2/8/13 Silver Peak Basin

Why ski Alpental 20 times when you can ski Silver Peak Basin once? 

Now, don't get all up in my grill, boys, it's a rhetorical question.  I know the answers on both sides, but today was a perfect argument for getting a surprisingly little ways away from the lifts, and having a huge basin all to ourselves. 

Robie, Stan and I rode up the Silver Fir lift, then headed out the Nordic trails to Olallie Meadows.  We got more excited the farther we went.  Why?  I thought you'd never ask.  A delicate layer of hoar frost flakes over several inches of soft powder promised silky skiing and a good day! 

Having finally left the corduroy, and headed up into the basin, it became obvious today was going to be one of "those".  Nice powder, only one group's set of tracks in and out from yesterday (or early this morning), and nobody chasing us in... yep, it looked like we were going to have the place to ourselves.  By the way, thanks to whoever set the lower basin skin track!.  With ski penetration just a few inches, we set a track to the upper basin without too much sweat.  We hit the top of the Knob just east of the main ridge, had lunch and transitioned, and the fun started. 

Well it was all fun, from the alpine start of 8:30 meeting at North Bend, the easy going skin up, the great weather, to the excellent snow.  The turns down were dreamy and creamy.  We stayed on the east side, since  a previous cornice release off the main ridge dropped refrigerator sized chunks in the center.  The rolling hills and tree dodging down lower was a highlight.  We all did more laps of the of the lower part of the basin, including the first nice face on the ridge, climber's right. 

We met Faye, a solo, hardy X-country skier who made it to the top of the first ridge face.  She was a gamer, climbing up on straight skinny skis, and making big traversing turns back down.

There was a whole lot of whooping and hollering all the way to the groomers.  The Drifters got a much needed playday, even though they weren't that necessary.  An easy trudge back out and a fast ski back down Silver ended a great day.