Jan 4 - an aptly named run

We could see the mountain ! What a difference !

Checking the grooming map we tried a new run ... a perfect run for me ... "Hot Sauce" ... can you believe it ? From top to bottom, this provided about 5000' of vertical. It was steep, groomed and in perfect shape until the last few couple of hundred feet of vertical where we hit snow that had been warmed and was chunky. It takes two lifts to get up -- the Revelation Gondola and the Stoke high-speed quad chair. After our first trip down we went in and had an espresso (Sandy) and cappuccino (me). Three more top-to-bottom runs and it was time for lunch.

To put this in perspective, when I check out one of the heli-skiing companies, they provide about 15,000-16,000 vertical feet per day of skiing. By lunch we'd already skied 20,000 feet. That's what happens when there is a) no queue and b) a very steep and straight run. Runs at Whistler tend to zig-zag ... at Revelstoke they only zig.

When Sandy and I first started skiing Jay Peak, we'd wait for 30-40 minutes to board a very slow lift up 1,000-1,500 feet that might take 20 minutes. It was a challenge to get much vertical feet of skiing done in a day. That has changed with new equipment - you spend your time skiing, not getting up the mountain.

After lunch we headed out again, up the Gondola, up the Stoke and down to the Ripper base. On the way down, past the point of know return, Sandy informed me that her legs were toast. Not terribly surprised, we agreed on a plan as we went up the chair ... she headed down to the so-called mid-mountain lodge while I skied. We would download together from that point -- which is the last 400-500 vertical feet to the base.

I went up the Ripper twice more, doing the "Burn Down" run, which was in great shape and up the Stoke twice more, first doing the gladed area to the right of the chair (looking down) and then back on Hot Sauce.

Hot Sauce and Burn Down ... what a day. By the time I was getting close to the lodge, it was almost 2pm. I'd added almost another 10,000 vertical feet to my day ... the Ripper closes at 2:30 and the other lifts at 3:00. I could ski more but my legs were "feeling the burn" and my left toe was also getting tender. That's the toe that caused me problems with the other boots and never quite got over it. Sandy is also having trouble with her left toe -- what a pair we are. The boot work probably helped but her toe is still sensitive. For both of us, I don't believe that we have boot problems per se, we have stance problems. If you let your weight shift back, there is pressure on the tops of your toes. Revelstoke is probably not the best place for Sandy to take a lesson for two reasons -- her foot is already sore and the the program is not that well organized yet.

We stopped at the grocery store on the way to our cottage, not sure if we'd eat in our out. As it happened, we ate out for a change. We went back to town intending to eat at "Mannings" which had gotten good reviews. As we walked towards it we could see that the restaurant was empty. Another three restaurants on MacKenzie were suffering the same fate -- empty. Sandy had seen a restaurant off Victoria on the way by and we walked down there -- named "112". Well, 112 was packed. It is inside a hotel. It may be the only fine dining in Revelstoke, but perhaps not. Sandy had Pacific Salmon, which she said was slightly overcooked and not as fresh as she'd like ... I had the vegetable pave, which is like lasagna without noodles. She started with a salad and I had the soup of the day. Both were wonderful. Overall she was happy with her meal ... we can both be restaurant critics at times.

I think that some of the large groups at 112 were heli-skiing groups. There was a heli-skiing map of the area on the wall in the corridor leading to the restaurant, glass covered but with some wipe-off markings on it showing Monday and Tuesday skiing. It's an interesting map, showing all the nearby mountains and the dozens upon dozens of routes that they ski. Our skiing is on Mt. MacKenzie, not Mt. Revelstoke, by the way. The town is Revelstoke; the resort is "Revelstoke Mountain Ski Resort" but it's on Mt. MacKenzie. Go figure.

We could also see why our cottage is named "MacPherson Lodge" -- guess what -- one of the nearby mountains is its namesake. Graham and Wendy are the third or fourth owners ... their names are not MacPherson. Driving back to the cottage, it was snowing lightly, supposed to accumulate 4-6cm overnight but by the looks of the car this morning only a dusting. Today's weather is supposed to be much like yesterday's but then going down to -10C tonight.

So ... we've found some good skiing ... but that doesn't change the fact that the mountain needs work. Now knowing the profile, it will be interesting to watch online as they add lifts and runs. I'd like to come back in a few years and sample their wares; I'm sure that it will keep improving.

Day 3 of 5 is ahead of us. I don't think that we'll ski day 6. I expect that we'll have a leisurely day and leave at some point in the afternoon on Friday and get part-way to Saskatoon - not a long drive, perhaps to Golden BC -- enough to take the edge off that drive which would be 12 hours + 2 hours time change.

Onward !