A difficult tour. After a big day 1 in the high terrain, days 2 and 3 were a struggle with wind, cloud, rain and snow quality.
We followed up yesterday’s one run day with another- something we don’t recall in recent memory at Ruby.
Heavy rain at the lodge elevation fell overnight with temperatures at or above freezing below 9,000 for most of the night.
During the early morning hours, temperatures dropped and the upper elevations picked up 4-6 inches of high density snow.
For the second day in a row, wind and cloud kept us in the cat terrain.
The upper 3/4 of the run was good with tracks reset from the overnight storm.
The final 1/4 of the run was very difficult with a saturated, heavy snowpack to the ground.
For the first time we remember, there was standing water in Conrad Creek, our lowest terrain we access.
The upper elevations of the Rubies would be great skiing, we just couldn’t get there with the weather.
A new crew arrives tonight for the single day tomorrow. Thankfully, the weather improves with the sun coming out for Thursday.
If it was easy, everyone would do it.
Sleep well. See you in the morning.
