2022-12-23 Grouse mountain snow report

2022-12-23 Grouse mountain snow report

It was the combination of the best snow ever and worst everything else.

The snow was amazing; it was heavy powder not slow or catchy. The powder was heavy, so none of the runs were tracked out easily but the snow was very stable. You can rip and grip anywhere, enjoy powder feeling, and still run fast easily. The visibility was not very bad too.

I think it was a bit of inversion. While the base was snowing the mountain had frozen rain. Goggles got wet and frozen immediately, and the ice was hard to remove. Also the flat light makes it hard to read the terrain. Your body will be wet all the time, but the snow itself wasn’t that sticky.

It was busy too, but not as busy as yesterday.

Traffic was terrible. Buses to/from Grouse were very limited. I had to wait for over 40 minutes for the bus from Grouse because of but 236 to be suspended and 232 to be delayed a lot. Next bus was cencelled, and Skytrain Expo line was suspended, so I had to make a big detour with a lot of transit wait time. It took about 4 hours instead of 1 hour just for one-way trip.

Overall rate: 1/5 ★☆☆☆☆

Hades and Inferno had great snow:

The snow at the following runs were particularly good:

  • The Cut (Green)
  • Blue Face (Blue)
  • Deliverance (Blue)
  • Dogleg (Blue)
  • Heaven’s Sake (Blue)
  • Upper Blazes (Black Diamond)
  • Hades (Black Diamond)

However the following runs had sketchy parts.

  • Side Cut (Lower; access from Skyline)
    • The powder-looking snow chunks are actually death cookies. Your board can’t break, but it’ll break you instead.
  • Upper Purgatory
    • Exposed rocks
  • Upper Peak
    • Thin layer of powder on ice

It was busy:

Traffic was very bad. Don’t trust Google Maps; Just check translink official twitter account instead.

Lifts:

  • Olympic Express High-Speed Quad Chair
  • Peak Quad Chair (Closed)
  • Screaming Eagle High-Speed Quad Chair
  • Greenway Quad Chair
  • Magic Carpet
  • Short Cut Handle Tow

Parks:

  • Paradise Jib Park (Flat Box, Rainbow Box, Up Down Box, 16” Flat Box)
  • The Cut Jump Line (Down ledge box - M, Quebec down flat - L, Down tower tube - M, DFD Ledgebox - L, Battle Ship box - M, Barrier - M, Jam rail - L, Down 16’ box - M)
  • Cut Rookie Park (Rainbow Box - M, Flat Box - M)
  • Side Cut Park (U Rail - L, Down Tower Tube - L, Down Rail (Mini Salmon Arms) - L, Flat Tubby Tube - L, Mini Spine Wallride - L, Flat Tower Tube - L, Down Barrier - L, XL Down Tubby Tube - L, DFD Rail (Long Flat) - L, DFD Ledge Box - L, Rain Bow - L, Gate Rail - L, Down Tower Tube - L, )

Runs:

  • Chalet Road (Green)
  • Paradise (Green)
  • Ski Wee (Green)
  • The Cut (Green)
  • Blue Face (Blue)
  • Centennial (Blue)
  • Deliverance (Blue)
  • Dogleg (Blue)
  • Expo (Blue)
  • Heaven’s Sake (Blue)
  • Lower Buckhorn (Blue)
  • Lower Peak (Black Diamond)
  • Lower Side Cut (Blue)
  • Paper Trail (Blue)
  • Peak (Black Diamond)
  • Side Cut (Blue)
  • Skyline (Blue)
  • Tyee Chute (Blue)
  • Upper Buckhorn (Blue)
  • Blazes (Black Diamond)
  • Coffin (Black Diamond) (Closed)
  • Hades (Black Diamond)
  • Inferno (Black Diamond) (Lower Inferno)
  • Outer Limits (Black Diamond)
  • Devil’s Advocate (Double Black Diamonds) (Closed)
  • Purgatory (Double Black Diamonds)
  • Peak Glades (Double Black Diamonds) (Closed)
  • Grinder Tracks (Blue)
  • Expo Glades (Black Diamond) (Closed)
  • Coola’s Corner (Blue)
  • Chimney (Black Diamond) (Closed)
  • Upper Blazes (Black Diamond)
  • Mountain Highway (Blue)