2011-2012 Summit/Eagle CO Ski Conditions, Roll Call and Stoke

**WTF is dat** · 02-05-2012, 02:30 PM

did you not ski pali?

**Driver** · 02-05-2012, 03:00 PM

CO Mags. I know the conditions are what they are, but i'm swinging through Boulder next weekend and looking to get some turns up the road Sat/Sun. Looking for a more low key area and a low key / cheap place to stay Sat night (i.e. prob not Vail, Keystone, Breck). I'm thinking between Copper, Winter Park, or maybe A-Basin. Thoughts appreciated.

**Lindahl** · 02-06-2012, 11:25 AM

Had a blast out on Trelease with KillingCokes on Saturday. He'll probably throw up a TR in the next few days.

Was out on Peak 6 yesterday, skiing the more conservative slopes. Shot some video, but it was too sunny and it came out looking like crap. May throw it up anyway with all the lack of stoke around here lately. Really smooth fast fun snow. Boot-top consolidated pow. Also saw 3 sets of tracks that are just asking for it on the steep north-facing stuff.

That 15-20'er in Horseshoe is super fun and has a great hardpack landing, but the runout is a bit tricky - extremely hard divots and crud. If anyone wants to work on hardpack hucks, it's prime, but pick your runout line well (head left). Got 'er good the first time, but when I came back for round two, I exploded awesomely at the very bottom of the runout when a ski came off from all the rattling. Hip joint is hurting a bit today.

**montanaskier** · 02-06-2012, 12:00 PM

could use some snow in these parts....not breaking news I know.

Driver- Stay in Idaho Springs or Georgetown and ski Abasin or Loveland

**Joe Dirt** · 02-06-2012, 12:18 PM

Zart- LTJ Bukem playing Vail? If so wowzers!

Don't blame me I voted for JoJo

**Driver** · 02-07-2012, 11:21 PM

Looks like it has to be WP/MJ or Copper. What is skiing better right now?

**Tips^Up** · 02-08-2012, 12:03 AM

Every time I go out I have fun. Snow and snowpack levels are actually pretty good right now (still avoiding trees because of downfall and still usually wishing I brought rock skis instead). Skiing well in Eagle (Vail, BC) and Summit (Copper, Breck [haven't been to Basin or Key lately]) counties.

Hard to find motivation at this point, I need to meet new partners with higher levels of stoke! Lots of sleeping in, lots of big breakfasts prepared, lots of late days getting to the mountain, lots of ski days turned into early drinking days. Still, it's always tons of fun once I'm out there and for what we have, it is actually skiing well.

Last Sunday started at Cascade at 12:30. Created a solo exploratory mission to ski every Vail lift once, no repeats. Got every major chair but 6 and 10 (plus about 7 small chairs). With another 1.5 hours, it could be easily done (with motivated partners). Probably best as a solo mission, doubt many others would have fun and/or be able to tuck every cat walk or straightline mogul runs to travel chair to chair. Lots of terrain at Vail, that place is fucking huge. Pray for snow!

**shera** · 02-08-2012, 07:50 AM

Places where the woods are getting skied and packed are good but you have to keep your eyes open and light on your feet. Left side of the burn, wolverine. I took my ski kids to the backside of vail for the first time last Saturday. They loved finding little stashes in the trees and blasting through them. Ive been banging corsair pretty hard. Bump skiing can be really fun. Today i get park credentials from Breck ski school. Riding bonanza little park all day. I missed out on race coaching Monday because I just had to take a break. I feel guilty because I haven't been making time for the gym, yoga, swimming...

I guess my point is that I'm busier than ever on the hill and not bored at all. I almost feel guilty for not climbing, but everything has its time in life. This will probably be one of those great seasons of powder in march and april. And of course big lines in may.

**mrwaffles989** · 02-08-2012, 04:00 PM

I skied down New York Mountain this morning. I was only in mellow terrain, but i didn't observe any overwhelming signs of instability in the upper layers. I also couldn't spot any recent avalanches from summit. Trees were deep powder, alpine was full of pocket windslabs.

**MakersTeleMark** · 02-08-2012, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by mrwaffles989

i didn't observe any overwhelming signs of instability in the upper layers

Um, that's the point.

**montanaskier** · 02-08-2012, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Um, that's the point.

THIS......

**DaHeel** · 02-08-2012, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Um, that's the point.

From CAIC today:
"The greatest avalanche concern is on shady slopes near treeline where stiffening persistent slabs rest on very weak layers composed of facets and large depth hoar. The mid-pack is settling into a cohesive slab, but the lower snowpack still remains very weak. This is causing our snowpack to feel deceptively strong on most aspects."

**MakersTeleMark** · 02-08-2012, 04:27 PM

A recent field obs posted to the CAIC:

Details

Date: 2012/02/07

Observer: Logan Johnson

Location

BC Zone: Vail & Summit County
Area Description: East Vail Chutes
Route Description: Far rt side of Bighorn Chute

Weather

Weather Description: Nice sunny day

Snowpack

Snowpack Description: Horrific snowpack conditions observed on NW, N, NE aspects. The report is spot on. Hard slab on top of garbage. Just wanted to confirm your observations and note numerous old slides from last storm cycle observed especially at lower elevations and N aspects. One was 3' crown to the ground 50' wide and ran 100'- on a 28 degree slope! no obvious trigger (cliffs, convex rollover etc..) in medium tree cover (aspen pine mix.) Oddly enough no recent activity observed in Benchmark bowl.

Snowpack Obsvervation
Cracking: Moderate
Collapsing: Moderate

Here is a good one. While not from this area, it demonstrates the problem quite effectively:

**Fritz** · 02-08-2012, 05:03 PM

^^^Good illustration of what's beneath. Different zone, but dug a NE facing pit on a 35 degree slope at treeline on Cameron Pass about a week ago and found about a foot of faceted snow on the ground under a 5' base. Shooting cracks and major collapsing on pretty much every skiable aspect. Do your analysis. If nothing else, it's a good season for learning.

**montanaskier** · 02-08-2012, 05:06 PM

nice vid MTM.....I'll throw this one in here as well. Utah but conditions are very similar. Don't be lulled to sleep with false results.

**Name Redacted** · 02-08-2012, 07:36 PM

Factory stores.

**The SnowShow** · 02-08-2012, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by shredgnar

Factory stores.

eh, thinking something more like a comfortable lodge or library or something...

**PowTrees** · 02-08-2012, 09:02 PM

Originally Posted by The SnowShow

eh, thinking something more like a comfortable lodge or library or something...

The Vail library is on the in town bus route, closer to Lionshead. They have a play room and other activities for kids. With a 6 week old, you might not want to bring them somewhere with so much chance of catching sickness from other kids, but otherwise it's a great spot. Edwards could be a better place to stroll and visit shops, since it's lower elevation and generally warmer than Vail and even more Summit County.

**DaHeel** · 02-08-2012, 09:16 PM

At the base of Vail's Vistabahn on the western side is a newish lodge like building(name escapes me)that has all kinds of amenities including a fire place, food, coffee shop and rest rooms. A couple of our local friends use the space to hang with their 9 mo while they switch off skiing. Best part is if they get bored there are a ton of places in the village to peruse.

**mrwaffles989** · 02-08-2012, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Um, that's the point.

Yeah I realize what's going on. I just meant with the fresh slabs that formed on Mon/Tues. I bet if you kicked one of them off the slide would step down to the deeper layers pretty easily.

It's some scary shit right now. I hope the snow will eventually heal itself.

Do not let stiffening slabs and decreasing signs of glaring instability lure you into dangerous terrain even if others are getting away with it.

I did see numerous skin and ski tracks crisscrossing all over avy terrain right above the 10th mtn hut that's up there; so I think that statement is important to note. Ski tracks are one of the greatest heuristic? traps?