I have been using the term “hammering” to describe the snow conditions when it's dumping here. It is a bull or bare market for snow this winter. The down days are tough and the good days are epic. The latest storm started on Sunday night and is continuing through Saturday morning. Already hammering us with 4 feet plus of snow and another 2-3 feet over the next 48 hours and I have been searching for a more appropriate verb. “Nuking” fits the bill, like a nuclear bomb of snow obliterating anything resembling hard pack; when your tracks through a foot plus of POW are filled in 20 minutes you can be assured it is nuking.
We found an Alpental-esk mountain near Bariloche that has amazing terrain and 30 people skiing it. 5 of us skied 1 chairlift (Los Lagos) that in the states would be tracked out after 1 run, but it lasted for 3 hours before you had to search for freshies (which were still not hard to come by). We returned to covered tracks as it was nuking all through lunch.
I have been skiing with Kevin (Irishman), Ben (Frenchman), Marc (a soon to be neighbor from Manhattan), and Kay (Washington, I climbed the volcano with her in Pucon). Great crew to tear up SA with and I must give credit to Mark for the term “nuking.”
Given the terrible snow conditions in Las Lenas and Portillo, Saturday will be my last day of skiing for the trip. I am meeting Jilian in Santiago for some much needed face to face quality time as I have missed her very much over the last 2 months.
The next 3 days are going to be skiing, skiing, skiing to get my fill and it should be epic. Culminating with a foot of new Saturday morning and blue bird skies. I cannot imagine a better way to end a summer of skiing!
I have a ton of video that I will be putting together on the 30 hour bus ride to Santiago from Bariloche, yeah I said 30 hours. Gotta run to the POW!
Matt/Todd