Colorado 2017-18 Colorado Weather and Stoke

[surfandski]

The Colorado rivers are peaking several weeks early this season especially in the South. It wasn't the greatest winter for skiing but will be a far worse summer for kayaking. I almost feel guilty being in NC where our rivers run daily with zero dependence on snow pack. Our skiing sucks though so it's all relative. MTBing is a tie and then we share breweries; Oskar Blues and New Belgium (and Sierra Nevada from CA) here in town so we have that connection as well.

We already got the G'town house rented and Luv passes for next year so we are praying for a better start to next season along with less wind. Get the top open by Jan 1!

 

[nay]

I'll be somewhat surprised if the Basin makes it to June. A week ago I would have bet on it but the amount of snow gone in the 65-70 degree temps and no refreezing at night over the last week has been nuts. Oh well...Biking season is here!

I’m wondering that as well. It’s only 2.5 weeks, though, and the base is still 47” with no signs of Lake Reveal.

I think they’ll make it - it’s only Lenawee Face to High Noon that has to survive and that all has manmade in the snowpack.

 

[nay]

Last time I looked at Fourth of July Bowl (quite a while ago), it looked dire.

Shush! If ^^^ goes too early it could force Aug and Sep at St. Mary’s. Lord, no.

 

[Monique]

Shush! If ^^^ goes too early it could force Aug and Sep at St. Mary’s. Lord, no.

Have you taken a look recently? I probably haven't looked in at least a month, so I don't really know.

 

[SBrown]

Shush! If ^^^ goes too early it could force Aug and Sep at St. Mary’s. Lord, no.

 

[nay]

Thank goodness for our high elevation resorts.

View attachment 45931
https://www.cbrfc.noaa.gov/station/...C2&tavg=s&hsim=&index=&dbsvr=&indextitle=Vail

It's summer in Vail where the season looks very different than the Grizzly Peak graph from near A-basin.

The last 3 seasons have been a tale of two elevations, above 10.5K and below 10.5K. It’s been amazing the difference between the two.

Personally, this has been a great season. I’ve skied 38 days so far, and only skied a half of one day where there was nothing soft anywhere (my edge standard = brutally detuned), and it snowed that afternoon and made up for it.

The lack of big days early was made up for in mid-March and April and there were some off the charts wind buff days.

The wind was hellish at times, and too many occurances of incidental cryotherapy, but also some great memories in understanding why people die 20 yards from base camp.

I suppose I have an abnormal affinity for brutal high alpine conditions. It’s quite a fix for a guy who jockeys a desk rather than climbing mountains to go get some on a random Tuesday 90 minutes from home.

 

[nay]

Have you taken a look recently? I probably haven't looked in at least a month, so I don't really know.

I thought it looked pretty good a couple weeks ago.

 

[Ken_R]

I thought it looked pretty good a couple weeks ago.

View attachment 45933

Man, the snow in the alpine has degraded a LOT since that pic was taken. Its another world now. Going down fast! Still, those favorable N and NE nooks and crannies will have snow for a while as usual. But it has been summer like lately.

Judging from what @SBrown told me about St. Mary's in the summer it really sounds like its a skiing nightmare. But, to keep the streak going...youll do almost anything right? hehehe

 

[nay]

Man, the snow in the alpine has degraded a LOT since that pic was taken. Its another world now. Going down fast! Still, those favorable N and NE nooks and crannies will have snow for a while as usual. But it has been summer like lately.

Judging from what @SBrown told me about St. Mary's in the summer it really sounds like its a skiing nightmare. But, to keep the streak going...youll do almost anything right? hehehe

“Degraded” is relative. That pic was before the big storm, too.

St. Mary’s isn’t that bad. Just bum some Coors on the way up and avoid some hazards. The dude in this pic was prepping for a PNW volcano expedition.

Not sure these conditions were meaningfully relevant. Could buy ReddyIce and sit in a kiddy pool. Could get in 12 hop turns that way, too, come to think of it.







j/k it’s much worse than you think. User tip: Sept 1st > Sept 30th, like the next two pics.




I could probably get banned for posting St. Mary’s pics while lifts are still spinning.

 

[dbostedo]

Could buy ReddyIce and sit in a kiddy pool. Could get in 12 hop turns that way, too, come to think of it.

Ah yes... There's always Hillington.

 

[mikel]

Not sure how many more days I will get. Planning a day next week

let me know what day if you decide to go next week. I am finally over the respiratory/flu like thing. I might actually be able to ski more than 25 yards without stopping now.

 

[nay]

let me know what day if you decide to go next week. I am finally over the respiratory/flu like thing. I might actually be able to ski more than 25 yards without stopping now.

Made it up today and a surprise day. I’ll post up about next week.

The lower mountain is already getting harvested - that’s gonna get sketchy.



But the upper mountain is skiing better than last week, great slush and ripping fast. Plenty of snow up here.




No reveal yet, but we’re putting some tracks over it.



Ski the Snake.



Little natural halfpipe slush.

 

[tball]

Ski the Snake.

Odd. Don't think I've seen that before. UFO maybe?

 

[UGASkiDawg]

The Colorado rivers are peaking several weeks early this season especially in the South. It wasn't the greatest winter for skiing but will be a far worse summer for kayaking. I almost feel guilty being in NC where our rivers run daily with zero dependence on snow pack. Our skiing sucks though so it's all relative. MTBing is a tie and then we share breweries; Oskar Blues and New Belgium (and Sierra Nevada from CA) here in town so we have that connection as well.

We already got the G'town house rented and Luv passes for next year so we are praying for a better start to next season along with less wind. Get the top open by Jan 1!

MTB is not a tie...you have to deal with humidity...we don't...CO wins

 

[Tricia]

Ski the Snake.

Did you ski the Wiggle? There are two of them. The one off the top of Pali was pretty fun until I shot out of it.

 

[RachelV]

Did you ski the Wiggle? There are two of them. The one off the top of Pali was pretty fun until I shot out of it.

I had a shockingly hard time with the wiggle! You can really get moving in those things.

 

[nay]

I had a shockingly hard time with the wiggle! You can really get moving in those things.

My exits have all been premature

Today is unbelievably perfect. It’s like 60 at mid mountain and everything is deep fast slush now.

 

[Monique]

Little natural halfpipe slush.

View attachment 46006

Humbug? We always called it Marble Madness

 

[Tricia]

I had a shockingly hard time with the wiggle! You can really get moving in those things.

The one at Squaw below Funnel was shorter and I still picked up enough speed to shoot out of it.
The one at A-Basin is longer and steeper.

@Tyler Pugliese said "The wiggle kicked my ass"

 

[dbostedo]

^^^^^
Re: the wiggle... good to know that I'm not the only one that can't seem to stay in one of those things!