Couldn't Stand the Weather

The photo above is taken from Upper High Street looking down at the entrance to a trail called Superpipe in the Saddle Basin. Before seeing and skiing Superpipe, I was a bit skeptical about the idea of a natural half pipe. What I certainly didn't expect was a seriously steep couloir (note the drop off above) with views clear across the Saddle Basin (note the tracks on the ridge in the far background) and walls that get to be near 15 feet high. It may not exactly be the Sobe Superpipe at Okemo, but who cares? Seriously!

All is well here in Wanaka, though we've been without any additional snow since my last post. In fact, we went from Saturday July 7th until yesterday without any change in weather. Yep, no change at all. No clouds, no wind, nothing. The temperatures may have changed a few degrees in one direction or another and the inversion causing clouds to cover Lake Wanaka below the level of the Treble Cone base area may have cleared on some afternoons, but the mountain remained eerily cloudless and the same. Day after day, after day, for two weeks. Finally, yesterday the wind picked up, the temps fell and, miracle of miracles, we got some cloud cover and some flat light in the afternoon. I never thought I'd be grateful for flat light. I even put on goggles.

We are now in serious need of snow. The cold weather has kept the bumps in the Saddle Basin quite soft, but there is plenty of gravel working its way onto the groomed runs and the drop-ins on the front side are all quite dicey. In another week, the Austrian and Norwegian World Cup teams will be here in force: men, women, speed and technical event skiers, support staff, manufacturers, and all. There are even rumors of a special appearance from a certain racer from New Hampshire. A little snow for the best skiers on the planet would be a great way to welcome them to Treble Cone and keep the rest of us busy. In the meantime it could be worse: I could be in an office and we can't have that now, can we.