Favorite Storm Ski Chairlift

[Shawn C.]

This may get some catcalls and whistles as being lame, but last Feb I caught a one foot powder day at Beaver Creek. I made about six or seven consecutive runs on the Centennial chondola and it was great. Just steep enough for the snow depth, no peeps because it was a weekday and all the BC poshy types avoid dumps, tree lined runs around the lift line, low on the mtn to avoid worst winds. And best, it was actively snowing the whole time and I appreciated getting out of the elements between each fun run. This lift has 2100' vert!
I'll see if I can find a photo of the terrain I am talking about. The chondola line was still good the day after the storm
Here they are:
2/28/17

Snow kept accumulating that day.

3/1/17:

Voice in my head: "WTF is a chondola? Why does he keep misspelling it?"

/Scrolls down to pictures...

Confusion ensues.

 

[Mike King]

Sticker? Must be so minuscule I can't see it.

It’s a pugski sticker. I didn’t have a large one.

 

[Bob Simpson]

Voice in my head: "WTF is a chondola? Why does he keep misspelling it?"

/Scrolls down to pictures...

Confusion ensues.

I was confused as well! This cleared it up for me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_lift

 

[SSSdave]

Storm skiing opens up several issues beyond the OPs question that a hard core storm powder skier may consider before leaving.

Do you have clothing to ski in a storm comfortably and experience doing so? Am not talking about coping with intermittent snow showers adding an inch or three inches but rather a real snow storm. There is a reason on storm days depending on actual conditions that there may hardly be anyone still on slopes. It is because to be out in such conditions, clothing makes a huge difference, especially head gear. A person will need to cope with a level of unpleasantness regardless of clothing. Any, any exposed skin on the face may be miserable if not covered. Are your gloves or mittens really warm enough and still waterproof? Do your goggles stay clear or readily fog up or rime up?

What is the technical storm forecast and especially the wind strength and directions. What are likely temperatures on lifts? Worst situation is above freezing below at lift bases and riming up higher that will make goggle visibility and clothing issues much worst versus all well below the freezing point. How hard is it likely to snow that will affect visibility? And how is that likely to impact lifts of interest at your target resort?

Are you going to be storm skiing in already tracked out snow that is slowly adding depth or is much still untracked? And how much snow depth and how much more is likely? What about the snow quality, how dry is the snow? What is the snow elevation and how is that forecast to change through the storm? At resorts that receive frequent foot deep plus snows, especially those in The West, these are always important factors.

Getting to a resort. Are you already there or near or do you need to drive over possibly closed or difficult to travel roads and how long and how far? For even someone that loves skiing powder, that unpleasantness can weigh heavily on any decision to go. Simply put, driving in a snow storm can be white knuckle scary.

If the resort has tracked out snow from the previous day, were any lifts not open due to higher winds that might open as a less windy now storm continues or is it all just not going to happen because infrastructure needs digging out or avalanche mitigation work?

Is it a weekend where there will be a lot of competition for fresh tracks or a weekday? Does your target resort have a lot of terrain that whatever skiers that day can track out quickly or not much acreage? Are other skiers/boarders going to start skiing it before you or will you be there at the gun? Are there dense ski tree slopes you can ski but others avoid? In any case, weighing on a decision, you of course realize skiing freshly fallen depths of snow that has yet to metamorphosize at all is dreamy soft and smooth.

If we are talking about deep new snows over a foot that are common at some western resorts, are you skiing with someone else or rolling the dice solo? Chancing getting stuck in tree wells or skis tangled up in tree branches where there may be no hope of even being noticed until a storm fully passes and resort patrols get out? Heck who is going to know that car in the parking lot is someone still stuck on slopes or is a guy sitting in a lodge bar or partying with others in a lodging room?

 

[agreen]

Just give me the chairlifts dude

JK really good info for many here

 

[dusty]

Ellis Chair at Homewood. 2banger Snowghost at Schweitzer. Flower at Whitefish, 1 at Luv.

 

[tball]

Deep Temerity at Aspen Highlands is my favorite. It meets all the criteria with flying colors. I couldn't find any storm pics but dug some up when it snowed a foot the night before.

There are just soooo many trees to ski off Deep T. The thinning they have done is amazing, clearly done by artists who have a deep love and temerity for their work.

Plus, the unrelentingly steep 1700 v.f. is intimidating and exhausting making more than a run or two out of reach for most. And, the bucket listers who hike the bowl are typically spent and done for the day, at least on this side of the mountain.

In combination with the light crowds, that makes a day's worth of untracked and barely tracked common in the trees, at least in my unfortunately somewhat limited experience.

Edit: that which makes it difficult for a guy for Denver to get there often is also a big part of the reason it's fantastic on a powder day!

 

[agreen]

When I started this thread I was really hoping someone would describe Deep T as Ive heard so many good things but wasnt sure of the exposure/closures. Thanks Tball

 

[tball]

I've only been on the Deep Temerity lift with maybe 30mph winds. It's well protected with similar exposure to Reso at Copper which also a fixed-grip triple and keeps running (except when it breaks ):

But, the detachable Loge Peak Lift that gets you to the Deep T is very exposed.

I haven't seen Loge Peak close in the wind, but does it? It must, yes?

Now the big questions: do they keep spinning the Deep T lift if Loge Peak is on wind hold? Can you hike to the Deep T if Loge Peak is closed?

I hope so, cutting off DT from the rest of the area. That would make for an amazing survival of the fittest powder day if you made it to DT!

Start training, though. On a powder day you'll be competing with folks like the guys who have hiked the bowl 10 times in one day :
http://theaspenskinny.com/2013/04/25/record-for-highland-bowl-laps-stands-at-10/

For fun, here's a little tour of the Deep T trees a few years back:

 

[squill]

The old Summit double @Solitude was always fun when LCC was closed in the morning and the line turned into a who's-who of who didn't make it to Alta/Bird. Patrol usually didn't open Honeycomb/EGP until about 1pm or after they all left. I'd swear the old snow safety director did that on purpose.

edit: It was usually called OCD or "Other Canyon Day" and we used to sing a Tom Petty remix "You don't....have....to ski like a refugee....dont have to ski like a refugeeee..." because of the ravenous nature in which they skied/straight lined everything. This was also about the time the sticker "Nobody cares you ski Alta" came about.

 

[Chris Walker]

Deep Temerity at Aspen Highlands is my favorite. It meets all the criteria with flying colors. I couldn't find any storm pics but dug some up when it snowed a foot the night before.

View attachment 39240 View attachment 39241

There are just soooo many trees to ski off Deep T. The thinning they have done is amazing, clearly done by artists who have a deep love and temerity for their work.

Plus, the unrelentingly steep 1700 v.f. is intimidating and exhausting making more than a run or two out of reach for most. And, the bucket listers who hike the bowl are typically spent and done for the day, at least on this side of the mountain.

In combination with the light crowds, that makes a day's worth of untracked and barely tracked common in the trees, at least in my unfortunately somewhat limited experience.

Edit: that which makes it difficult for a guy for Denver to get there often is also a big part of the reason it's fantastic on a powder day!

Good to know because I'm going there next week for a downhill race, which means it will probably dump (bringing the powder boards just in case).

 

[LuliTheYounger]

Hotwheels at Alpine; that spot right under the top of the lift always has a stash and I like the adrenaline rush of trying to get down it before anyone catches me falling on my face.

 

[Eleeski]

@LuliTheYounger So those were your tracks! That is a true secret spot on those days when everything else is shut down.

Hot Wheels is way too slow, however. So frustrating when there are those fun trees...

Eric

 

[wyowindrunner]

When it was dumping at snowbird and vis went to crap always liked lapping the wilber chair for the bumps.
Blackfoot at Targhee

 

[Talisman]

At Big Sky the visibility on the above tree line runs gets terrible in a snow storm, so I head to Challenger to ski along the trees or if it gets too windy Thunder Wolf for glades and bumps. I need a few trees around me for contrast in flat light conditions. Getting stuck at Dakota of Shedhorn when the wind comes up isn't ideal.

 

[Nathanvg]

I've only been on the Deep Temerity lift with maybe 30mph winds. It's well protected with similar exposure to Reso at Copper which also a fixed-grip triple and keeps running (except when it breaks ):

But, the detachable Loge Peak Lift that gets you to the Deep T is very exposed.

I haven't seen Loge Peak close in the wind, but does it? It must, yes?

Now the big questions: do they keep spinning the Deep T lift if Loge Peak is on wind hold? Can you hike to the Deep T if Loge Peak is closed?

I hope so, cutting off DT from the rest of the area. That would make for an amazing survival of the fittest powder day if you made it to DT!

Start training, though. On a powder day you'll be competing with folks like the guys who have hiked the bowl 10 times in one day :
http://theaspenskinny.com/2013/04/25/record-for-highland-bowl-laps-stands-at-10/

For fun, here's a little tour of the Deep T trees a few years back:

Fyi you can get to deep t from cloud 9 without hiking. Cloud nine is more protected than loge

 

[Jim Kenney]

When it was dumping at snowbird and vis went to crap always liked lapping the wilber chair for the bumps.
Blackfoot at Targhee

This reminds me, I was at Snowbird recently on some poor viz days and Gad 2 chair was the place to go.

 

[wyowindrunner]

At Big Sky the visibility on the above tree line runs gets terrible in a snow storm, so I head to Challenger to ski along the trees or if it gets too windy Thunder Wolf for glades and bumps. I need a few trees around me for contrast in flat light conditions. Getting stuck at Dakota of Shedhorn when the wind comes up isn't ideal.

Forgot about Thunder wolf- Always liked that area of BS

 

[New2]

When it was dumping at snowbird and vis went to crap always liked lapping the wilber chair for the bumps.
Blackfoot at Targhee

I definitely agree re: Wilbere. But then again, I'm a wimp. I love how Wilbere's the perfect length on a really cold day that just when I'm feeling chilled, it's time to start skiing again. Its lack of crowds helps too... the longest wait I can remember on Wilbere was about 45 seconds, when some guy was trying to hit on the lift attendant while his embarrassed son blocked the other lane to the chair.

This reminds me, I was at Snowbird recently on some poor viz days and Gad 2 chair was the place to go.

Are you saying it was better than Wilbere? I love Gad 2, but I've seen it build up nasty lift lines now and then even on non-storm days. I would've expected it to be pretty crowded when snowing.

 

[LowPressureKarl]

Now the big questions: do they keep spinning the Deep T lift if Loge Peak is on wind hold? Can you hike to the Deep T if Loge Peak is closed?

I hope so, cutting off DT from the rest of the area. That would make for an amazing survival of the fittest powder day if you made it to DT! ]

Yes, it doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it’s amazing. Sharing Deep T with 10 of your best friends is a bucket lister.


April 30