Colorado Honestly, should I change my ski vaca plans due to lack of snow but will lose money

[James]

Is there a fixed date for changing? Are you even considering changing?
I get the sense you're going.

 

[agreen]

You just needed that 1st good one to open up the door. And now you got it...

 

[tball]

With 16 inches in 72 hours, Telluride got the most snow in CO out of this storm. Far more, not even close.

I'd expect we'll see the acreage increasing over the next few days as well. They are reporting a 25 inch base on the CO Ski Country report (most reliable report - doesn't include Vail Resorts). A 25-inch base is significant since they have surpassed the 18-20 inch base that typically means a man-made base.

Here's the onthesnow.com report with the CO resorts sorted by new snow:

 

[James]

With 16 inches in 72 hours, Telluride got the most snow in CO out of this storm. Far more, not even close.

I'd expect we'll see the acreage increasing over the next few days as well. They are reporting a 25 inch base on the CO Ski Country report (most reliable report - doesn't include Vail Resorts). A 25-inch base is significant since they have surpassed the 18-20 inch base that typically means a man-made base.

Here's the onthesnow.com report with the CO resorts sorted by new snow:
View attachment 36922

Appears as if Crested Butte didn't get the 72 hr storm that Telluride did. Both have the same total for 24hrs though. Is that normal?

 

[at_nyc]

It was only months not a year.

Before you see the snow on the ground!

It might as well be a year, or 2 years!

people have reasons and needs (important ones) to plan ahead in order to take family vacation.

But no good reason to agonize over it! Especially with 2 more months to go.

Let’s be real. Telluride’s typical season last a little over 4 months. You booked the vacation in the summer/fall. That means you were willing to gamble on “average” snow condition. We’re only 1 month into it, that is, 1/3 of your chance on the “average”. You are second guessing your gamble already? Now, THAT is “asking for it”

 

[tball]

@James looking at the different reports, CB got skunked in the 24-48 hour period where T got some snow.

It's confusing interpreting the different reporting timeframes. Some resorts update overnight since the lifts closed too. If you watch the resorts you care about through a few storms is starts making sense.

Here's the report from CB's website. They did well earlier in the week, but are still really hurting:


http://www.skicb.com/the-mountain/trail-weather

 

[tball]

Back to Telluride this morning!


http://www.tellurideskiresort.com/the-mountain/live-cams/

And the reason for this thread in the first place. Telluride has received over half of its snow this year in the last week!


http://www.tellurideskiresort.com/the-mountain/snow-report/

 

[Goose]

Is there a fixed date for changing? Are you even considering changing?
I get the sense you're going.

as Ive implied in most recent past Im not changing things yet. Im needing to see what things look like at end of this month. But changing is gaping to be difficult for me tor lose the money. So that weighs in the equation too.

As for others following and commenting. Yea was a decent storm. Not what they hoped for but still decent and that's good stuff. How much more terrain will that open? IDK but its also got to be sustained (or preserved well enough) till the next storm hits in order to really make this one count. If the next two weeks brings more good snows this one will have meant a whole lot. If the next two weeks bring very little then they would still be in great need. we'll just have to see what happens. Yesterday was a positive in the right direction

 

[Goose]

Back to Telluride this morning!

View attachment 36932
http://www.tellurideskiresort.com/the-mountain/live-cams/

Pretty. isn't it?

 

[dbostedo]

From T'ride's website. webcam page :

"Downtown Telluride
We know...you came to see our epic winter storm. Unfortunately, our Main Street Webcam is currently down. We are working hard to restore power.
Feel free to view our Mountain Village webcam below to check out the current snow conditions."

They really need some more cams up on the mountain!

 

[Lofcaudio]

Telluride is one of the best mountains when it comes to snow preservation. Like Aspen Mountain, it can ski pretty well on thin cover. That said, they still need a lot of snow to open more of the fun terrain.

 

[givethepigeye]

Telluride is one of the best mountains when it comes to snow preservation. Like Aspen Mountain, it can ski pretty well on thin cover. That said, they still need a lot of snow to open more of the fun terrain.

Having just gotten back from Aspen (left on Sunday...when it snowed). Aspen Mountain was, indeed, better than the others (highlands, SM and BM). That said, it did get crowded, since not a lot of terrain to spread people out - so you adjust your plan for the day and maybe après earlier. Be "nice" to your ski bases in the interim Still a long way away. Man plans, God laughs.

 

[Skistaff]

Even if the exaggerated numbers from the chart above are true the T is only moving towards a '' well covered intermediate terrain '' this season (as it was already noted earlier).Sooner or later one should face the reality.

 

[David Chaus]

I’m thinking it makes no sense to cancel the trip and lose the money already committed. It seems to me the money that would be spent on an alternative trip this year, could easily be saved for another trip in another year, whether with family or a solo trip.

Worst case scenario: you go someplace absolutely beautiful and scenic, and don’t ski. You spend time with your family.
Best case scenario: you go someplace absolutely beautiful and scenic and have a great skiing powder. You spend time with your family.

Either way is a win.

 

[James]

Well one could always ride a horse to the bar.

 

[RJS]

It was only months not a year. But people have reasons and needs (important ones) to plan ahead in order to take family vacation. That's just fact of life for many people. To suggest someone "is asking for it" is simply rediculous. That's like saying the person deserves the blame for doing something so stupid and irresponsible. Booking telluride in advance and for March was far from irresponsible and actually a great choice for a number of reasons. Many of which were gone over in the thread, made a lot of sense, and was well thought out. And besides, imo no one who books any vacation for fun deserves a "your just asking for it" comment anyway no matter how careful or not or ignorant or not they may have been about booking it. .

Optimist, pessimist regardless which one someone is has nothing to do with how much snow Mother nature blesses a resort with for the season. That only dictates whether or not the person choses to make the most of it when/if they go. Being optimistic or pessimistic doesn't make it snow nor does either one mean you cant be concerned about it and even act upon it.

I agree with this. Telluride in March isn't a gamble. There are places with either higher standard deviations in average snowfall, or places where March isn't a great bet even if snowfall is high (such as Jackson, Fernie).

At this point, I am fairly confident that most of the intermediate and single black diamond terrain will have enough of a base to ski on well by March. In terms of the truly expert terrain, which you have indicated that you don't wish to ski, all it takes is a small snowfall while or just before you arrive, and it will all look 'skiable' (aka covered in snow), and you won't really know the difference as to whether this 40 degree chute is truly skiable or not. I think your current approach of staying the course for now is the right one. Wait until 3 weeks before the trip, if you can. If conditions are still very poor, make the switch. If conditions are good by then, and they probably will be, you'll have a blast.

 

[Goose]

Even if the exaggerated numbers from the chart above are true the T is only moving towards a '' well covered intermediate terrain '' this season (as it was already noted earlier).Sooner or later one should face the reality.

Yea Im hearing that. I don't know for fact but I can see why a number of you are implying its most likely at this point that T is not going to experience even an "almost full" opening this year. Not unless its second half of the season is as equally biblical on the positive side as the first half was biblical on the negative side.
You know like a couple of 2 footer (or plus) snow storms as well as refreshers.. Or perhaps a consistent battering of smaller yet very often storms. But i assume those things happening is asking for a whole lot. Is it?

I know thats not likely. And yea,Its a bummer. And yea I get all the philosophy as for enjoy it anyway. If I go (which is more likely but not in stone) its what Ill have to do. There wouldn't be a choice once there and so you make it fun and see and do what you can.
Hey....you go on a vacation to the Caribbean and it rains 3/4 the time your there. I mean what can you do but make the most of it, right? . Ive had that happen and then made the most of it. Still had a good time.

But there is still some disappointment in that. Its not why you go. That's not the plan in mind. There is no sugar coating that part because its reality that it wasn't the reason you make the plans. . Some people imply as though there is something wrong if someone feels that way. I certainly understand that when you do then go, there is no point in dwelling in the negative but that's a different thing. Imo there is no wrong in seeing some disappointment in something that may not just be below expectations but in fact may be a rare worst case. I think that's normal. Of course ( I understand) we don't yet know for 100% certain exactly how things will be but if they are worst case it would be quite normal to feel some disappointment. I don't feel that means one needs to work on their mindset.

 

[at_nyc]

but if they are worst case it would be quite normal to feel some disappointment. I don't feel that means one needs to work on their mindset.

There's no such thing as "need to work on their mindset". Most adults can't change their mindset even if they want to. What they could do is to recognize what their own mindset is and make their plan with more (or less) risk accordingly.

Gamblers are by nature optimists. Pessimists don't make happy gamblers.

Most people that are in between (but with tendency towards one end or the other of that spectrum) will do well by adjusting how much risk/certainty they need to deal with.

Average skiers are quite often optimists. How else do we go out in negative temperature with only vain hope of 1/2" of fresh snow forecast turning into boot deep powderfest? Or even loading up our van with skis when the grass on our yards are still green? That's why you hear almost everyone telling you to stay the course. Because the optimist in us believe there will be one or two storm dumping just enough snow to make it good, really good!

If you're significantly more pessimistic than the average pugster, the advices for Telluride you have read so far really weren't quite applicable to you. But it's now a bit too late.

 

[David Chaus]

But there is still some disappointment in that. Its not why you go. That's not the plan in mind. There is no sugar coating that part because its reality that it wasn't the reason you make the plans.

My feeling is that you are overly emotionally invested in the plan, or in having every thing go according to plan. If I were to make any suggestions, it would be to enjoy the process of how things actually develop rather than being fully satisfied if and only if everything goes according to plan.

John Lennon - “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.”

 

[Monique]

I find it surprising how many people are telling Goose to chill out when he seems pretty chill already, and he is just being honest about a little disappointment. Come on, you've never been disappointed when a ski trip isn't shaping up so well? Tell me you didn't mind, not in the least little bit, and I'll call you a liar.

A friend and I have an acronym - Not Yet A Buddha. It means we still get irked by the realities of the world. Somehow we haven't quite managed to develop perfect equanimity toward every possible situation. I'm pretty impressed by how many people here have apparently, based on their advice to Goose, managed to transcend this phase.