2022-23 Aspen/Roaring Fork Valley Conditions

**alpinevibes** · 03-16-2023, 08:52 AM

Brush Creek was a junk show this morning, potentially the slickest I've seen in a while. They appeared to have thrown some gravel down in the middle of the night but hadn't done more after 6am when it started to get shiny. I'm popping over to Highlands

**grskier** · 03-16-2023, 09:07 AM

With the amount of traffic it get's if the surface is slick, the salt and sand will bounce off quickly. I'd be surprised if they hadn't been there twice by the time you got there. I'm not in that office to listen to the radio anymore though.

**alpinevibes** · 03-16-2023, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by grskier

With the amount of traffic it get's if the surface is slick, the salt and sand will bounce off quickly. I'd be surprised if they hadn't been there twice by the time you got there. I'm not in that office to listen to the radio anymore though.

I would hope so and yeah there was a significant layer of frozen slush. But compared to other days where I'm seeing signs of multiple passes by 7:30-8, there wasn't any visual gravel buildup on the outside of the lanes. I'm not complaining - it's just that kind of winter where everyone is stretched thin; our campus has been a total mess the last few weeks. Thankfully no one was stuck on Brush Creek besides a dump truck that had to chain up mid-way.

**alpinevibes** · 03-16-2023, 02:35 PM

Excellent at Highlands, though a bit warm. Had some friends in town and skied a Hyde Park, Eden and Snyders laps before going up the Bowl at Noon. Great snow quality and skied like a foot plus up in the Bowl. Ozone + G2 blow town.

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**Shredhead** · 03-16-2023, 06:57 PM

Snowmass was good. First one down to the Knob chair. The snow was much faster and it opens up the low angle terrain, which the mass has in spades.
Lot easier to lead the pack too!
Still easy to get fresh tracks at noon.

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**grskier** · 03-18-2023, 09:34 AM

Knob was still skiing excellent yesterday. Thinking we’ll be at west buttermilk tomorrow

. Stop by, I’ll be making pizzas all day

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**funkendrenchman** · 03-19-2023, 04:09 PM

Large slide in Maroon. Checking in.

**dcpnz** · 03-19-2023, 05:13 PM

Went big. Several ski tracks in the vicinity.
Heard rumors but nothing I’m confident enough in to repeat here just yet

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Note at least one person climbing back up away from crown toward ridge

Edit: just saw a CAIC picture showing just how big this thing propagated. Holy crap!!!!

**MakersTeleMark** · 03-19-2023, 06:43 PM

https://coloradosun.com/2023/03/19/a...e-maroon-bowl/

**Wes Mantooth** · 03-19-2023, 07:22 PM

Hiked the bowl minutes after it happened without realizing how recently it went down, right before they closed it. Saw one of the involved people digging at the very bottom of the debris pile and saw the third skier climbing back out as we were on the ridge by boxcar. Lifty at DT got a radio call updating that the heli was headed down for a body recovery after being parked on the ridge for a bit. Word is it was the second skier who triggered it but the slide was absolutely massive up close. Scary and sad thing to see go down

**grskier** · 03-19-2023, 07:50 PM

We were sitting atop Buttermilk talking about skiing Maroon in a few weeks if things settle down. So sad to hear one has passed.
Been a bad week ‘round these parts

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**MakersTeleMark** · 03-19-2023, 07:52 PM

It seems very clear there are 3 track going in. Hard to explain that if the 2nd skier triggered it and 1 was able to climb out. I guess we'll find out later.

**Wes Mantooth** · 03-20-2023, 02:30 PM

Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

It seems very clear there are 3 track going in. Hard to explain that if the 2nd skier triggered it and 1 was able to climb out. I guess we'll find out later.

Yeah not fully sure but was thinking the same thing, I'm guessing CAIC will put out a pretty detailed incident report in the next few days

Unrelated but I still have all my 50% ticket vouchers left and probably won't use them this season so if anyone has friends or family coming to town and needs one let me know

**Duffman** · 03-21-2023, 09:44 AM

Vibes to anyone involved with the Maroon slide, sorry to hear about that.

Thanks all of you for indulging my last set of holiday beater touron questions. Had a great time last month . But stuck planning for the travel weeks from hell. Kids vacation weeks rule 🙄

Round 2 of similar questions. Obviously snow conditions vary every year, but what are the odds of some of the decent terrain being usually open by Christmas week? I assume the Bowl is low to no chance, how about Hanging Valley and such or Ajax off piste?

Also, what do you guys with younger kids in ski school do? My now 5 yo is comfortable on easier blues and progressing wel so I expect her to be past that next year, but not sure how she would fare on early season highland terrain next year or how the Ajax ski school is for that also. Snowmass will be fantastic for her, but what about the other places? Do you drop kids at Buttermilk ski school if they aren't ready for the other two? (The reason I ask this is it may make more sense to come later in the spring season when she will definitely be better and this is less of a logistical issue, and go somewhere else over this earlier trip)

**dcpnz** · 03-21-2023, 10:33 AM

^^ highly likely Bowl skiing well by Christmas. In a particularly low tide year steeplechase area can still be a bit dodgy that early though. I think highlands is great for a ”blue” skier - big wide open runs with lots less people than Snowmass or Ajax and enough variety and trees to keep a kid interested. If highlands is where you want to ski don’t avoid it because of your kid.

Edit: dropping at buttermilk and taking shuttle to highlands is also a very viable option

**hoarhey** · 03-21-2023, 10:37 AM

Lessons for 5 year old are not available at Ajax. Buttermilk and Snowmass have classes for 5 year olds. Not sure what minimum age is for Highlamds lessons

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**hoarhey** · 03-21-2023, 10:38 AM

When we want to ski highlands, we put the girls in school at buttermilk

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**Duffman** · 03-21-2023, 10:58 AM

Thanks. She will be 6 in September so I'm not sure if that changes anything. I'll take a look. We used the RFTA buses the whole time this past trip, made life super easy staying right next to Ruby Park tran center to ski all the mountains. Would most likely be at Snowmass if we do the Dec trip so wasn't sure how hard the Snowmass to Buttermilk to Highlands shuffle would be.

Ok, Google is my friend. From what I'm seeing lessons for 6 and up can be at Buttermilk, Snowmass, or Highlands ,provided they are blue group and up. Looks like no child group lessons at Ajax for any level.

**funkendrenchman** · 03-21-2023, 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by hoarhey

Lessons for 5 year old are not available at Ajax. Buttermilk and Snowmass have classes for 5 year olds. Not sure what minimum age is for Highlamds lessons

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5yo is the min for Highlands. He/she should be a level 6.

**hoarhey** · 03-21-2023, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by funkendrenchman

5yo is the min for Highlands. He/she should be a level 6.

Thank you

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**Shredhead** · 03-22-2023, 05:24 AM

Aspen Mountains expert terrain typically skis the best early season.
Highland Bowl will be open, but a lot of the expert terrain will still be boney.
The Wall at Snowmass probably won’t be open at Christmas. But it’s hard to beat ski in/out when you have kids.
I would just leave your kids at the Treehouse, even when you go to other mountains.
The earlier in the Christmas break, the better. We’re much better than most resorts, but the crush usually starts the 27th. We usually don’t even have bumps before then.

Today is going to be off the hook!

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**Shredhead** · 03-22-2023, 07:38 AM

Looks like 3” to me.

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**Duffman** · 03-22-2023, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Shredhead

Aspen Mountains expert terrain typically skis the best early season.
Highland Bowl will be open, but a lot of the expert terrain will still be boney.
The Wall at Snowmass probably won’t be open at Christmas. But it’s hard to beat ski in/out when you have kids.
I would just leave your kids at the Treehouse, even when you go to other mountains.
The earlier in the Christmas break, the better. We’re much better than most resorts, but the crush usually starts the 27th. We usually don’t even have bumps before then.

Today is going to be off the hook!

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Thanks Shredhead, if we make it back out will def have to make some more turns together. Enjoy the fresh today!

The older.kid will be 10 yo this summer , and can ski most anything with us other than a real no fall zone where I wouldn't have full faith in him . As long as early season conditions are not to hairy in the G's in the bowl, he wants to check that off his list

The younger kid is 5 now and is upper green / lower blue level in ski school now. She's the one who will be in ski school and that's the logistics I'm trying to nail down. She will be 6 next season and is on the verge of staying parallel most of the time now.

Luckily for us, we.can get out by Christmas Eve and hit the earlier half of the holiday week , so can probably make it work crowd wise (or what passes as crowds for you guys)

The big question is would we rather try and go elsewhere early season and come out in late March instead when more terrain will be in better shape and the girl will have progressed more making the ski school options easier.

**grskier** · 03-22-2023, 09:29 AM

I wish I had the legs to ski today. Will try to sneak in a few runs tomorrow. This is my speed for a bit:
https://youtube.com/shorts/TgACvXefRTQ

**JaytaeMoney** · 03-22-2023, 09:40 AM

Originally Posted by Duffman

Round 2 of similar questions. Obviously snow conditions vary every year, but what are the odds of some of the decent terrain being usually open by Christmas week? I assume the Bowl is low to no chance, how about Hanging Valley and such or Ajax off piste?

Christmas week is early season and very hit or miss, having said that... Ajax is the best low tide mountain on earth. Skis great on a 14" base.

I'll be out late morning today, should be a good time!!