With the forecast for Wednesday looking better and better, Robert and I bailed on work and headed South. The beginning of the day was a comical spiral through alders as neither of us have skied Sunburst when there isn't enough snow to crush the brush.
Just like last time, fog forced into the the valley by the inversion of high pressure hung over the pass. We swam blindly thru the soup before popping onto the sunny the ridge.
Photo Nyssa Landres
We followed an impressively steep skin track until we were drooling over 1,500 vertical feet of untracked turns on the wide open south face, then dropped into the fog. The second we slipped into the icy mist we could feel the cold humidity in our bones.
So, we rushed back to the "warmth" of the sun. Basking in the midwinter light we reminisced over our favorite Turnagain lines and others that we have yet to ski. Looking towards the southwest corner of the pass, TT43 rose above the clouds. Its hard to pick a favorite here, but that one is hard to beat. Hopefully next time is a little warmer than last time.
Photo Nyssa Landres
Each lap took us further down the endless ridge; along the way running into our friends, coworkers, and instructors. The sense of community here is hard to beat.
Photo Nyssa Landres
By the end of the five lap my legs were burning and the last sunlight of the day was creeping towards the tips of the peaks. I'd have been happy to call it a day, but Neil and Nyssa weren't going to let us stop until there was no light left, and we had time for one more.
Photo Neil Liotta
The soft pastel light reminded me of a cold and deep Christmas ski with Mary, Andy, Zack, and Josh five years ago. The tour linked Skinny Santa, Fat Santa, and Bad Santa, so we dubbed it the "Santa Tour".
Just like that day five years ago, it was dusk when we got back to the car. And again, such a quintessential midwinter day at Turnagain - skiing soft snow in the soft light of winter above the valley fog.
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