I’m not one to brag (usually, though I am an only child). However, last week’s powder days on Tuesday & Wednesday were definitely something to brag about, from both a forecasting and skiing perspetive. The first three runs at Vail on Wednesday were the deepest and lightest I’ve ever skied. Here is a picture from Vail’s sidecountry on Wednesday (in bounds looked similar), and a report from the GlutenFreeSnowboarder. Hope you were out making turns!
The end to the lift-accessed season is coming up for most resorts, and the forecast is marginal. A little bit of snow this week (with more dust), and then an “iffy” weekend. Check the Quick Forecast page for the details.
The Mayor of CS Irwin
Crested Butte is an intriguing place, with an authentically small town nestled in between some big mountains. Now, it’s even more intriguing because a nearby cat skiing operation (CS Irwin) is back in business and very well financed (i.e. it’s a gem of an operation).
About eight miles west of Crested Butte is the town of Irwin, which gets 600″ of snow per year, or 2-3 times more than nearby CB. One cool thing about their operation? The cat picks you up IN TOWN at Crested Butte and shuttles you up to Irwin with the luxury of leather, satellite radio, and a flat-screen TV. Another cool thing? The Mountain Operations Director is Alan Bernholtz, a heady but fun guy who was once the Mayor of Crested Butte, founded the Crested Butte Mountain Guides, and also founded the local Crested Butte Avalanche Center.
This operation is small, with a maximum of 10 guests per day on a single cat. The terrain is playful, and because they are targeting families, a single trip up the hill in a cat can access intermediate AND advanced terrain at different drop-off points. With additional hospitality buildings under construction in downtown CB, CS Irwin might be a good place to put on the “we should visit” list for next season.
Check out this video for a 90-second story about CS Irwin and the fun day we spent skiing on some Wagner Custom Skis.
Monarch’s Trees
Monarch is another one of Colorado’s smaller ski areas that deserves more attention. I heard rave reviews during February as friends told stories of endless faceshots in the Mirkwood bowl, but it wasn’t until recently that I was able to give Monarch a try for myself.
Here’s why you should try Monarch next year:
- Small mountain feel with mostly locals in attendance and a fun atmosphere in the lodge.
- Solid upper steeps that would be the perfect pitch for a powder day.
- Plentiful trees with good spacing that hold cold powder for days.
- It’s cheap and avoids all the I-70 mess.
Some other observations:
- While the listed vertical is about 1,100ft, only the top ~700ft provides a good pitch.
- The hike to Mirkwood is only 10 minutes, but it keeps the area less tracked.
- Cat skiing accesses terrain outside of the ropes, and the cost is relatively low.
It’s a beautiful view looking east from the continental divide:
The top of Mirkwood is steep (excuse the dusty snow):
A partial view looking back up Mirkwood Bowl:
$300 coming your way
Want $300 in new gear? Want to design a leading product for next ski season? Watch this site for details on Thursday!
I was at Mary Jane on Wednesday and it was AWESOME!!! They reported 10 but there was so much more to be found. It was above my knees especially in the Trees in the Parsenn & Vasquez Bowls off of the Panoramic Lift,which is where I spent most of my day.
I am hoping for a falke or two this weekend to close the season at most resorts. I know that the long term forcast shows “chance of showers”, so please keep us updated.
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RE:dusty snow- I was at Ski Sunlight on Sunday for closing day, and there was that Utah dust all over the snow. They said it blew in last Tuesday with the winds before the front and snow of last week…How widespread is the dust this spring?(Gives new meaning to “dust on crust”) I remember having the same thing happen last spring around the end of April.
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skibum Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 6:57 PM
This is actually the third year in a row for a dust layer. This year’s layer is really thick (around 1″ of snow affected). Last year there were at least 4 layers. Really handy if you need to write an SOS in the snow though.
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Despite getting caught on 70 while CDOT blasted Vail Pass, i’ll second that report of DEEEEEEPNESS at Vail. Great way to wrap up the lift-served season =)
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Joel,
Anything on the radar for a big storm next week? Just got a weather briefing from NOAA GSD and they mention “Potential for “the big one” next week.
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Joel Gratz Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 10:55 AM
Possibly something middle of next week, but that’s 7-9 days away – too far to have much confidence. COuld be a big cut-off low, and those are notoriously hard to forecast. Good find, but I’m not jumping on board for at least another 3-5 days. Cut-off lows are often slower and further south than the models indicate. I don’t know about snow, but if the forecast pans out, perhaps some good storm chasing in TX/OK late next week:-)
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Amazing day @ Vail on Wednesday…Have never skiied that much powder before in the back bowls. How DO?! you breath in that deep snow, I had to keep stopping to catch a breath. Once in a lifetime, it was great.
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Yeah, Vail on Wed was awesome – if your jacket collar is tall enough, just duck into it like a turtle and breath in the air pocket – not 100% reliable, but it usually works for me.
Question for Joel – I’m seeing rain for both days this weekend at the resorts. As much as I love skiing and want to go up, a forecast of rain is chasing me away. Any chance I could pick one of those days and not see any rain? Maybe with some sun to soften things up as much as possible? If so, which day would have better odds? Thanks man!
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Joel Gratz Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 11:10 PM
Sunday looks good, Saturday has the better chance of rain/snow showers. Head up on Sunday.
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$99/nt Lodging @keystonemtn ’til 11/4/10. No Blackouts!! Use this link & Edit the dates to book your trip- http://bit.ly/96z8cH
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Hi Joel,
Chanced upon your blog from your Twitter page. Love it although I did have some trouble trying to find your latest post.
Am looking forward to sharing (or maybe stealing? nah not quite possible just yet ) the stage with you this Thursday.
BTW I don’t ski but this blog provides some awesome eye candy that I can come back to again and again. Good job there buddy, snow usually scares me.
cheers,
steph
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