It was hard for many people to go from one of the biggest party days of the ski season to one of the biggest powder days we have had all year, since usually it is the other way around. After a day of completely inane behavior, it was time to get serious the next day with unexpected snow piled up on the hill. 

Gaper Day was, a hilarious success, and the definitely the most socially entertaining day of the year.  At least 90% of the people riding on Sublette and Thunder chairs were dressed up in anything ranging from 80's rock star to the redneck look in jeans and plaid shirts, retro suits, mono-boards...to much more creative and a few even bordering on the obscene. 

It was like the Blizzard of Ahhs times 200, with people jump-turning and noodling their way down Thunder bumps, and gleaming very brightly in chosen costumes, and really good skiers from today re-visiting the style of our fore-runners in skiing. Spread eagles ruled the day off every kicker and roller, and alot of people's abs hurt now, they say, from laughing alot at everyone else's antics or from jump turns...(they are really alot of work all the way down Thunder bumps).

The party continued down at the base after 4, with a costume contest that no one could see, obscured up on Nick's deck, and everyone else just wandering around and enjoying the scene.  An inordinant amount of alcohol was involved for many people, so when the next morning dawned with a foot of new back at the village, alot of early morning cures were being put to the test. 

Even with a foot of amazing, really light-for-April-snow, the crowds didn't really show up.  Way more people were there than the last few weeks, of course, but the mazes were never full, and most often closer to almost empty.  The snow was fabulous, and the bowl was completely blown in with perfect cream cheese snow.  Cold face shots were the order of the day, although Sublette and the East Ridge kept blowing down, but when they were open-it was good.  Visibility in the bowl was terrible, and the wind was howling, but it didn't matter....the bumps were gone under the snow and you could just mach down the completely smooth surface, lap after lap until it closed again.  Thunder got pretty tracked out, but still it wasn't as skied as usual on a powder day.  Giant soft stashes were still around after 2pm, usually an unheard of event at JHMR, but so refreshing.  If most people are done with skiing, all the better for those of us who are not over the season yet

Thunder Bumps, populated by gapers