Bill Jennings: Spring corn available for duration of season
Just in case no one had warned you, be aware that today marks the Ides of March.
“Beware the Ides of March” were words of caution offered by a soothsayer to a certain legendary Roman dictator, penned by William Shakespeare in his play “Julius Caesar.”
The Ides of March originated as an excuse for partying in honor of the Roman god Jupiter. But on that fateful day in 44 BC, Brutus and Cassius stabbed Caesar to death during a meeting of the Senate. Over the centuries, thanks to Shakespeare, March 15 became notorious as a date when bad news is supposed to happen.
According to the Smithsonian, some of the bad news attributed to the Ides of March throughout history include: Bolsheviks seizing control of Russia in 1917, CBS canceling The Ed Sullivan show in 1971 and NASA reporting that Earth’s ozone layer was vanishing ahead of schedule in 1988.
Some good news on the Ides of March 2018 is the ozone layer has been reported to be healing. And if you ski or ride, about the only bad news today is a chance of rain on the slopes. But the Ides of March can serve as our own warning that only three weeks remain until mountain resorts in our region call it a season.
Recent unseasonably warm weather has borne an epidemic of spring fever. I’m passionate about skiing, but I’m not immune. On Sunday, I dusted off a bike and rode on the Centennial Trail. My route took me east through Kendall Yards and Riverfront Park. People were out in droves. Everyone wore shades and beatific smiles, liberated from winter’s siege of the city.
Continuing leisurely through the Riverpoint campus, I looked north and there she was – Mount Spokane’s snow covered dome blazed brilliantly in the afternoon sunshine against a deep blue sky. I felt a stab of regret in my heart that I wasn’t up there carving arcs in spring corn.
Save for a few rotting scraps, snow is gone in the valleys. But 100 inches remains at the summit of Mount Spokane. SNOTEL data shows the snowpack in eastern Washington and north Idaho mountains is currently 115 percent of normal.
On the Ides of March, this is great news. For the duration, good quality skiing and riding should hold up to any heat wave. Why? The snowpack serves as its own insulator. Warmer temperatures will melt snow, but only at the surface. Mountain showers in the short-term forecast will quickly freeze when they contact the frigid layers below.
This time of year, the top layer of snowpack refreezes solid overnight. The freeze/thaw cycle happening on the slopes right now creates ideal conditions for the formation of corn snow, the next best thing to powder.
In the mountains that surround us, the National Weather Service is forecasting daytime highs up to 40 degrees and overnight lows down to the mid 20s at least into next week. During the day, meltwater will seep into the spaces between snow crystals in the top layer of snowpack. Overnight, freezing temperatures will firm up this mixture into frozen granules.
As warmish days and freezing nights continue in the mountains over the next few weeks, this cycle will transform snow crystals into agglomerations of the tiny round pellets we know and love as spring corn.
Another thing I like about spring skiing is that the pressure is off. There’s no need to rise before dawn and compete for fresh tracks. Fix yourself a nice breakfast instead. Snow, both on and off piste, will be hard as rock first thing in the morning. Give it a little time to cure.
But don’t sleep too late. At this point in the season, ideal conditions only last a few hours. Warmer temperatures will rapidly turn that slick corn snow into sticky slush. By then you’ll be ready to hit the deck anyway, wearing shades and a beatific smile. Enjoy it while you can.