Monday, April 4, 2011

As the bullwheel turns.

Laura's brother Bill came out from Atlanta last week for spring break. On Saturday we woke to rain, so we spent the day in town. On Sunday we woke to snow. A few flurries at 7 a.m. accumulated to 3 inches before we finished breakfast.

A sunny day **and** new snow!

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We went to Discovery ski area for the day; it was their last day and lift tickets were discounted to $19. Disco had 6 inches new and it snowed for much of the day, the snow broken with brilliant sunshine. It was a fitting way to end the season.

Bill, deep-breathing before his first turn on Terminator.

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Ski areas around Montana for the most part came to a rest last week and this week. The bullwheels stopped turning not for a lack of snow. Whitefish is advertising their 'deepest base in 20 years'. Lost Trail has 12 feet of snow at the bottom of the mountain. And Lookout Pass has nearly 200 inches of snow on their summit. But with afternoon temperatures in Missoula often climbing into the 50s, well, of course it's obviously time to garden.

The buried 8-foot snowstake at Lolo Pass two weeks ago; it's snowed several feet since then.

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This has certainly been a memorable ski season. I've skied 40 days this year and can't think of a single one when it had not snowed in the previous 36 hours; only two of the days had what you could call 'bad' snow--a feat unmatched even during some 14 winters in Utah.

Laura three weeks ago at spectacular Moonlight Basin.

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Yes, the bullwheel has stopped turning at almost all the Montana ski areas, but the season of course is far from over.

The bullwheel stops its turns at Discovery, April 3.

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Nearing the summit at Moonlight.

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