Happy New Year 2012!

Thanks. That’s my main message this second day of the new year. Thanks all you loyal readers for visiting, commenting, and even getting a guest blog fired off frequently enough to make WildSnow.com a place of many voices.

The camera never lies (ha). Louie in the facet farm, yesterday. Western Elk Mountains, Colorado. In this situation, having a pair of literately gigantic skis helps, in this case K2 Darkside 188 cm, 156/128/144. Ridiculous? I thought so, until I saw the guy skiing three feet of facets like he was on perfect powder.

As we always do this time of year, we’ll shift from rabid gear reports to some travel. On snow, on airplane. Who knows, with our thin snowpack here in central Colorado, perhaps I’ll even go hiking. Truth, we saw a guy mountain biking up our favorite (and usually not very hard packed) snowmobile access trail yesterday. Let me tell you: that caused a deep burning torch of pain that extended from my toenails to my pate.

Oh, why can’t every winter be perfect?

Actually, I know the answer to that. If every snow season had vast quantities of fluff, we’d suffer the same fate as the super-rich for whom the ins and outs of life achieve an unhappy monotony. Whether we like it or not, it’s the ups and downs of the snowpack that make us so excited when it’s good. Yeah, basic philosophy I know. Perhaps even sophomoric. But, when it’s bluebird day after day after day, some of us need perspective. Or, would we rather just be super rich?

Back to travel: In a few days I’m headed over the pond for our annual Dynafit soiree. Will be reporting from the motherland of skiing, and checking out what candy Dynafit has in store for us next season. I’ve seen some teaser, wow.

Again, thanks everyone and here’s to a terrific 2012 for you and WildSnow!

17 Responses to “Happy New Year 2012!”

1. Forest January 2nd, 2012 10:01 am

   Terrible lack of snow here in the northeast, too, Lou. Mostly brown even in the upper elevations. The positive part of that is that we’ve been driven to the resorts and forced to practice technique on man-made crystals. Hey, at least it’s skiing and the increased volume of vertical is making me a better skier. Really hope there’s snow by February as we have a trip to Katahdin planned and it’ll be a long walk in if it’s bare ground!

2. Jack January 2nd, 2012 12:07 pm

   Thank you, Lou, for the best backcountry ski blog in the world. Looking forward to your reports from Europe.

3. g January 2nd, 2012 1:39 pm

   i get a sore back when i look at pictures of louie skiing.

4. Steve January 2nd, 2012 5:13 pm

   I’d try super rich. Sounds like my kind of monotony.

5. Lou January 2nd, 2012 5:16 pm

   Steve, I was thinking the same thing…

6. Larry G January 2nd, 2012 5:26 pm

   Money doesn’t buy happiness, but I’d rather live miserable and rich than miserable and poor.

7. Jay January 2nd, 2012 9:43 pm

   “Dynafit….teaser…wow”?!?
   Hints??? Come-on pleeez

8. Fernando Pereira January 2nd, 2012 10:30 pm

   Happy 2012, Lou, seeing that photo brightened my evening, as there’s no natural snow to ski in the Sierra, and none likely before mid-January. ! I followed your recommendation of the Westcomb Apoc Neoshell jacket, as I was looking for a replacement for my battered and leaking outer shell. but to punish me (us?), since I got it the Sierra has received no snow, so the jacket still sitting in its virgin state in my closet.

9. Dave C. January 3rd, 2012 12:37 am

   Lou, pardon my ignorance but what do you mean by facet i.e. “bottomless facet, facet farm, three feet of facets”? Thanks and Happy New Year

10. Wookie1974 January 3rd, 2012 1:30 am

    Maybe I’ll see you someplace in Austria. If you see me, say hi. You should be able to recognize me. I’m the good-looking dude.

11. pepo January 3rd, 2012 3:44 am

    thats why i want such a ski like darkside and/or mega-giga watt…
    who said its hard to ski hardpack with such dimensions? 🙂
    its all about i want and i can,and of course i have legs strong enough..;)

12. RobBJ January 3rd, 2012 5:26 am

    Sounds like you’re heading to the right place at the right time. from all reports -and with the euro at an all time low! Hope you get some good tours in!

13. Lou January 3rd, 2012 7:01 am

    Hi Dave, apologies for succumbing to jargon, the bane of any niche writer. “Facets” is the term of art in common use in some regions to refer to temperature gradient snow crystals created by warm ground and cold air, combined with thin snowpack. They lack integrity and mass and are “faceted” crystals as opposed to other types of snow crystals. When the facets get to be the whole snowpack, you tend to sink to the ground in them like you’re in a pile of foamy sand, hence the term “bottomless.” Lou

14. Aaron Trowbridge January 3rd, 2012 11:30 am

    Up here in NW BC remote readings from our closest snow pillow shows we just exceeded historic water equivalency levels (aka deep snowpack).

    http://bcrfc.env.gov.bc.ca/data/asp/realtime/asp_pages/asp_4b17p.html

    Last year was average snow fall with above average snowpack in spring due to late melt. Enough summer snow stuck around that an early season big avy cycle running to ground was blamed on neve bed surfaces.

    Win some, lose some. Lots of room up here for more skiers, migration anyone?

15. Lee Lau January 3rd, 2012 12:21 pm

    March Aaron! Am sending some splitters your way first. Shames area but they’ll also check out Smithers/Hankin

16. Walt January 3rd, 2012 6:20 pm

    The skiing above 13,000 ft in Colorado is amazing. Below 13(aka resort skiing) is pretty rotten. If we ever get snow, the access to the high elks will be gone. I would not recommend skiing down low unless you are a rich guy / post mod quiverus maximus.

17. John January 7th, 2012 8:14 pm

    Heading up that way Feb-March!