Approaching A Foot

We reported 7 inches of new snow at 5 AM. It has snowed non-stop since then and it is still snowing heavily. With a strong forecast for today and tonight, we could have well over a foot of new snow by the time this storm is done. We will definitely have some treats for you today, tomorrow, the next day, the day after..........

The Goat Meter indicates heavy snowfall.

This is the Snowcam at 7:45 AM. It was cleared at 5 AM.

Time To Carpool Or Ride

With a few inches of new this morning, more snow expected tonight, limited openings in The Beavers and Montezuma Bowl on the verge of opening, The Basin is looking pretty good. The Martin Luther King weekend is almost here. I am anticipating some busy days and some parking challenges. I wanted to share a few tips to help your "arrival experience" be better. 

-Of course the best thing you can do is ride The Summit Stage (local bus). There is a free bus, The Swan Mountain Flyer, from Breckenridge to Keystone to Arapahoe Basin.

-If the bus doesn't work, seriously consider carpooling. Parking is not unlimited. With full lots, the mountain still skis really well. If we could reduce 10% of the cars on weekends, most of our parking challenges would go away. (our employees carpool or ride the bus on weekends)

-If you can't carpool, I suggest you either arrive very early OR sleep in, have a good brunch and show up for an afternoon session. Many people only ski in the mornings and lots of spots open up sometime after lunch. Do not arrive late morning or early afternoon on weekends. You may not find a parking spot.

With just a few adjustments to our schedules, we can avoid weekend parking issues.

Cool image in the 4th Alley.

......And So It Begins

Zuma Outlook

The outlook for Montezuma Bowl is good. I found plenty of good skiing on my morning Zuma lap today. The snowcats continue to make substantial progress on Columbine and Larkspur and the patrollers have been having a field day in West Zuma. There is corduroy to be found on Upper Larkspur, Upper Columbine, Shining Light and much of Lower Columbine. We have significant snow fence farms in the Zuma core.The place looks very good, but not quite ready to open today. The forecast for snow this week is improving. If snow falls as predicted and the wind is in our favor, we could see some really positive changes.............soon.

Hike or Skin?

As of now, several hundred people have enjoyed skiing in The Beavers over the last couple of days. How you choose to travel the Steep Gullies Hike Back Trail is really a matter of personal preference. I think there are at least three different ways to do it.

1.  Some people just complete their ski, toss their skis or board over their shoulder and walk out. This takes no preparation at all. Most people are taking 20-30 minutes to make the hike. For me that is a little long to carry my skis on my shoulder. I imagine I will do this occasionally, particularly if I did not plan to make a Beavers lap. Lots of people do it this way.

2.  Some people are carrying a light pack and strapping the skis on the pack for the hike. This way, you can use your poles for walking instead using one hand to hold your skis. I did that a couple of times to today. It was nice and easy.

3.  The last way is to skin out. Skinning is very easy and enjoyable. You have to hassle with putting the skins on and off and you have to carry your skins. The extra process makes it a little longer than walking, but it is also the easiest travel model. 

The other factor to consider is clothing. A Beavers tour starts well above timberline in colder and windier conditions. It finishes with a 20-30 minute hike. You go from cold to sweaty. Having a pack to carry your coat and helmet and other gear is very nice.

The choice is really just a personal preference. There is no right or wrong. I will do #2 or #3 most of the time, mostly because I prefer to take a few extra minutes to make the journey more enjoyable.

This photo has nothing to do with today's post. It was just a great view from the top of The Face yesterday.

First Opening Of The Beavers

This morning we reported 4 inches of new snow and had a bit more after report time. That was just enough for us to get our first official opening of The Beavers terrain. For about 1 1/2 hours in the middle of the afternoon, the Ski Patrol opened Loafer, Alex, Jaeger and part of Beaver Bowl. About 100 skiers and riders checked it out. The two laps that Kay and I had out there were exceptional (only if you like skiing powder). As you have seen us do in the past, we manage our snow carefully. Today's opening was just a start. You will continue to see "soft openings" like this for a while. We want to pack the snow down gently mixing this snow in with the snow of our next storm and the following storm and the following storm. There won't be a big marketing pitch just yet. For now, let's ski it in and savor the moment.

THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. Whenever terrain is opened for the first time, the snow can be variable and there are more than a few obstacles. On top of it all, you have a 20-30 minute hike to get out of there when you are done. There is a certain segment of our guests that absolutely love stuff like this. If that is you, join the fun. If you don't go gaga over my description, you might want to wait for the lift next season.

Today's opening is the very beginning of some extraordinary skiing we will enjoy for decades and decades. Thanks to everyone that made this happen. Over the years, hundreds of people have been involved in this project.  A great deal of time was spent planning, designing, working on approvals and, of course, building the expansion. We still have a lot to do this summer (maybe next summer too), but today we are off to a fine start.

I can tell you, this afternoon I saw a lot of very happy people. It made me smile.

Towards The Gore Range

I was just up on the Summit and did a little tour down the Cornice Run. This image is looking West - Northwest across The Beavers towards the Gore Range. The good news is that the Gore Range is obscured by clouds. Our storm is just starting to roll in. A few flurries have just started to fall in the base area. I am very anxiously waiting for this one !!!

Marnie's

Be sure and visit Bumpy at Marnie's.