Old Man Winter Plays an April Fool's Joke

April first started out like every morning in the last two weeks. Eleven cm's of fresh on the snow report with more falling outside. Certainly there will be more cm's by the time I get to the hill.
 
By the time I did get up the hill it was gusting 40 plus km/hr winds, snowing with whiteout conditions. Cold too, with temperatures around -12. It was shaping up to be a usual day on the hill in Whistler this month.
 
A group of us rode the Peak to Peak from Blackcomb to Whistler, on the way noticing in the terrain park a jump that looked backwards, the take off facing downhill. I didn't get a closer look but I think that was our first April Fool's joke, played by the park groomers.
 
Stepping out of the gondola I noticed the Harmony chair, a high alpine chair with big wide bowels just opened. I headed over immediately. I left my friends as they went to hit some tree run. As I reached the top of Harmony ridge nature pulled it's own April Fool's joke. The clouds cleared and the sun came out. Just when I thought it was a blizzard, it turned into a blue bird pow day. I think the only one we've had all season.
 
After a wide open bowel run deep in powder, I saw that Peak chair had opened. Where the best runs are in Whistler and Blackcomb is matter of opinion and mine is that you can't beat peak chair! Of course I went up there and saw the Blackcomb patrol had put up a dummy hanging from the bomb tram used for avalanche control. Second April Fool's joke. Blackcomb has been pranking the Whistler ski patrol for years, maybe one year Whistler will get them back.
 
The peak did not disappoint. One of my favourite tree runs was almost untouched. The sun shining down gave my something new for this season, excellent visibility, I could actually see where I was going! Today I could not feel a touch of jealousy for those heli skiing. I was getting lines just as good.
 
I met back up with my fellow Snowboard Instructor buddies for afternoon riding on Blackcomb. The runs were getting more tracked out and the temperatures were really warming up, making the snow heavy. Even though, it's still fun riding with your friends. With our legs thoroughly worn out and the lifts shutting down we called it a day at 4 pm. This had to have been the best April Fool's joke played on me ever!