Ski Season 2020/2021

[AUinHsv 579]

3 hours ago, MoJames said:

Had a chat with my buddy a couple weekends ago. They had opened up Wolf Creek and he is a Paramedic in Pagosa. Had a call to do get an injured skier. Picked up the dude and he had slipped and fallen on an exposed rock. Had a cut through his ass cheek to the anus.

Moral of the story, it never pays off to ski in October to tell people you've skied in October.

Back when I skiied a lot I never took my own skiis before Christmas. Just rent em with damage waiver.

[Chewbacca 7780]

2 hours ago, texasdago said:

I've never been there so not sure what to expect with snow quality, etc. but if push comes to shove, we can use the pass for Keystone, I guess.

Maybe you know this, but since you've never been, CB and Keystone are not close to each other.  They are roughly 4 hours apart in good weather.

[texasdago 7575]

5 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Maybe you know this, but since you've never been, CB and Keystone are not close to each other.  They are roughly 4 hours apart in good weather.

I totally know that... but the pass I'm buying is either for Keystone or CB so I can always change my destination.  I'm driving so it doesn't matter.  Either I drive to CB or go to Keystone although Keystone would put me with the unwashed masses.  I'd rather be at A-Basin.

[Chewbacca 7780]

I totally know that... but the pass I'm buying is either for Keystone or CB so I can always change my destination.  I'm driving so it doesn't matter.  Either I drive to CB or go to Keystone although Keystone would put me with the unwashed masses.  I'd rather be at A-Basin.

So you bought an Epic pass?

[texasdago 7575]

13 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

13 hours ago, texasdago said:

I totally know that... but the pass I'm buying is either for Keystone or CB so I can always change my destination.  I'm driving so it doesn't matter.  Either I drive to CB or go to Keystone although Keystone would put me with the unwashed masses.  I'd rather be at A-Basin.

So you bought an Epic pass?

Epic Day pass is just for CB and Keystone in CO.  

[texasdago 7575]

So, if you had to keep in mind you have family with a few beginner/timid intermediates, which would you pick b/w Keystone and CB?  Oh yeah... spring break (!).  I know Keystone is going to be more crowded.  I can handle any resort and if possible I'll sneak up the road to A-Basin but I have to keep others in mind.  

[texasdago 7575]

Keep watching snow cams and, man, CO and NM are looking sparse.  They need some snow and temps have not been cooperating at all.  Meanwhile, another season where we won't go skiing in Europe and some places are looking awesome!  

[JCHIL 414]

Quote

23 hours ago, texasdago said:

Keep watching snow cams and, man, CO and NM are looking sparse.  They need some snow and temps have not been cooperating at all.  Meanwhile, another season where we won't go skiing in Europe and some places are looking awesome!  

Looks bleak at the moment.  Im headed to Taos for a few days before Christmas and Big Sky right after thru New Years....Not expecting much at Taos although it has been really good around Christmas for the last few years but it will need big dumps real quick to get right, hopefully Big Sky delivers...

 

[Chewbacca 7780]

Keep watching snow cams and, man, CO and NM are looking sparse.  They need some snow and temps have not been cooperating at all.  Meanwhile, another season where we won't go skiing in Europe and some places are looking awesome!  

Yeah, snow is sparse right now. La Nina is fucking us right now.

[texasdago 7575]

28 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

23 hours ago, texasdago said:

Keep watching snow cams and, man, CO and NM are looking sparse.  They need some snow and temps have not been cooperating at all.  Meanwhile, another season where we won't go skiing in Europe and some places are looking awesome!  

Yeah, snow is sparse right now. La Nina is fucking us right now.

Maybe some snow relief next week but what the resorts need is more snow AND lower temps so at least they can supplement with some snowmaking.  It's been brutal.  NM is looking properly screwed right now.  Seems like more resorts have a handful of runs open and half of the ones they count are the little bunny hills next to the conveyor belts.   

Edited December 3, 2021 by texasdago

[Chewbacca 7780]

21 minutes ago, texasdago said:

Maybe some snow relief next week but what the resorts need is more snow AND lower temps so at least they can supplement with some snowmaking.  It's been brutal.  NM is looking properly screwed right now.  Seems like more resorts have a handful of runs open and half of the ones they count are the little bunny hills next to the conveyor belts.   

We need the jet stream to drop south.  That will bring temps down and help us get more moisture.

[Tex48 840]

Just bought my tickets for Park City for February.  FYI for anyone who needs tickets for Epic pass resorts.  The sale on tickets ends in two hrs.  I got my tickets for 20% off

Edited December 6, 2021 by Tex48

[HRSchenker 2271]

Finally convinced the wife to go skiing. So fucking excited

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

13 hours ago, HRSchenker said:

Finally convinced the wife to go skiing. So fucking excited

If it took that much work, might I suggest you not going skiing with her?

[texasdago 7575]

1 hour ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

If it took that much work, might I suggest you not going skiing with her?

Sounds like a great time to introduce her to a week of lessons

[HRSchenker 2271]

3 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

If it took that much work, might I suggest you not going skiing with her?

Oh her ass is going straight to ski school while I tear it up on the mountain 

[Sbbruin 21864]

Booked my trip to Park City for late Jan.  Our group (now up to maybe 15) is probably 60/40 skiers.  They are trying to convince us knuckledraggers to strap on skis for a day and hit Deer Valley.  I haven't had skis on my feet in 35 years.  Started snowboarding in '92 and have never looked back.  It would be pretty comical to try though.

[Tex48 840]

26 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

Booked my trip to Park City for late Jan.  Our group (now up to maybe 15) is probably 60/40 skiers.  They are trying to convince us knuckledraggers to strap on skis for a day and hit Deer Valley.  I haven't had skis on my feet in 35 years.  Started snowboarding in '92 and have never looked back.  It would be pretty comical to try though.

FYI DV is way more expensive per day than PC and IMO not really worth it.  

[zman13 180]

Have planned a few ski trips and looking again for March.

I've seen that many of the NM and Southern Utah resorts don't have a lot of snow yet. 

Is that normal and it'll snow there soon? Or is there a risk of those resorts getting very little snow this year? 

 

[texasdago 7575]

Just tell them you're running a bit late and you'll meet them on the mountain and then take a wrong turn at Solitude or Snowbird.

[crash_davis 23114]

53 minutes ago, zman13 said:

Have planned a few ski trips and looking again for March.

I've seen that many of the NM and Southern Utah resorts don't have a lot of snow yet. 

Is that normal and it'll snow there soon? Or is there a risk of those resorts getting very little snow this year? 

 

Snow has sucked the last few years. It looks to especially suck this year. There's a reason the West has been in a giant fucking drought. We desperately need snow.

[AUinHsv 579]

1 hour ago, Sbbruin said:

Booked my trip to Park City for late Jan.  Our group (now up to maybe 15) is probably 60/40 skiers.  They are trying to convince us knuckledraggers to strap on skis for a day and hit Deer Valley.  I haven't had skis on my feet in 35 years.  Started snowboarding in '92 and have never looked back.  It would be pretty comical to try though.

You ought to hit DV if for nothing else but the environment. I haven't been in a few years but it was always my favorite because they limited the lift line and the surroundings were beyond first class. Not that I was a food critic but lunch was always much better than a burger on a paper plate.

[Sbbruin 21864]

1 hour ago, AUinHsv said:

You ought to hit DV if for nothing else but the environment. I haven't been in a few years but it was always my favorite because they limited the lift line and the surroundings were beyond first class. Not that I was a food critic but lunch was always much better than a burger on a paper plate.

I've done après ski there meeting people after a day of Canyons or PC, and the talent level is superior.  But still a pain in the ass.

[MoJames 8244]

No snow in Colorado, so stay out.

[Both Tacos 1806]

Have planned a few ski trips and looking again for March.
I've seen that many of the NM and Southern Utah resorts don't have a lot of snow yet. 
Is that normal and it'll snow there soon? Or is there a risk of those resorts getting very little snow this year? 
 

The NM resorts are behind because of an odd weather pattern where it is cooler in the valleys than on the mountains. They can't even make snow. Should change but they are way behind. I wouldn't expect any good snow until January in NM.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

Is there not a 2021/2022 ski season thread ?

 

Trips booked in late January, and March to Breck.

February RV ski safari in Co. route to be determined.

April RV ski safari from Maine back down thru Vermonts corn snow season.

Mondays in Snowshoe.

The goal is a min of 45 days this season.  Need to get those days in while I can still get after it the way I want to.

 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Onboard 2.0

[HRSchenker 2271]

18 hours ago, MoJames said:

No snow in Colorado, so stay out.

Oh fuck! Are you shitting us right now? 

[MoJames 8244]

3 minutes ago, HRSchenker said:

Oh fuck! Are you shitting us right now? 

[HouTex 1887]

No snow in Colorado, so stay out.

Supposed to get dumped on this week.


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[texasdago 7575]

7 minutes ago, HouTex said:

Supposed to get dumped on this week.


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and temps are starting to cooperate for snowmaking.

[MoJames 8244]

6 minutes ago, HouTex said:

Supposed to get dumped on this week.


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[Chewbacca 7780]

22 hours ago, MoJames said:

No snow in Colorado, so stay out.

Ain't that the fucking truth.  

[Chewbacca 7780]

4 hours ago, HouTex said:

Supposed to get dumped on this week.


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I don't know about dump.  We've gotten a few inches and it's supposed to keep snowing for most of the week, but we're well behind where we should be at this point in the year.

[Brew 3049]

Think I’m going to book PC for MLK weekend and Copper for President’s weekend. May as well go with everyone else on the holiday weekends. My kids can’t quite decide if it’s something they want to get into, so I may be knocking out some solo days.

[texasdago 7575]

Crested Butte snow stake showing 6" as of this afternoon.  Keep it up.

[BabaYaga 15302]

On 12/7/2021 at 3:31 PM, AUinHsv said:

You ought to hit DV if for nothing else but the environment. I haven't been in a few years but it was always my favorite because they limited the lift line and the surroundings were beyond first class. Not that I was a food critic but lunch was always much better than a burger on a paper plate.

Went last year.  It was pretty epic.  Did a snowmobile tour deep in the mountains as well.  Had a hell of a time.  

[Upgrayedd 5815]

On 12/7/2021 at 11:34 AM, Sbbruin said:

Booked my trip to Park City for late Jan.  Our group (now up to maybe 15) is probably 60/40 skiers.  They are trying to convince us knuckledraggers to strap on skis for a day and hit Deer Valley.  I haven't had skis on my feet in 35 years.  Started snowboarding in '92 and have never looked back.  It would be pretty comical to try though.

You should do it on some vintage Atomic Arc 210s.  With video.

[Planet Houston 4930]

10 hours ago, texasdago said:

Crested Butte snow stake showing 6" as of this afternoon.  Keep it up.

Hell yes! We are going to Crested Butte for the first time this March. Any experts wanna give me the TLDR version of a family trip - 4 adults, 7 kids under 8 - at CB? We are flying to Gunnison direct which is huge. I’m tired of the Denver to I-70 corridor beating. 

[phdhorn 6224]

Potpourri gleaned from various above:

- Watched Beaver Creek FIS Men's Downhill on TV this weekend.  "Snow" on the slope obviously canned.  Absolutely zero snow around it, green/brown.  Not sure I've ever seen that.
- It's gonna take a lot of snows/cold to get Colorado skiable in December.  La Niña portends to be better for Northern Rockies (WY, MT, and north into Canada).  Not saying it won't snow a lot this year, but technically it's a crapshoot for Colorado in a fairly strong La Niña year, which this is.
- Deer Valley - amusing stop for a day, but not for serious sliders.  But they make you feel like a million bucks.  They also grade the slopes super generously so all those millionairesses can brag that "I did the blacks".  I think we're talking about ski/boarding there, perhaps not.
- I'd try skis (if you're an "only" boarder" or vice-versa) only if you want to waste a day and fart around.  Otherwise you won't enjoy it much at all.  Trust me on this.

While La Niña is only a guess as to weather effects, and certainly it could be a snowy year for Colorado and Central U.S., good bets during these types of years are sliding north of Cent. Colorado, and the Sierras (and any resort in SW Canada.  If it snows like hell in Colo, good.  But if not, you know why.

[Planet Houston 4930]

47 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

 I think we're talking about boarding there, perhaps not.

Definitely not. Still no boarders at DV, right?

[texasdago 7575]

1 hour ago, Planet Houston said:

Hell yes! We are going to Crested Butte for the first time this March. Any experts wanna give me the TLDR version of a family trip - 4 adults, 7 kids under 8 - at CB? We are flying to Gunnison direct which is huge. I’m tired of the Denver to I-70 corridor beating. 

Still snowing away today... pow cam shows 9" of the good stuff.  

 

Maybe I'll say "Hi I'm from the interwebs" to you on the slopes.  

[MoJames 8244]

1 hour ago, Planet Houston said:

Hell yes! We are going to Crested Butte for the first time this March. Any experts wanna give me the TLDR version of a family trip - 4 adults, 7 kids under 8 - at CB? We are flying to Gunnison direct which is huge. I’m tired of the Denver to I-70 corridor beating. 

I'd just leave the kids at home, will be much more fun.

[phdhorn 6224]

1 hour ago, Planet Houston said:

Definitely not. Still no boarders at DV, right?

LOL, my tongue-in-cheek joke was interrupted by reality!
Correct, boarders not allowed.

But... I was kinda referring to something else in my millionairesses' quote.... oh well... lol!

Edit for your other post:
CB is a blast, and really not a bad place for kids.  The ski school is known for teaching and most of all "killing time" for parents.  Good people who can hang with the little ones.  I took my 2 kids there when they were both under 10 and they loved it.  There's a whole area (Prospect) that can handle middle-aged kids for one thing).

Gunnison is kind of a sorta dead town, but good eating places.

The only other thing I liked is that we stayed at the resort, which prevented tedious lugging of kids' shit and the half-hour car ride back to town (although we did a Gunnison stay one year, too).  CB used to be pretty family-friendly with very reasonable on-slope lodging prices.  Of course 10 years later and after a pandemic, I have no idea how they are now.

(phd's little secret:  I got a "mountain guide" (and not an instructor) and told him to take me to the stashes.  He was psyched as he got to ski at a higher ability and we did the entire North Face and thigh-deep steeps most of the day.  Anyway my secret is:  North Face is (not so secretly) one of the coolest higher ability areas in the western U.S.  The other secret is ask mountain guides if you can go there - most love it as they're usually great sliders, and even with the spring break relative crowds, you might speak up and cobble together a few adventurers to go there as a group - provided that that's your interest/ability... if not, they can usually tailor a few hours to whatever your liking is - use them!).

Another thing although irrelevant to you... you don't have to go I-70 to get to CB.  But that's another topic since you're covered.

Edited December 9, 2021 by phdhorn

[texasdago 7575]

28 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

The only other thing I liked is that we stayed at the resort, which prevented tedious lugging of kids' shit and the half-hour car ride back to town (although we did a Gunnison stay one year, too).  CB used to be pretty family-friendly with very reasonable on-slope lodging prices.  Of course 10 years later and after a pandemic, I have no idea how they are now.

(phd's little secret:  I got a "mountain guide" (and not an instructor) and told him to take me to the stashes.  He was psyched as he got to ski at a higher ability and we did the entire North Face and thigh-deep steeps most of the day.  Anyway my secret is:  North Face is (not so secretly) one of the coolest higher ability areas in the western U.S.  The other secret is ask mountain guides if you can go there - most love it as they're usually great sliders, and even with the spring break relative crowds, you might speak up and cobble together a few adventurers to go there as a group - provided that that's your interest/ability... if not, they can usually tailor a few hours to whatever your liking is - use them!).

We're staying at the Grand Lodge... the rooms maybe don't like particularly luxe but we can walk to the slopes and I'm down with that.  Prices were quite reasonable and if you have an Epic Pass, even a Day Pass, they're 20% off.  We got the biggest room we could find to have elbow room.  

On the guides, that's one thing I love about getting a good private instructor.  Here the rates are absurd but in Europe, you can get a really strong instructor for $200/half a day and just have them take you to their favorite spots.  That's how I got to ski the Argentiere glacier in a snowstorm with fresh powder... the guy took me exactly where II needed to go to have visibility and avoid certain death.  Sounds like a good idea in CB.

[Al_4_ISU 12470]

On 12/7/2021 at 12:31 PM, HRSchenker said:

Oh her ass is going straight to ski school while I tear it up on the mountain 

If it's anything like the first time I took my wife, we did two laps on the bunny hill, I cut her loose to ski greens, and when we met up for lunch she'd been at the bar for 3 hours already and was bombed on Bloody Marys.

[Al_4_ISU 12470]

https://www.vrbo.com/1100925?adultsCount=4&arrival=2022-03-02&departure=2022-03-06&haExternalSourceId=e4acb0a4-306a-4371-b608-7193e02e185b 81e9a972-4a9c-4dab-84d4-35617a6eddec hasc email&unitId=1649086&utm_campaign=VRBO_TRV_OLB_HASC_bookingConfirmation_PPS&utm_content=listing-id-321.1100925.1649086&utm_medium=email&utm_source=SYS&utm_term=20201226

Booked this place for early March.  Hopefully there's plenty of snow by then.  Have 3 days of whatever pass lets me ski both A Basin and Vail.

[texasdago 7575]

6 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

https://www.vrbo.com/1100925?adultsCount=4&arrival=2022-03-02&departure=2022-03-06&haExternalSourceId=e4acb0a4-306a-4371-b608-7193e02e185b 81e9a972-4a9c-4dab-84d4-35617a6eddec hasc email&unitId=1649086&utm_campaign=VRBO_TRV_OLB_HASC_bookingConfirmation_PPS&utm_content=listing-id-321.1100925.1649086&utm_medium=email&utm_source=SYS&utm_term=20201226

Booked this place for early March.  Hopefully there's plenty of snow by then.  Have 3 days of whatever pass lets me ski both A Basin and Vail.

A-Basin will be blanketed with snow.  Went at the end of May yeeeears ago and they had a 90+" base.  Had gobs of fresh snow when I went there in May 2019, too.  Beaver fever!

[texasdago 7575]

[Al_4_ISU 12470]

A-Basin will be blanketed with snow.  Went at the end of May yeeeears ago and they had a 90+" base.  Had gobs of fresh snow when I went there in May 2019, too.  Beaver fever!

I was there last in 2019 and the only I run all day I spent outside of the Beavers was the last one.

I’m an easy guy to spot out there. Wearing free ag finance company Carhartt’s while riding powder on a snowboard.

[texasdago 7575]

6 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I was there last in 2019 and the only I run all day I spent outside of the Beavers was the last one.

I’m an easy guy to spot out there. Wearing free ag finance company Carhartt’s while riding powder on a snowboard.

The Beavers is awesome... all the stuff on the back is great.  My last visit, I gorged myself on a giant charcuterie board during a late lunch at the restaurant up at 12,000 feet.  I stepped outside feeling super full and bloated and decided to take the East Wall Traverse over to the Land of Giants.  I wanted to vomit the whole way down. 

#badideajeans