Conditions Report
We were a little short on time today, so we needed to get the biggest bang for our buck. Thankfully, RED Mountain Resort has no shortage of terrain to satisfy all needs.
We had three runs/areas on our minds, all recommended by locals (thanks, bus driver Glen!). The Slides, Powder Fields, and Links Line, all accessible from the Motherlode chair—skier’s left, skier’s right, and under the chair.
We first headed skier’s left to The Slides, double black diamonds. Keeping our speed up to get over Slides Traverse, you end up above a wide open area with The Slides below you. We dropped into 2nd Slide. It starts wide open, with a few bumps here and there before the pitch gets steeper, and you’re skiing in the trees. The trees were wide open, not tight at all. There was still plenty of snow on the ground, even though it’s been a few days since the last decent storm. The run changes pitch a few times and opens up a couple of times into wide-open spaces before you’re back in the trees. The good thing about this area was you can’t get lost; everything filters down to Easy Street, a cat track that leads straight back to the Motherlode.
Back up the Motherlode, we headed skier’s right to Powder Fields. This being our first time in this area, we failed to keep up our speed down Boardwalk to Powder Fields Traverse and ended up having to Herringbone up about 50 meters. But the hard work was worth it. You exit the track onto a flat ledge that opens to a breathtaking view overlooking the resort and valley below. After taking in the sight, we dropped in and skied between Powder Fields and Pale Face. The skiing was similar to The Slides; not too steep, with a few bumps here and there, and wide open trees. The snow over here was deeper. Not sure whether that was because it was less skied or due to its aspect, but finding boot-deep powder turns days after a storm never gets boring. We carefully navigated a cliff/large boulder, and, as before, everything funnels down to Southside Road, which leads straight back to Motherlode, so no getting lost.
Our final Motherlode lap, and we came straight down under the chair on Links Line to Center Star. Links Line is the location of previous, and this weekend’s, Canadian Open Freeride Championships and FWQ 2. Links Line drops off sharply right under the chair, almost in touching distance, and starts off fairly steep. This run was much more skied off than the previous two, and the turns were quick. There are plenty of drops, rocks, and natural features for skiers way better than me to send it from—I look forward to watching them this weekend. The bumps were fun, and the eyes of the chairlift ensure you’re always concentrating! The run ‘mellows out’ about halfway down and becomes Center Star, a mogul run all the way back to the chair.
We made our bus with ten minutes to spare. Having ticked off three RED classics, I can’t think of a better way to spend a morning. We didn’t meet another person while skiing The Slides or Powder Fields, it truly seemed like we had the mountain, and the leftover powder, to ourselves. The Good Life.
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