IN THE DEEP

Snowy Bluebird with Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:17:00 +0000

Steamboat's had a good dumping of snow in the past few days while we were in Denver and we came home yesterday with eyes on the prize for skiing this morning's leftovers - and glad we did. It was a beautifully warm midday under "Giants-Blue" skies (watch out Patriots!); we got up at about 10:40 and made turns for about 2 hours with Pops, aka Wild Bill, who was ashamed today was his first day of the season. (Some Local!)

We rode the lifts up and made our first mid-mountain turns down Rudys to Storm - soft groomer for carving! We got wind that Sundown Lift was closed, so we skirted from the top to Sunshine and down the lift line and what a glorious run that was - groovy-soft rollers, powder along the sides in the trees, and I punched a little into Pumphouse and was pleased I did, cotton-ball fresh. And then came the burn for Old Man Kennedy, this is why we call it "skiing into shape." That long run reminded Wild Bill he shoulda been riding his trusty treadmill more often!

We rode up Sunshine and took Flintlock this time, where I trailed our monoskier all decked out in his #10 Manning jersey. Why not, he'll be wearing that for 2 more weeks mind you. And hopefully more... but this isn't the place to talk football.

Watch and learn...

Good news, more snow is on the horizon - it seems Steamboat is finally out of its doughnut-hole! Time to build that base!

-See you In The Deep!

Bonified Powder Day #1 for 2011-2012 Season - Winter has arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Unquestionably, undeniably, our first full-on powder day of the year, today's foot of fresh brought the hoots, hollers, and yip-yips from locals that Winter's smile is all about. But don't be fooled, it wore us out. And froze me out. It's a chilly-will up there today, with a -16 report on the 5am.

It snowed all day yesterday, starting while it was still warm, and bringing about 2-3" of heavy stuff, a perfect buffer layer over that unmentionable stuff beneath that we've been grimacingly skiing on for weeks now. Then came the buttery layer; I wouldn't call it the Steamboat Champagne™ - it was heavy enough made turning not an option. Today was brought to us by the letter P for point and go, and stick to the steeper stuff. Unless someone broke trail for you, but since we were first, there was none of that!

We rode first car on the Gondy, got to Four Points 2nd in line behind a die-hard skinner (where all those behind us were chompin' about how great Rudy's was!) and bombed our way (hooting) down the knee deep glory on Sunset to the western gully of Moonlight trees. A ride up Sundown gave the view of what First Tracks had chewed up, and we opted for Keith's Ridge to Sunshine LL's left side to 12:30, but never made it there. The cut through the trees from Sunshine to High Noon was formidable, and I had to opt for the connector lane (found a frozen mouse-icle on the cat track, indicating the sub-zero temps) while Craig burned his guns out on a High Noon traverse to 1:00. I found him at the bottom there - catching the lovely thigh-deep pow at the bottom of 12:30 mind you - and snapped this:

We did another run down 3:00 to 2:00 to Daybreak and were puffing for a top-to-bottom by then. It's time to ski yourselves in shape peeps. We took Elkhead to Norther (omg HERO soft bumps for some more hooting), to Storm Peak for a SP-Face to Mustache Meadow (BEST run of the day without fail) to Rainbow and out.

While the snow fell early enough yesterday to fall prey to the night crew grooming schedule, even those groomers were nice again - with the only-occasional growl underneath.

I told her yesterday, "Winter, please stick around," and it looks like she will; snow is yet again on the forecast. Check the Almanac, uncanny prediction for Winter's commencement on January 16 in the Western Rockies. HOW do they do that??

-See you in the Deep once again-

Day 3: Ski Camp - Fresh Snow!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:11:00 +0000

We'll take what we can get this year, and the 2" last night turned into 5 or 6 on Morningside in the afternoon due to all the winds! I took some late-day turns with the monos down Kodak and had a blast! But brr, was it cold and windy!

Tomorrow is the last day of the camp, and the first time in 7 years that we've been unable to do Powdercats for lack of snow. While as sad as that seems, it'll be nice to spend one more day with these amazing athletes on the hill!

Day 2: Ski Camp - How you can help!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

We're heading out for another great day on the slopes, and if you want to help by donating to these amazing partnering program that bring adaptive adventure to Steamboat, check out this movie tonight - call STARS to pick up the last tickets before it sells out!

Featuring many skiers and riders you might know, including Adaptive Adventure's own Matt "Hollywood" Feeney. :)

Day 1: 7th Annual All Mountain Ski Camp, Steamboat CO

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:53:00 +0000

STARS and Adaptive Adventures are back at it, teaming up to bring the 7th annual ski camp in Steamboat for wounded warriors and adult skiers with disabilities from all over the world, and as always, it was a glorious first day on the slopes. Despite not having near the norm in snowfall this year, the runs were in good shape, and the groups were bombing down the hill faster than you could keep up with them.

(Sometimes even the pros take a digger.)

Catch 'em on the hill - if you can - through Thursday. More shots and video to come!

First snow of 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:47:00 +0000

In a normal year, today would have been dust on crust, would have been a day for sleeping in, would have been skipped by those who called into the snow report and heard 0 at 5am, would have been, perhaps, even laughable. But it's not a normal year. With a 20" base, dustings on the report for all of December except two days, and no snow on the forecast for another week, today's 5 inches were a blessing.

Sadly, this was day two overall for me. And it's January 7th, I know. I'd normally be ashamed to say that, but with the lack of snow (grass and bushes still showing, no tree runs open, not enough base to groom the Clocks) the general dangers on the slopes, and the crowds from the last 2-3 weeks, I'm not ashamed. We were practically sunbathing.

So today was a day for motivation (thanks Craig for forgetting your phone at home)! I checked out the grooming report at the top of the Gondy, and having listened to the locals this past week, I knew where that new "renovator" had been as well and stuck to those....

First tracks down Buddy's was downright buttery, I'm not lying, as was Rainbow. I even did a second lap, Buddy's-Cyclone this time, but not as reliable underneath- mind you, it IS still dust on crust, after all, it's just sad that's what we're getting excited about. Because this was only my second day on the hill, I had a little Zero Waste work to do, popping in to Four Points and Rendezvous to take pictures of bins and signage, get ideas from the staff, and give props to the hard-working F&B crew who make the mountain's Zero Waste Initiative possible. So that said, I found more butter left side of High Noon (not bad towards the bottom for sure) and Fawn, glorious Fawn, which was actually quite nice at the bottom - nice of course meaning a reliable grabby base with about 5" of softer powder on top (not the champagne, which for today, was better for coverage). Even Lower High Noon's middle line was safe, with powder piles and that same reliable (not icy/slip-and-slidey) base. From what people have been saying - and that's all I have to go on - it's been east coast skiing, and I remember that ice not fondly. So to have some carve is nice. That stuff's gonna groom up nicely if I may say so.

From there I took Elkhead up and laughed (or cried) the whole way. I mean, there really isn't ANY snow under Elkhead. And when you see a few lines through that, you have to wonder, "who the hell ventured in there?" On the way down.... Although most of the top of the Daze was nice - even at 10:30am (found it as usual on the left side, in and out of those willow branches, and that's just laughable) - but since I can say it now, the death chunks at the bottom were ferocious. Duck-bowling sized. And although the top of Vogue was treacherous, the bottom might have had more snow than the top of Buddy's.

Pray for us - so we can see you In The Deep!! The 7th Annual All Mountain Adaptive Ski Camp starts tomorrow, and those boys and girls deserve some snow (not that we all don't)!

Opening day with sunshine, softness, and smiles

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:44:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And Happy Opening Day! We've got a great base building up already, and a storm on the way!

Took some turns with Miss Jennie from 9-11 today to warm up the legs and check out the conditions.

Surprise! Four Points lift was open! A patch of barely tracked soft snow beneath the top lift shack, soft groomer turns on Rainbow, and on the second lap, we wore ourselves out on Hurricane- mounded up piles of pow already. A lap up BC took us to the Daze, minimal glazed patched there shoulda softened up for the pm crew who were loading their turkeys in the oven.

Its a glorious thing when the season opens- 20 more weeks of love from ol' Steamboat! Here's to a DEEP one!

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:57:00 +0000

From Andrea Kennedy

Zero Waste Coordinator at Yampa Valley Sustainability Council

Grand Junction, Colorado Area

Ski,

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

- Andrea

Confirm that you know Andrea

You are receiving Invitation to Connect emails. Unsubscribe

It's comin' right for us!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 15:11:00 +0000

While yesterday's northern section of the double-whammy winter storm system split and shafted Steamboat, the southern system has laid her snowy eggs over Mt Werner all night long... and its still dumping. We've had snow on our playhill for weeks, but it's finally piling on in the 'Boat!

Ten days until the mountain opens, and the natives are getting restless!

It's going to be another La Nina year people; wax your boards, book your tickets now, and see you In The Deep!

Wrapping up 2010-11

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 18:08:00 +0000

Craig and Keith at the top of Buddy's the sign was buried!

Steamboat closed its doors for winter business this past Sunday with a rockin' powder morning, totaling 433 inches for the year and peaking out at a 137" summit base, nearing some best-ever records.

The last is always a bittersweet day full of on-hill shenanigans, base-area parties, live music and games, and Mother Nature held off her fury just long enough for a comfortable day at the base with the icy blue pond skim with Katchafire and the Whalers blaring the tunes shortly after. Smartwool gave out some free prizes for a little work with their 'perfect match' game (ironically appropriate for sock winning), and the Bear River set up 3 extra base area jockey-bars with shots and brews to fill the crowds with fizz.

But the most impressive part of closing day for us were the numbers... and we'll probably get a few more inches that won't even count. We'll miss you for a few months Mr. Werner, but we'll be back!

Bust of Buddy Werner nearly buried as well!

Snow totals

2010-11 season mid-mountain snow totals (inches):
October (pre-season): 21
November: 90*
December: 73
January: 68
February: 84
March: 79
April (through Sunday): 18
Total: 433
*61 inches fell in November before the ski area opened for Scholarship Day on Nov. 24

400-inch seasons - we've been blessed to rack in our vertical during six of these record years!

2007-08: 489
1996-97: 448
1983-84: 448
1995-96: 441
2010-11: 433
2005-06: 432
1992-93: 416
2008-09: 405

The calving glacier off our neighbor's house in mid March

More Winter with 16" new

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:28:00 +0000

If we thought yesterday was good, today was phenomenal. Best day I've had on the mountain perhaps all year- the temp was frigid, the snow was light, and it was up above my knees in spots. The fog was dense, and the place was deserted once again. Man, were we in for a treat.

We started out on the sunnyside, blindly finding our way through the fog by the trees from KeithsRidge to 1230 to AndysRidge- which has been newly named after only one day to AndysWetDream, then BlackPowder (holy crap we were buried!) to Ramrod (this is where we became verbal in excitement) and finished up that side with CraigsRidge to Wristband before taking Elkhead up to explore the middle peak terrain.

Over here we bombed through soft bumps on Norther, found untracked lines under the Four Points lift line, and continued to dip in and out of the nearly two feet in the trees. Then back up Storm again to explore Morningside starting with Frying Pan which was the deepest snow of the day, and back up MS for one more down Kodak, which is where we got some footage, finally. Some days it's just too mint to make movies! It was super windy over here, but well worth it.

We closed it out with a stellar run through the Crowtrack trees, just as the fog began to lift, and a top-to-bottom that included the left trees off Rainbow, some deep trees off Vag, a small deep section of Concentration, and some sneaky new stashes in Rough Rider.

One word: Glorious.

The storms continue through the end of the week, so we'll hopefully post a few more before the season wraps.

-See you in the Deep!

Spring powder, delish!

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 22:14:00 +0000

Patiently waiting for it to pile up today, we didn't load the Gondy until about noon - the report posted 0" at 5am, 4" at 9:30am, and 6" by 11, it was going to be a gorgeous powderday in the 'Boat!

Blindly making our way through dense fog and styrofoam flakes, we headed over to Sunnyside first, hitting Storm Face - Meadow - Sunset - Moonlight Trees and down to Sundown through half a foot of surprisingly light piles. The temp didn't drop until this morning, from 25 down to 14 by 1pm, making for winter conditions in April.

We explored untracked trees while it piled on, checking out Pumphouse, 12:30, a newly named Andy's Ridge (I discovered a little known stash below Daybreak at about 2:30's line), the aspen grove below Westside's left ridge, and then Hurricane before heading over to Pony for the lift's last day of service for the 2010-11 season.

In Pioneer Ridge we kept in the trees off the left side of Longhorn, and then did Flying Z to Vortex-Dropout Trees. While it was about an inch or two shallower over on that side, we still found fresh lines everywhere we went. With the spring break crowds vacating today, the afternoon skiing was a peaceful, quiet change on the hill.

Depending on which report you check, it's supposed to keep snowing throughout the last week here, and probably beyond, for some last, lovely, powder days of the season!

Thank you Steamboat, as usual, it's been a good one!

-See you in the Deep!

Snow arrives before the ski camp...

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 18:01:00 +0000

Tomorrow starts the 6th annual all mountain ski camp with STARS and Adaptive Adventures, and the snow has welcomed everyone in!

The morning report said 6" but its been snowing since sometime after midnight, and it was up over my knees in the 130, 1230, and Sundown trees! The latter being the best of the morning by far!

We're in a Winter Storm Warning until 6pm tonight, so if you missed today, tomorrow should be divine as well...

See you In The Deep, all week with the adaptive skiers- check http://accessanything.blogspot.com for more from the camp!

Sunny, soft and fast

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 23:16:00 +0000

Todays conditions were a welcoming blend of soft and fast for the influx of visitors who are arriving this weekeend, including Craig's sister and beau.

Only on Sunnyside ironically did we find hard crumbs of days past, the rest of the groomers we cruised today were plush with soft, fast, packed powder (video).

We were up from about 10am to 130, and at 24degrees and sunny, layers were shed and cheeks got red!

Hopefully we'll see some more of the white gold before sis' leaves on the 1st.

-See you in the deep!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Not super deep (yet), but surfy

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 19:15:00 +0000

Today did not disappoint! The 5am report stated that only one inch fell since the mountain closed, but Rudy's had at least three over the groom, it's been snowing since sunrise, and as I stated yesterday, it shows no signs of stopping. The skies were throwing snowballs down on us all morning, as we found the stashes in the trees, where the thick clouds weren't as blinding. It's a white out out there! Not many braved the morning runs; the Gondy line was minimal, and we rode the Christy to Thunderhead, my first of that route for the season.

After a ride up Storm, wind picking up, we made for the open, untracked, vanilla icing-coated groomer of Storm Face down to Sunset, the fresh getting slightly deeper over a lightening-fast groom as well. Craig and the boys bombed through the bumps on Lights Out and the boarder here went and found completely untracked goods in the Moonlight trees below Duster. Not super deep (yet), but surfy. And it just got better from there.

Fritz called for Rolex, named for its mint quality, while on the Sundown lift, so our route there was down Black Powder-Sundial Trees to Buckshot trees, the latter of which is still pretty rolly, with deep pockets of snow to suck you in. After this storm, those last holes around the undergrowth will be totally filled in.

Rolex, (videos) was the best run of the day. Although the Daze was a close second. But Rolex, ungroomed, and relatively untracked, delivered high quality product as usual:

Craig gets some o' Rolex...

and Fritz freeheelin' his pick.

After the Daze we hit T-head one last time for a run down Vertigo; medium sized bumps, and easily 10" of untracked on the lower half! The last hidden stash!

What a great opening to a powder week! We're in a winter storm warning until Tuesday...

- See you in the deep!

No signs of stopping...

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 19:11:00 +0000

www.wunderground.com

Here it comes!

The winter storm we've all been waiting for, and just in time for the holiday visitors, don't we aim to please?

This morning's 4" report kept me off the slopes with day packed full of errands and no powderhound to ski with... Craig and Matt are on day2 of a 2-day monoski workshop, training nearly 50 instructors total for the STARS program. But he's free to ski tomorrow through Tuesday in this tasty-cake powder that on its way in!

The 11am snow report added 6" to the 4" at 5am, and it shows no signs of stopping, with a report of heavy snow through Friday. Yeah, that's until Christmas Eve. Santa always brings the good stuff.

With a base of 62" already and a forecast like that, I'd be surprised if Steamboat isn't at 100% capacity through New Years. 20,000 pillows, for your taking.

-See You in the Deep!

5"new and not a soul in sight. Including my Powderhound.

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:25:00 +0000

It never ceases to amaze me the emptiness of this time of year.

With 5" new and an excited "still snowing" following that, the 5am report fooled only 100 of us. The line at the Gondy didn't make up half the covered maze; I arrived about 8:15 and was only about 20 back in the singles line. Craig is in Denver yesterday and today training United Airlines on how to handle customers with disabilities and their equipment (yes, 'bout time United), so I had to brave the (gasp) lines alone. Ha. Lines. Therefore I was quite pleased to find every line today as empty as can be. Only took two rides on Four Points and one on Storm, but never waited in a line of more than 20 bodies for either.

The run down Rudy's was buttery smooth still, and the two runs (that good!) down Cyclone were like scurfing along the beach in a west coast fog. Best I can explain it. Ankle deep snow with no crusty noise underneath, like water. Pea-soupy gray sky above, as if it were trying to push out the last of the flakes. Gnat-sized flakes fell for the 75 minutes I was up there, and the sun is now bursting through. The tree glade below Storm North was the deepest I saw, untracked, glorious, and scurfy-smooth.

What I like about skiing alone is the peace. While I always chat up my neighbors on the lift, the ease of riding where and how fast you want to an earful of JJ Cale is sweet symphonic bliss. No looking around to make sure someone hasn't buried themselves is a nice, rare, change. I met one of the new TrufflePig's bartenders on the Gondy and rode with him again when he caught up to me - heh - at Four Points, excited to test out that new eatery's Apres Ski Happy Hour! Other than that it was me and JJ, gliding through the thin untracked goodness on Mt Werner today. But I do miss my powderhound, and can't wait to ski with him later this week when (not if) we get more snow.

-See you in the Deep!

14 new makes a lot of happy locals

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:19:00 +0000

The season's first official powder day left plenty of locals giggling down the trails today. We made first chair on Four Points and beelined it right to a knee-deep Cyclone, smooth like butter with two tracks down its rolling, silky glade. Despite not remembering to switch out Craigs Tiger racing ski for the Bro powder ski, we had no incidents with a buried mono- the snow billowed over his head, leaving a 30 yard cloud in his wake.

Next we headed up Storm to hit the Face, meadow, and Sunset, all barely tracked, also knee deep, and buttery. The snow is super light, with 12• temps overnight, the conditions have been kept intact.

After a top-to-bottom Buddys our early season legs were toast, and we took one more lap down Storm Rainbow and below, making it down by 10 in time for a full days' work!

It wasn't snowing but it was socked in above the saddle, and is supposed to start snowing again this afternoon, as well as some more on Wednesady and Friday!

-See you In The Deep!

Day 1, shaking out the dustballs

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:36:00 +0000

Made our first turns down the hill today, just as another storm started rolling in. Thunderhead is closed until next week, so we mounted the Gondola instead of the lifts around 10:30 and headed for Storm Peak.

Buddy's, Rainbow, Storm, Cyclone, all in great shape with a thick base, soft, and carvey. We stayed up til about 1, hitting our favorite groomers but staying out of the trees; Craig sunk down into the bottomlessness just above Cyclone- save that for a few weeks, buddy! Much of the hill is still closed, but soon enough it'll be open for tasting!

Passing the big open clearcut above the terrain park was a surprise, even though we'd seen it in the summer it remains something to get used to. Much needed removal of dead beetle kill brings exciting new terrain!
It's been snowing all afternoon so back up tomorrow! Welcome December, its supposed to snow until then!

-See you In the Deep!

One week and counting...

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:30:00 +0000

The final stretch of the countdown has begun... next Wednesday we'll all be taking the lifts again to get our vertical on Mt Werner!

It's been snowing for two days here, (currently smack in between 3 consecutive Winter Storm Warnings!) and on top of the snow that's lingered from last week, it's building an amazing base for next Wednesday's opening of Steamboat! The heavy stuff, and a lot of it. Steamboat is reporting over 60" already! We're certainly jealous of those locals who get to hike it first, the stories have been epic already. It's going to be a great opening!

With Craig on the mountain four days a week at his new Program Director position for STARS, you should see a lot more of our monoskier, bobbing in and out of the snow.

We'll be posting more videos this year as well as photos, so stay tuned for a big fat season of In The Deep!

Goin back under the white blanket...

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Happy to say that after a week of warmth, we'll be going back under that white blanket sometime this evening, hopefully to stay until April. The forecast looks dark and ominous, and the natives are restless. . .

The battle between Fall and Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 17:00:00 +0000

The 40 day mark has arrived, as locals watch the battle between Fall and Winter pan out.

Since 2008, October is usually the month when our posts begin for In The Deep, depending on when the snow starts to fly. This past weekend wasn't the first dusting we got in Colorado, but it's the first one that's stuck in the 'Boat. In 2006, that happened as early as we can remember in 16 years, on September 9th. But the weather has been reasonably stable with an Indian Summer this year, that is until October arrived.

Last Friday the 8th, Mt. Werner got its first dusting, which proceeded to accumulate through the weekend.(photo courtesy of Steamboat PR)

Per the norm, the subsequent 4 days of rain, hail, and snow subsided into a week of sunny fall warmth, temporarily retaining the last of our yellow and orange leaves.

Here begins the battle between Fall and Winter, with just six short weeks until the mountain opens. We know who wins this battle, it's just a matter of when.

And we're all chomping at the bit, as usual, but with excited anticipation this year for some new trails that are a result of the logging of dead pine trees from the Pine Beetle Epidemic that has been sweeping Colorado for the past decade, with much the devastation happening in the last three years. The biggest opening of trees we've all been looking at all summer is between See Me, VooDoo and Vogue, and will likely be one of our first stops on the way down on November 25th. Other improvements can be found here.

-See you in the deep! (The locals all think this is going to be a big one!)

Seeing Werner without snow

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 22:50:00 +0000

For the first time in 15 years, Craig managed to glide beneath the lifts of Steamboat Ski Area in July.

The sky is just as blue, but the mountain looks entirely different in the summer- lush with raspberry, thimble berry, indian paint brush, ferns, fireweed, and of course the aspens in full flicker. It sounds more alive with songs of wrens, swallows, hawks, and the occasional hot air balloon. The curves of the open glades are permanent and rocky, the trees unpassable for the thick brush the coats their glens.

For us, who don't get to enjoy these runs all summer for previous lack of equipment, the Inaugural Custom Color Bikin' the 'Boat Camp was a new and amazing experience we look forward to continuing each year. Thanks to Steamboat, STARS, Adaptive Adventures and the four One-Off handycle mountain bikes from Freedom for Life, we all got to enjoy Mt Werner without the lifts running.

Due to the cost of these adaptive mountain bikes, many programs don't offer this recreation. But thanks to a local grant, STARS hopes to be continuing cycling in BikeTownUSA by adding 3-5 bikes to its arsenal for next year.

- See you in the Deep

Save the Best for Last

noreply@blogger.com (Andy) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 22:36:00 +0000

It's always these "slim" years that we get hammered in April.... the numbers don't lie. We average 350" of snowfall annually, so when I see only 225 by March 2oth, I assume it'll come sometime. Maybe after it's any use to us, but it will come. And it did. And I reveled in it. Thankfully.

Being out for 2 weeks during some of the best powder days of the year was one of the hardest acts of patience I've ever had to perform. I twisted my leg pretty bad on March 22nd, and gave myself two solid weeks to heal and retrain. My patience paid off.

Yesterday it just kept coming down, in those big potato-sized snowflakes, blowing upward, with the wind howling, for at least 24 hours straight. I knew watching that all day that I could do nothing other than assume my leg could take it. I don't breathe skiing like my husband does. I don't think about it all summer, and live by the 5am report in the winter (I know, blasphemy). But I do love my powder, and I'm a snob about it. So when they reported 24" in 24, just like the Pirate Theater play I love, there was no saying "No" to that.

And it was well worth it. Now let's move on to the snow.

On deep days, we ride the Gondola to beat the hounds to Four Points, which opened about 10 minutes late today, making the hounds restless indeed. "It's 8:48" you hear them shout, "Calm down, they're doing their best," another one says... and then the beeps start and the antsy pants dance begins. Those beeps mean "Load 'Em Up!" And those hounds start drooling.

From Four Points we bombed down Sunset to find the creamy goods that were up to our knees in spots- the 24" in 24 is definitely in the trees today (and tomorrow, there's NO one here!), but the groomers had this 6-8" coating on them that was truly like butter. There were trench-sized windlips on the top of High Noon and Sunshine Lift Line, visibility was zero so they took us by surprise for sure. But once you got down to the Clocks the fog lifted, and the tree runs were magnificent. 1230 was the best I've seen it all year. 130 was just as good. Then we went over to Sideburn, and the meadow below Storm Face where Craig found a windlip with his name on it:

And from there we rode Storm up again for another lap of the same, this time down the hero-sized bumps of Storm North/Liftline, and down to Hurricane, where both quotes of the day occured:
"So much happiness!" And, "If there WERE bumps under there, they're burried now!" So true Jennie Lay, so true! Thanks for the smiles today.

It was impossible to not to have a good time this morning, well, unless you had to leave early like I did, but my pain was secondary to the powderiferous glory of the day, and in that, I feel blessed to say, we were truly In The Deep of it today, folks. Glorious.

4 more days, and some end of the season fun to come... then it's back to the waiting game, yet again.

April Showers?

noreply@blogger.com (Powder Hound) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:55:00 +0000

In The Deep – 4.1.10 & 4.2.10

So I guess you could look at our April first snow storm and powder days in two ways. April fools on all the summer lovers who can’t wait to put their short and sun dresses on is one way to see it. But I like to think it was all of us powder hounds who fooled Mother Nature into thinking we had had enough snow and were ready for Spring. Well the joke is on her because the mountain reported 14 inches in 48 hours but it was way more than that. I skied over a foot of fresh in places yesterday and today was almost as good. The fact that we have great conditions (some of the best all season) and there are no people in town makes for the perfect local’s playground.

So yesterday was perfect snow with terrible visibility but that kept people off the mountain and my lines fresh. So I hooked up with Joey and Jason and McCarthy and headed for the snow. First run took us into Sideburns and over to Lights Out and were not disappointed. Deep and light with a few inches of heavy underneath and we couldn’t even hear the ice lurking below. After that we headed for Pioneer Ridge and Middle Rib. The deeper into the trees we got the deeper the powder got and the better the face shots. After hitting a few of the regular stashes, I finished the day by breaking off from the group to take the Daze down and called it a day to save some fuel for the next day.

APRIL 2:
So knowing there were very few people on the mountain the day before, I arose very early to get first chair on Christie. This time with Pat and Shelby in tow. The first stash I shoed them was T-Head liftline. Now you can only do this when the Poma lift isn’t running but it is worth it! Next we headed for Storm Peak and my favorite warm up run down Storm Peak Face to Sunset Trees (right side) to Moonlight Trees. Next we hit Rolex for 6 inches on top of groomer heaven! Keith’s Ridge, West Side, Black Powder, RamRod, and 12:30 trees all made the list today and then I cut it short a bit to get home for some work before work. Either way it was a glorious two days and more snow is in the forecast so we will see you…In The Deep