Countdown to end of season
Believe it or not, we are just a few days away from Whitewater Resort closing for another season. Thing is, the skiing is exceptionally good. Sure we all have that bike-or-ski debate at this time of the year (or, some people do). You know, though, if you don't get out a couple more times, you'll be sorry come May. The days are now longer, the lift lines are non-existent and the snow keeps coming. That's enough to get me up there.
This coming closing weekend will be a blast, too. Saturday is the Season Pass Holders Appreciation Day, part of the Beach Party Weekend. Heck, there's even a bike draw. And, if you looked out your window earlier in the week, you make have noticed some precip. - maybe significant. What's that spell!!? POWDAH! See you out there people.
One final fact, here. Ever wonder why those poor Whitewater staffers have to dig out the bottoms of several of the towers on summit side (see photo). I thought it might be to facilitate a chair evacuation but that wasn't the case.
No sir. It's because of a phenomenon called "snow creep",defined as "the slow viscous deformation within a sloping snow-cover due to gravity." It's particularly an issue on convex features like where the towers are on the Summit Chair. If the holes weren't dug, the tower could potentially bend from the force of the snow moving downslope.
Puzzle solved.