Turns were fresh and the wind was howling this blustery Monday at Kirkwood. Only a day after New Years and 2017 is already making skiers and riders drool with excitement as they feast their eyes on a healthy forecast of precipitation and low temperatures. A fluffy Monday appetizer provided a little taste of what’s to come in the next few days.  

Ripping winds tossed large dry flakes over ridge tops depositing blankets of blower pow on the runs below. Chair 6’s Sentinel bowl provided face shots and grippy slash turns to descending powder hounds. Safety was an issue skiers right of chair 6 where hidden rocks lurked dangerously beneath desirable cornice drops. 

Things were much more difficult on The Wall where wind gusts produced blinding snow flurries. Most folks opted to take the side slip route down, unintentionally scraping all new snow from the face.  However, the gullies below were heavily wind loaded and held some of the deepest powder on the mountain.

Overall this Monday appetizer provided a desperately needed refresh to the mountain and boosted the appetite for the prospective powder shredding to come. It’s just going to keep getting better out there, so rest up and get hungry for the main course of powdery goodness!

Cheers,

Trevor

(Trevor Smith is a Kirkwood local and powder chaser)