Day 21 - Powder?
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Denis - DCSki Supporter 
May 16, 2019
Member since 07/12/2004 🔗
2,350 posts

At Squaw today.  Powder chasing as usual.  A late season Major Sierra storm was forecast.  It stayed pretty high, but at 8200 feet, top of the funitel lift, it was full on winter.  Powder, well it’s May 16, a little leniency please.  There was fog and sudden explosive wind gusts.  People were blown over trying to get into their bindings.  I was one of them.  Each gust came with a tornado of blowing snow, changing 50 foot visibility into zero.  It was my first day back on tele bindings.  A better choice could have been made.  I’d just make parallel turns.  Starting down another gust and whiteout came up and I decided to just turn across the slope, stop, and wait it out.  But it didn’t slow or stop me, accelerating instead.  I couldn’t judge the fall line.  That’s what happens just before full on vertigo.  It was unnerving.  After a wrestling match between the rational brain and instinct, ration was told to shut up and yield control to instinct.  It worked pretty well, no damage done.  I called it a day after one run.  I’m a visibility snob.  I like to see what I’m skiing.

bob
May 18, 2019
Member since 04/15/2008 🔗
776 posts

Agree with you about the vertigo. My nemesis was always 0/0 fog at Austria's Hintertuxx. All above tree line.

 

The worst I can ever remember was one day in 0/0 when I thought I was skiing back to the base, but was passed by another group, and I learned I wasn't even moving. 

Ski and Tell

Speak truth to powder.

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