Day 93 - Whiteout Riding and Our Best Day Yet on the Mountain

The rain was falling down low when we woke up, but by now we’ve learnt that what’s happening in the valley doesn’t mean much up the mountain.

Day 93 started like most of our days here in Scharnstein. Up around seven. Coffee on. Breakfast sorted. A bit of schoolwork ticked off before we even think about snow. The plan was to get up earlier than usual and hit the slopes sooner, but somehow lunchtime rolled around before we even left the house.

It was raining at our place, grey and heavy. But we jagged a car park at the top again, which always feels like a small win. We’d messaged the Norwegian family who were already up there and they told us there was proper snow at the top. Sure enough, halfway up in the gondola we hit the white stuff. By the time we reached the top it was full whiteout. Wind, snow, barely able to see the ground. Proper mountain conditions.

We did a warm up run on the smaller slopes near the gondola, then jumped onto the second gondola to head right up to the top of the other peak. After yesterday not being Kia’s best day on the slopes, we wanted to see how she’d go today.

Visibility was tough. Flat light. Hard to read the terrain. One of those days where you really have to trust your edges.

At the top we split straight away. Maddie was hungry and wanted lunch immediately. Emmett and I weren’t waiting around. We were keen to get stuck in. So Kia and Maddie headed into the little restaurant hut at the top of the second mountain for sandwiches and hot chocolates, while Emmett and I dropped in.

We headed toward the T hook lift first. Emmett’s been told he’s not allowed to rest his foot in the little boot tray area even though he doesn’t clip in. He hates riding with his back foot out because his stance feels too narrow. He gave it a crack but halfway up he decided he was done with that idea. Fair enough.

So we rode all the way down to the chairlift instead. That run is steep in sections but wide. Much better than the narrow cat track that forces you into awkward turns on a snowboard. We hit the steeper sections on purpose and it was way more fun. Confidence building stuff.

Up the chairlift we went. Proper snow falling around us. Quiet. Just the sound of wind and cables.

Then Emmett decided he was ready for lunch.

We cruised down to the hut, swapped with Kia and Maddie, and went inside for our turn. The place had that classic ski lodge feel. Wet floors from melting snow. Gloves and helmets everywhere. That hum of tired but happy people warming up. I grabbed a beer. We ate our sandwiches. It felt like a proper mountain day.

Heading back out we bumped into Kia, who was looking stressed. She and Maddie had taken different lines down and lost each other. On a clear day that’s manageable. In whiteout, it’s different. She hadn’t seen Maddie come past and didn’t know where she was.

I told her I’d head down to the chairlift to check. As soon as I left, Maddie appeared. Of course.

By then I was committed, so I rode all the way down solo, jumped on the chairlift, and met them back at the top.

From there, the four of us linked up and did five solid runs together down to the chairlift. Easily our best session so far. Challenging conditions but everyone was pushing themselves. Emmett charging steeper lines. Maddie linking turns confidently. Kia bouncing back strong after yesterday. Me just soaking it in.

Whiteout, wind, snow flying sideways. It was epic.

Around four o’clock the lifts started closing. Perfect timing. We packed it down, took the gondolas back toward the valley, and squeezed in one last run through the forest. Riding between snow covered trees never gets old.

Back to the car. Back down to rain.

Shops on the way home because everything shuts Sunday. Dinner cooked. A documentary on. Kids winding down.

Rinse and repeat.