I wanted to get some February turns in outside of ski patrol and Dan was game to take a half day off of work to head to the Pass for a little out-of-area play. The weather was looking iffy after a few days of decent snow, but we decided to head up anyway to see what we could find. When we arrived around 1:00, we were happy to see it was “snowing” although the flakes were pretty wet.

We donned our gear in the patrol room and chatted a bit with Laurie and Kip, who confirmed the snow was pretty sticky. After a quick bite of lunch, we headed out to catch the lift, and made a quick run down Peak 2 before heading out to the sidecountry. The snow on Peak 2 was decent, and soon we found ourselves on the skin track. It didn’t take long and soon we were standing at the top of our first objective of the afternoon.

Dan wanted to dig a quick pit to check out the conditions, so we did that and didn’t really find anything too interesting in the snowpack. With our curiosity satisfied, it was time to step into the bindings and make a few turns. The sun came out as we descended, and I snapped a few photos of Dan skiing….

The snow actually skied really well, compliments of the steep slope we had chosen. Lower down, we eventually worked our way back to the resort boundary and down to the bottom of the lift. The snow became super sticky at the base, to the point of barely being able to slide, so we went in for a quick hot wax before heading back out. With a freshly waxed base, it was time to hit the lift again and make another run.  Within minutes, we were on the skin track again, and soon dropped in for lap number two. At the bottom, it was time to enjoy a well deserved cold beverage…

The snow was holding well, so we skinned back up for another lap, with the hope of maybe hitting the Peak 2 lift before it closed at 3:30. This time on the descent, Dan grabbed the camera and snapped a few photos of me ripping down the slope…

Our second run was pretty sweet. At the bottom, we drank the rest of our beers we left from the previous run, then skinned up and out. Looking at our watches confirmed we wouldn’t make the final chair at Peak 2, but another run was still in the cards. We phoned Mindy, the P4 Hill Chief, to let her know we’d be down late and not to worry, then set out for one more run.

Before we dropped in for our last run, the skies cleared just as the sun was setting above the clouds. I snapped the below shot of Dan before we headed down…

Our final run down through the trees was really nice, as the snow was starting to sublimate as the temps cooled down. We worked our way back to the ski area, and headed down the empty runs towards the base. Skiing in a ski area after it’s closed is always a great treat. At the base, we headed back into the warmth of the patrol room, and found a couple of beers courtesy of P4 waiting for us. As we enjoyed our brews and snacked on some chips and salsa, both Dan and I agreed that taking the afternoon off from work was the right call!

Sunday’s forecast looked to be promising earlier in the week, but that changed on Saturday, and neither Dan or I had real high expectations of a great day. Since we’d already made plans to head to the Pass, we figured it was worth the short drive up highway 58 to see how the day would develop. The snow phone was reporting 5 inches overnight, which was better than the snotels, so the morning was filled with cautious optimism. It was snowing hard when we arrived at the area, and continued to snow all morning long.

We ended up catching the first chair with Jensen and a couple other locals, as well as Joe who we met up with in the patrol room. The turns were pretty sweet, with about 8-10 inches of fresh on both the upper and lower mountain. We continued to pound out runs on both the front and backsides of the hill until about 11:30, then headed down for a quick lunch and to grab the skins for a little sidecountry action.

Joe had to leave a little earlier that we did, so he stayed at the Pass, and Dan and I headed out on skins to check out one of our favorite local spots. Switching over to skins is always a good feeling after riding the lifts for a few hours, and the snow was light and deep underfoot — around 16-18 inches deep. A short time later, we were in position to drop in. After making a couple of ski cuts, it was time to open in up for some untracked powder turns…

The powder was some of the best in recent memory, and we both were stoked at the bottom of the run. It didn’t take long to change over to skins and head back up to do it all again…

Skinning outside the area during a snowstorm is always so quiet and serene. Less than a mile away hundreds of skiers are ripping it up and the lifts are noisily spinning, while outside the area the pace is calm, steady and quiet. We reached the top in short order, and enjoyed a quick break to drink a beer and transition before dropping in for more turns.

Our second line was as good as the first, and faceshots were had all the way down. We ended up making a third lap before it was time to head back to the car, and it continued puking on us all afternoon. By the time we worked our way back to the area, there was 20 inches of fresh snow on the ground.

We had enough time left to make a couple more runs in the area before the lifts shut down for good, and both of our legs were pretty burned by the end of the day. Sitting in the car in the parking lot, munching on chips and salsa, it continued to snow heavily. Neither of us could believe how good the day turned out to be, and it just goes to show, you never know what it’ll be like unless you go!

After closing out 2018 with a few friends, Julie and I figured the best way to ring in the new year was making turns at the Pass with the family. The forecast was looking sunny, and the kids were excited as we headed out in the morning. The drive up highway 58 went quickly, and soon we were sitting in the patrol room helping the kids with their gear. Somehow during the night before when I was loading gear, I forgot Julie’s ski boots, so she ended up spending the day in slippers in the patrol room reading a book. We all walked over to Twilight to begin the day, and I snapped a pic of the family before we loaded the chair…

We started our day with a great groomer down Duck Soup and Sally’s Way, and both kids were skiing well. Carson wanted to ski Sally’s again, so we hit it up for a second lap before skiing down Picaboo for our third run in the Twilight zone…

After three runs, we headed in to check on Julie, eat an early lunch, and drink some hot coco. Carson wanted to stay in with Julie and hang out for a little bit, so Shaun and I headed up EPA for a couple of runs. The views from the top were excellent as usual, and the groomers off the top were in excellent condition, so we tried out KP and the Rosary’s.

After two runs off the top, we checked back in at the patrol room and Carson was ready to ski again. He was pretty stoked to ride “the big lift” so we loaded up EPA and headed to the top for his first ever trip to the top of the mountain. At the top, Joe was hosting and was pretty stoked to see the boys, and graciously offered to snap our picture in front of Diamond Peak and Odell Lake. For Carson’s first run, we headed down KP, and he ripped it…

We spent the next hour and a half spinning laps on EPA, alternating between the Rosary’s and KP. Shaun wanted to do Eagles and Charlie, but we agreed we’d try those next time after Carson had a bit more experience under his belt. Watching the kids ski down the runs, up and down the banks on the sides of the runs, and through the trees, I couldn’t help but feel proud at how they were doing…

We called it a day in the mid afternoon, and headed down to the patrol room to where Julie was waiting. The kids were happy with the day, but ready to leave, in part due to the promised Dairy Queen treats later in Oakridge. I loaded the gear in the car, and as we pulled out onto the highway, I thought to myself — there really isn’t any better way to ring in 2019!