

Day 17 - Got back from Disney World last night, so at the hill today!

I got my GNFAC avalanche report everyday I was in Disney World, so I knew the skiing was going to be great today. Bridger has had 13 inches in the past 24 hours and I am ready to go up to the hill and ski some of the leftovers. The sky is so blue and the sun is out, making for perfect visibility. I skied the North Bowl, the Nook and Snow job. Snow is soft and very forgiving. Once I skied up Bridger Chair and PK, I decided to explore the trees below Bradley's. I usually get about 20 - 25 turns on Bradley's and have been getting 40-60 turns in the trees below Bradley's so... My Idea is to hike up the boot track trail just high enough to get the tree shots and then to hike Bradley's later to get some more turns. It turned out to be a great idea. I hiked just to the spot where the young people do their jumps and it turns out to be right where the untracked tree runs begin. I never crossed a track the whole way to the back boundary road! I went back and did it again, still not crossing a single track the whole way. I counted 56 turns in a row! My third time over that way, I did put on my skins and this time I skinned up above Bradley's, about a fourth of the way of the Ramp. Just high enough to ski the right side of the Lower Ramp, which was totally untracked and deeper than 12 inches, somehow. I then skied Bradley's and the trees below, almost missing the traverse back to the boundary road, with my enthusiasm for so many untracked turns. Once again, long untracked runs were the theme of the day!

Day 16 - 3 Inches New Snow Overnight on Top of 8 inches from Yesterday!

Andy called me last night saying he would be up with Jeff Blend from Helena. We made plans to meet at the bottom of Bridger at 10 AM and/or 11 AM. I got up to the hill nice and early getting first runs down Bridger Lift line and into the Nook. The visibility is improving with each run, wish I had brought my better camera. The Olympus will do just fine. Avalanche Gulch skied so well and Test Face was totally untracked when I got to it. Lower Avalanche Gulch and the Whirlpools were so deep! This snow is very light, seems to have dried out overnight! I decided to head over to PK at 9:45 to see if Slushman's might open, I heard some loud booms earlier as they did avalanche control work. Sure enough, they just flipped the sign and over to Slushman's I must go. I'll ski it till 11 am and will catch up with Andy and Jeff. I did 3 runs on Slushman's having untracked the whole way from top to bottom! My first and second runs down Slushman's, I can say were in my top 10 list of lift serviced terrain. Sunshine came out, snow was deep and untracked. I felt strong and really got in a nice rhythm, making a sine wave down the mountain! I had time for a Bridger run before meeting with Andy and Jeff. It turned out we were all on time and met going up Bridger Chair for our first run together. Bridger Bowl skied so well with the perfect visibility and all the deep, soft snow. We skied, had a snack in the DP Lodge and had a great time together until 1 PM, when they had to leave. I headed up Bridger Chair and skied a few more runs and then took the 3 Bears Traverse to the top of Alpine. The Traverse was so fast and fun with all the deep snow. I put on my skins and hiked up to Bradley's Meadow. Hardly any tracks, so I stopped at the top of my run and had some snacks, water and took a couple pix. I planned to ski the same run through the trees as I did yesterday. It was just as untracked as yesterday, only deeper and I actually got so jazzed that I missed the traverse to the boundary and got to cut my own traverse for a couple minutes! I did the "Longest Run" and had such a great, untracked run all the way to the bottom of the hill, I decided to ride the Quad and Alpine to go and do it all over again! I really believe I skied more untracked snow today, without crossing another track, than I ever have before at Bridger Bowl. This day will be in the memory banks for a long time and perhaps on this Blog for even longer! Ha, Ha!

I stopped at the Silver Forest Inn on my way home to get some info to Lil' Deb. http://www.silverforestinn.com/

She was not there so I just tok some pix and left her a note. No skiing next weekend, will be in Disney World for a week! Next Ski Days will be the 19th and 20th of March!

Day 15 - Afternoon New Snow

I waited for Arlen and Ben to come home from Acting Class with Tina Buckingham to go skiing. When they got home they had some of their acting buddy's with them so I headed up to the hill myself to get 2 hours of exercise. It began dumping when I got there, I mean the snow was pouring out of the sky. I had to shake the snow off me 3 -4 times each chairlift ride! I skied very hard in bounds enjoying each run getting deeper than the previous run. I made the very last chair up Bridger Lift and headed my way over to the Top of Alpine taking the 3 Bears Traverse. I had a great skin up Bradley's with what looks like 8 - 10 inches of fresh untracked snow all over the place. Just as I got my skins off, Rick Ladsinski, Turk and another Gary all showed up. We gathered before skiing our last run together. One by one, we tore up the new snow on Bradley's Meadow and then headed into the untracked forest below. Totally untracked, not even crossing another track we did the "longest run" by hitting a bunch of secret spots on our way down the hill - all were totally untracked! Five of us, just flying through the trees, was such a great feeling and such a great time. It was "side country" skiing at it's best! It was after 5PM when we got to our cars for the drive home to town. Tonight, should bring 2-4 inches more before tomorrow morning. It will be a great day to try for first chair!

Day 14 - Blue Sky Sunny Day, 3 inches of New, Overnight.

With 3 inches of new snow last night, I had a great day of skiing by myself today. Skied Bradley's Meadow again. The trees below were exceptionally untracked and with the sun shine, it was a fantastic time. I looked for Peter Soper and Charlie but no luck as of yet. I have a feeling he will give me a call tonight and I will get a chance to visit with him before he goes to Canada for his Speed Skiing Competition.

Day 13 - Home from Maui since Monday - A short day on the hill, just heading up for the afternoon for a couple hours of exercise.

I came up to the hill for a few hours of exercise today. On the drive to the hill, I noticed some very unusual lenticular clouds indicating very high winds.

I mostly skied Bridger Chair and then skinned up Bradley's for my slow, steady, "Stair master with a View" exercise routine.

Windy today, so Bradley's was a bit tricky with wind blown, dense snow that made it a bit challenging to ski, even in the lower trees where the wind rarely blows.

No Skiing this weekend, In Maui for a Chiropractic Seminar!

I had to take a break from skiing to get my Professional Recertification in the Cox Technic Method of Spinal Decompression and the seminar is in Maui, HI. These pictures are taken on the world famous Hana Highway. I traveled on to the 7 Sacred Pools, a destination I have always wanted to experience. I found one of the sacred pools that no one had visited that day and I had it all to myself. Swimming in a waterfall feed pool on a hot day was about as amazing as it gets! Next weekend, I'll be home and will get back to skiing, but for now I am thoroughly enjoying the Aloha Spirit of Maui.

Day 12 - "Ski Saturday" with Arlen

Fun day with Arlen, skiing every thing Alpine had to offer.

I forgot the battery for my camera today, therefore no pix from the hill.

Alpine was the area with the least wind, and still it blew so hard that snow devils were whirling and picking up snow all around us and we got hit by walls of "blizzard like" blasts of snow and wind! We skied it until they turned us away due to the increasing winds that had disabled at least one chairlift. A tree snapped and fell towards the Powder Park lift and luckily fell below it instead of hitting anyone. The hill finally was shut down at around 3:00 due to the winds just howling from the east north east. When we returned our rental equipment to the Round House, they were dark and without power due to the winds taking out some other trees.

Great skiing Arlen, you ski so strong,

Black Diamonds, here you come!

Day 11 - 11 inches overnight and 20 inches in past 24 hours!

The skiing was deep and light. Really enjoyed Bradley's and the trees below it. Run after run of fun over there. Untracked everywhere! Even hiked up the Ramp a ways and then caught a great run in the trees on skier's right side. Note how much more snow is in the trees today compared to yesterday!

I really feel like I am skiing well this year. My new boots seem to be breaking in pretty good. Less "Shin Bang" today.

I visited Lil' Deb at the Silver Forest Inn. It's so great to see her back in Bozeman, again.

Day 10 - 9 inches overnight, 11 in past 24 hours!

Powder , Powder everywhere! Today I started with Bridger till around 11 am and made my way over to PK to see if Slushman's might open today. While in line a heard a familiar whistle and instinctively turned toward it. It was then that Gary Huckabone and I made eye contact. I said, Hi, he said, Hi and up the lift I went. I waited at the top and when he unloaded he skied over and asked If I would like to ski a run with him. Sure, I said. We skied 3-4 runs on PK and then it was time to so our separate ways to meet up with others and for me to skin up Bradley's for The Deepest Run of the Year! The trees below Bradley's were the best all year and I did not even stop making turns till I was on the North Boundary Road heading back towards Lower Bridger Return. It was very liberating for me to be able to have a short but pleasant visit with Gary Huckabone, today. It is great to know that saying, Hello, is okay.

Day 9 - Arlen and Ben had a Birthday Party at Camlin's so I skied by myself today!

A very Frosty Morning with Humidity at 93% today! Very unusual to have it so moist here in Southwest Montana. The trees at Bridger Bowl are beautifully frosted in varying amounts giving a sense of detail to the forests that is quite unusual. The frost and moss made for some pretty creepy looking trees. There is also a sea of clouds covering Bridger Canyon making the tops of the Bangtails and peaks of the Crazies stick out like islands in a foggy sea. Skied North facing slopes today since the warm weather we had on Friday caused the South facing slopes to be very crunchy underneath the dusting of new snow. We had a very dramatic temperature inversion today, also. The lower mountain was really cold with the temps rising as I gained elevation riding the lifts or by hiking up to Bradley's Meadow. I skied the whole mountain except for Slushman's, it has way to many South facing slopes for a day like today. Bradley's proved to be a much better choice and I had the whole slope to myself! I then had a great visit with Lil' Deb at the Silver Forest Inn. We visited for close to 3 hours. We had a lot of ol' stories to catch up on. She is the new Inn Keeper and Marketing Consultant for the owner of the SFI. It was such a nice quiet place to relax, beautiful wood everywhere in this almost 80 year old "Castle" as it was once called in the old days.

Here are the rest of my photo's taken today.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DrGGuest/20110130#

Day 8 - Skiing with Benjamin today!

Today Benjamin and I had a super fantastic ski day together! We left the house at 10 am and were on the slopes by 11:10, shushing down snowflake for a warm-up run. After 3 snowflake runs we headed to The Quad chair and then skied over to the runs by Virginia City lift. We then skied Sunny Side, Hully Gulley, and everything else Powder Park had for us. Ben skied great all day! He's turning very strong, able to slow down and stop when he wants and never fell the whole day!

Ben skiing upper Hully Gulley on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOeVEuFQ9NY

Ben skiing Lower Hully Gulley on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPvkTrBc1h8

Day 7 - Change in Plans with Arlen, Skied with Jack Dockery

Arlen and Ben got invited to Noah and Andreas House so my ski day with Arlen will need to be next weekend. A great day of skiing Slushman's with Jack and then stopping by the Silver Forest Inn for a few pix and a quick visit with Nancy Beebe while hoping to meet up with Lil' Deb. About 4 inches overnight and some wind in the canyon and base area. Skied the first few runs of the morning off Bridger Chair and was the first in "The Nook". Very Nice! Headed to PK and skied the faces and Gary 2. I then went to Slushman's and Jack saw me and joined me. We did several Runs 'till I was plum wore out! We explored the cliffs next to the "Big Chute"and He showed me some terrain I have never skied before. My new boots cause a sore spot on my left shin I need to deal with, it's affecting me near the end of the day. I decided it was a bit to sore to hike up Bradley's so I called it quits around 3:40. I was invited to go to the Silver Forest Inn to visit with Lil' Deb so I stopped by. She had a change in plans so was not able to make it so I took some beautiful photos of the SFI and the views of Bridger from there. The Sunset was gorgeous so I tried to capture it on film. Here are a few pix from a great day. I got home and was so worked that I was to sore to ski with Ben on Sunday. He and I have a ski date for next Saturday and Arlen a Date for next Sunday on the hill!

Here is a link to the rest of the pix I took today.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DrGGuest/20110122#

Day 6 Andy and I ski in bounds all day for a great time!

No pix taken today, forgot my camera. No new snow and very warm but a great day for getting some exercise skiing the groomer's and North Facing slopes off of Pierre's, Bridger and Alpine, today. Really working the turns by carving deep and hard on the groomers really got the thighs burning each run. No pain at the end of the day, however. Just some great exercise, nice time spent with a buddy and a great time drinking in the views of the surrounding mountains in the winter time! No Bradley's today. There was probably was untracked but it was so heavy and thick it really did not seem like a good plan, today.

Day 5 Andy and I ski Bradley's Meadow.

Andy Rahn and I skied together for the first time today. It snowed all day with each run getting a bit deeper and deeper. Opened with 3 new inches and got 7 by the end of the day.

We enjoyed skiing Alpine chairlift and ended our day skinning up to Bradley's Meadow. It was Andy's first time up Bradley's and it was a lot of fun skiing a bit of tricky, thick, wind blown untracked. Thanks for the call Andy, it was really great spending time with you on the hill today!

Here are the rest of the pix I took that day.

http://picasaweb.google.com/DrGGuest/201118AndyRahn#