Jan 10 - Whistler Day 2

It was colder.  We were both having trouble keeping our feet warm.

The prior day, with the overnight dump, there was a large queue at the Creekside gondola and it took us about 40 minutes to board.  After that, we never waited.  That got us up to the alpine around 10am.  This day there was no queue anywhere and we were up around 9am.  Franz's had been groomed top to bottom with about 2" of snow on top, so we did the entire run down.  It was beautiful.  I can't say that I've ever seen Franz's in that good shape.  Clearly the groomers had done their job.

We did two more runs to the bottom, but this time from the top of the Gondola, not taking the Red Chair up to the alpine -- Lower Franz's and the Dave Murray Downhill.  The Downhill had also been groomed.

They were making snow on the lower reaches all day, not that they need it but the more they have at this time of the season, the better prepared they are for the inevitable thaw.  There will be a thaw at the valley level before we leave -- not enough to make a difference though.

The fourth time up the Gondola we headed to the Garbanzo chair.  Up and then into the Chic Pea chalet, we needed some warming up.  With a muffin and a coffee in me, I went out and did two runs -- Whiskey Jack + Olympic and the upper Dave Murray + Tokum, both on the Garbanzo.  I then went and collected Sandy and we did Dave Murray + Bear Paw.  Up the Garbanzo, down the Dave Murray to the Red Chair, up and into Pika's, it was time for lunch.

As always, we carry our lunch.  At the chalet we also get a single espresso for Sandy and a cappuccino for me.  Having already eaten a muffin earlier, I had my sandwich and only one of my bars.

By now it was 1pm and we headed down Marmot to the Harmony Express.  Up Harmony, we went down the Ridge Run and I cut off into the deep stuff on Harmony Horseshoe while Sandy continued down the Ridge Run.  Back up Harmony, we went down in Little Whistler to Pika's Traverse; Sandy continuing into Pika's to warm up again; I continued down to Harmony.  After warming up, Sandy headed down, taking Franz's all the way.  She was finished.

Up Harmony again, I took a run into the Sun Bowl, formerly known as the Burnt Stew Basin.  That takes you back to Harmony and I went up and down the Ridge Run, off Harmony Horseshoe again.   I think that I had one more Harmony / Ridge cycle before heading up Harmony after 2:30, the official closing time.  Opting to take the Saddle down, I got to the Peak chair at 2:45 and they were still loading even though the sign said "closed".

Well, what the heck.  I really wanted to do the Shale Slope.  Up the Peak and then down Whistler Bowl, I tried but couldn't place the top of Shale Slope.  It's so steep that you cannot see what's down below if you don't know the terrain.  With no-one else around at this point, I didn't want to find myself at the edge of a cliff.

I went down in the West Bowl, heavy heavy stuff and glade.  It was ski-able though, and I made it down to the run-out on Peak to Creek, which dumps you on Franz's just before the cut-over to the Red Chair.  I took that cut and got to the Red just after 3pm, it's official closing time, headed up and got to it's top at 3:11.  Figuring that I'd be foolish to try for the Garbanzo cut-off at 3:15, since missing that would mean that I'd have to ski down to Whistler Village and take a bus back to Creekside .... I simply took the Dave Murray all the way down.

I put in a lot of vertical on Day 2.  Sandy was skiing much better without the heavy stuff but was more affected by the cold.  Today and tomorrow will be worse and then it warms up to normal Whistler temperatures.

We decided on Sushi for dinner, not the take-out place this time.  We drove to the village and had a great meal at Sushi Village which was hopping.  Most other restaurants that we saw were almost empty; this one had a huge queue -- we arrived just in time for a spot for two people but the waiting room was full when we left.

Another day was done; finished.

I exchanged emails with Sharon and our buyers aren't going to worry about the minor repairs at the house.  Great !  They've already arranged insurance.  The home appraisal is next.  So far, so good.

I'll give Doug at Canadian Tire a call this a.m. to see how the X5 is doing.  I believe that yesterday was the day for that work.

Onward ...