Prospecting windslab

These pictures make it seem MUCH more peaceful out there than it was today. It was 18 degrees (not too bad...) with some serious windchill (damn bad!) and the snow pretty much...well, sucked. Hate to say it but it was our first "bad" day at Prospectors, but it's all relative - any day out there is a good day.  The turns just weren't that good today.  The word of the day was windslab.  It was everywhere, on every aspect, even in dense trees.  I've never been witness to such a thing before up here! It's been FREEZING cold here the last few days - sub-zero temperatures and windchills at the ranch down to -37 degrees...i feel bad for our horses.  They seem to be fine but i still feel bad they're out in in all this time!

Today went up to the Tunnel with Heyride, AP, JHK and Heather, to where I thought would be good soft snow.  Apparently I talk in my sleep or email or blog in my sleep because some jokers had the same idea as us and carbon-copied our tour route.  Weird, as I've never seen another ski track in the Prospector area.

Everybody fell today, we were forced to break thru the windslab be it ski or head

Skinning back to try another aspect, yep, still thick windslab.

Here's AP  making breakable windslab turns look pretty easy.

Back up to the top of Prospectors.  We were followed by a few guys. Oh well...all secret spots get found eventually.

AP down run #3...still windslabby on the east slopes...damn it!

Heather in a wonderful skiing pose with James Pk. (and lots of blowing snow) in the background

Aww.....aren't they cute...?

And finally, JHK breaking some crust.

 After making our way off Propectors area finding nothing but breakable windslab hell, we headed to Conehead Peak and Frogger...the run with a thousand cliffbands to avoid.  We safely navigated our way down Frogger, not without some fretting and falling and after almost 45 minutes were back at the car.  Took us longer to get down that run than go up to it.

Heyride down  windslab chute