The title says it all. After a two month drought, Mt. Cain finally opened this weekend with 120 cms of snow – 90 cms of it falling in the last week!
This is the snow that fell on Mt. Cain AFTER we arrived Friday night. My good friend Nancy is shoveling out the back of the truck so we can load it with our gear.
I arrived Friday after work, and settled into the Kapitany. It was snowing again!!! The mountain looked completely different than the last time I was there, three short weeks ago.
You could feel the energy in the air. Mt. Cain is like a family, and going back felt like going home. People I have known mostly only at Mt. Cain, all congregated for the opening. Hugs, high fives, and everyone smiling! And this was Friday – before anyone had even hit the slopes!
Saturday dawned with a lift line, snow falling, and even happier people. Whoops and hollers resounded from the crowd as the first tee-bar was loaded. At long last, the season had started.
I skied with my 8 year old son. It was awesome. I like to ask him what runs to ski, and he kept saying “The Face”. Fine by me! The Face has some good fall-line, and always has 20-30 feet of run on the right side that doesn’t get groomed. Today it was all powder, and for the first run all mine!!!
In fact, I found powder on every run I skied, all day. It was fantastic! I think I strained my smile muscles!!
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your point of view, it came to a premature end at 2:30 in the afternoon when the lower Tee-bar had a catastrophic failure. I am confident the Mt. Cain staff will fix it, and was happy to have a convenient excuse to send my son out to play in the snow, and go and drink some well earned beer.
Sunday started early. It had to. 4 am to watch the Canadian Men’s Olympic team play for the gold medal.
Anticipation…as the Cain crew witness history from the ski shop.
Combine Mt. Cain’s satellite internet, the Ski Shop manager’s lap-top and stereo, a white sheet and a digital projector, and you have the second best place on earth to watch the gold medal game! (the best being in Sochi). At least 20 hardy Cain-ites were up before the sun to watch the game and cheer for Canada.
High fives all around as Canada win’s Gold!!!
What a hockey game! What an Olympics! What a ski hill! What a weekend.
Powder.
Beer.
Friends.
I love you Mt. Cain!!!