Silver Star Blog

Wow. Couldn’t believe how it dumped all last night and this morning. Got myself to the Comet by 8:20 a.m. only to have to practice ‘patience as a virtue’ I never seem to possess. The patrol boys worked quickly, however, and I was riding the third chair with Jordan, Tim, Marie-Cat, Tom and Sandra. A lot of discussion about where we would ski, with no commitment to waiting for anybody. Powder days, eh! Not a time to be sensitive.
I bee-lined for FIS, only to get passed by Jordan, and then Tim. Spread my legs a bit too much on the first steep, and down I went, cartwheeling head over heels. Luckily there was no yard sale, and I was up and moving with Tim to my left. What a sweet telemarker this guy is!
Tough to carry your speed across the flats below Main Street, but managed to get back to the lift in one piece. Lost everyone but ran into Mike Shaw and spent the next three runs trying to out race him to the lift, before heading to Bergerstrasse and the 40 odd “patients” waiting for the gate to open. Just as I pulled up, it opened and I carried my speed through the crowd and right into the front of the patroller’s sled. Really got to wonder why it wasn’t moved before the gate was opened?
The Chinese Downhill into Putnam is always a highlight, and today was no different. I saw boarders taking out skiers, and skiers taking out boarders. Civilized we are not when it comes to first tracks!!!!
I traded drafting with a fast girl in a brown suit. We got ourselves to the top of Caliper where I think she went for Normania. I danced my way down Caliper with some wonderful GS powder turns, getting passed on the bottom flats by some straightlining boarders. Well done boys…
First on the lift coming back up was lonely, but felt great. Managed a line down Headwall, followed by Quicksilver/ Hi Lead, Chute Five, Minerva Road and the whitest White Elephant I’ve seen all year (a gift for Aussie Sheree!).
The moist air had me starting to chill, so I headed back over to a sweet lower Little Dipper to the Comet. Zooming is the term I use for describing the effortless glide down skinnier runs like Constellation and Little Dipper. Gotta love it!
Skiied Christmas Bowl to Alpine Meadows where I met up with Rental Cam and his staff. Nice to see priorities are right on a day like today. Had some sweet pow down Attridge Ridge, then across the bridge to a soggy Silver Queen. Home by 11:30 a.m.
I’m still grinning ear to ear……

Denys Random Thoughts & Ski Shots

Made it out nice and early today. No tracks on the skiway as Monika and I left the house. I guess we finally beat the Leboes….
Skied some sweet lines in Silverwoods in heavy but untouched powder. Hitting the groomed ski out at the bottom was a bit like hitting Brewer’s Pond with skis on!! Glade Runner and Robin’s Hood were definitely showing themselves off today.
Shifted gears and flew to the Comet, riding the “couch” to the top with a giggling group of powderhounds. Sure like the energy of a powderday! Carol and Keith were on board ahead of us. I could hear them laughing from 3 chairs back….
Scootered past some CSIA Interski dudes who seemed a little lost away from the groomed. We led them into a windblown Moonbeam and down to the Alpine Meadows chair. I don’t think I have ever seen it as busy as it was this morning! The snow was definitely drier on Attridge, thus the crowded chair.
Home for coffee and breaky by 10:30, and now looking to skate ski in the afternoon. Tonight it’s pond hockey with the ski school – snowboarders versus alpine. Thanks to Ewan for organizing.
More snow on the way. Just gotta ski it, eh!!
Denys the Menys

Denys Random Thoughts & Ski Shots

Whoa!!! Gotta come up for air!! What a crazy month of December I’ve just come through. If I am any example of the lifestyle up here at Silver Star, I’ll tell you it sure is a lot of fun.
It truly has been a fantastic start to the season, capped off with one of the sunniest Christmases on record. With family in town from Florida and Vancouver, I was really hoping for some sun to go with the magically snow covered trees. Well, we got it by the dayload, with each day showing Silver Star off even better than the day before. My sympathies go to the valley dwellers who don’t drive up 20min into the sunshine. It truly is magical up here!!
I’ve been skiing downhill on my new Heads (thanks Olympia), skiing cross country on my new Rossignols (thanks Valhalla), playing hockey on the pond (spanked the Firelight team! Sorry Paul & Rick) and meeting all kinds of new people at Long John’s where I work on Saturday and Sunday nights. As the village fills up, I am seeing many of the clients I have worked with during the summer months and share with them the fun of living at altitude, with attitude, in paradise. A big welcome to my newest friends Mike & Cathy at Creeekside, and David and Kira on Attridge Lane.
My congratulations to Doug and Roscoe for finishing, on time, the new Scifleet home on Monashee Rd. It must have been a push, but the house looks great! Also, hats off to the new/old Saloon! Nice to see live music back on Saturdays, and the best dancing on Fridays I’ve seen in a long, long time…. Way to go Mac, Sharon, Marty, Randy and the huge guy at the door. (Stay away from Hand Grenades! Stick with Irish Car Bombs!!)
Looks like we are entering a new snow cycle. Forecast is for lots of new on Thursday night. Could be a friendless pow day on New Years Day! Might have to curtail the after-party on New Year’s Eve. If you are out there, I’ll look for you.
That’s it for now…. Make sure you try HB Pizza. Jonas has a great thin crust pesto sauced Mediterranean that I ate tonight during the Canucks game (they lost in a shootout. Great game though)

Denys the Menys

Denys Random Thoughts & Ski Shots

Five after eight this morning, and I can hear the familiar click, click, pole tap, pole tap of the Leboes stepping into their skis on the skiway outside my house here on Monashee Rd. No matter how hard I try, they always beat me out the door. Ah yes, the lifts must be running again….

While the resort has been full of nordic skiers for a month, there is a different feel this morning as the lifts are set to open. Even the weather is cooperating as the cloud cover and warm temperatures of the last few days has lifted, giving us a gorgeous dramatic cloud and sunshine day to revel in lift assisted alpine skiing.

I manage to get out by 8:45 and chose a groomed Cloud Nine as my opener, mostly because I can ski right on to it without using a lift. Sunny and fast, I sneak into trees right and find Tuesday night’s freezing rain snow crust. I quickly come back to Cloud Nine’s groomed carpet. I think I’ll wait a bit for those trees.

The bottom of Silverwoods is surprisingly free of rocks and dirt. Great snow coverage for this time of year. Brad Baker is on the chair in front of me. Way to go Brad! Good to see you out checking things out….

The Comet chair welcomes me with its ‘couchy’ comfort. Nice to to return to the chit chat of the  Comet. A couple of zoomers on Whiskey Jack, Little Dipper and Milky Way and I feel like last winter never ended!! And the sunshine, oh the sunshine!!!!

I hook up with Dave, Pat, Hildi, Tom, Sandra and Lisa and we zoom down Over the Hill, meeting up with Maris Cat and Pip at the bottom. We are now officially a posse! A few more runs and the group splits up. For most, that will be all they ski today. Enough to get the legs going again, and enough to be able to talk about how great opening day was.

I’m off to a coaches session in preparation for the first Cross Country Camps, starting tomorrow. How much better does it get, when you can Alpine ski the morning and cross country ski the afternoon?

Glad I live at Silver Star!!!!

Denys Random Thoughts & Ski Shots