Last tracks.

[resqgeek]

Today was our longest day of skiing so far on this trip because we signed up for the "Last Tracks" program, so we could ski with one of the mountain ambassadors we've become friends with as he did trail sweep after the lifts closed.  We've done this a few time before, and it requires us to make sure we are at the top of the mountain before the lifts start closing.  We meet the ambassodors and ski patrollers at the ski patrol hut at the top of the mountain while we wait for the lifts to close.  After ski patrol does their sweep of the back part of the mountain, we set out to do a sweep of the runs down the front of the upper mountain.  It is surreal to be the only skiers on the mountain, with the lifts shut down.  When you stop, the mountain falls into silence, which is rare during the day, when people are skiing, and talking on the lifts.

By the time we completed the sweep and returned to the base area, it was 4:30, a half hour after the last lift closed.  It will certainly be the latest that we will be out on the slopes all week.  Only two more days of skiing left for this trip...