Snowy Day

This Saturday, we have enjoyed a very nice snowy day. We reported 2 inches of new snow at 5 AM and have probably another 2 inches since. The snow is good all around. I found excellent skiing on the North Side as well as on and near Loafer out in The Beavers. Beautiful day.

West Of Loafer

So for this season, we opened The Steep Gullies and about 2/3 of The Beavers. West of Loafer we still have another pod of about 100 acres to add next season. We plan on enhancing several gladed lines out there. There won't be any conventional trails like Loafer or Davis or the Davis. This will simply be great tree skiing. 

This afternoon Patio and Louis and I spent several hours skinning and skiing and pondering and tracking and generally looking around out there. I think you are going find beautiful, beautiful tree skiing West of Loafer next season. These gladed runs will lead into a traverse or collector trail that brings skiers right back to the bottom of The Beavers Lift. This will be much like the Alley Traverse or Montezuma's Revenge. Very cool skiing.

Skinning In Daylight

This afternoon I went for the first skin of the season that I did not have to use a headlamp. Halfway up the mountain, I enjoyed beautiful light on the East Wall. From the top of Zuma Lift, I enjoyed a dazzling sunset over the Gore and Ten Mile Ranges. It was still light out when I reached the bottom. And next week is Daylight Savings Time. Even more daylight, at least for an after work skinner like me. Might be a little dark next week for the morning crew.

Skin Etiquette: Whenever you are on the hill in the dark, use a headlamp. This is for your safety so you can see the snow and grooming marks and closures and equipment, etc. It also for the others on the hill, both working and playing. Make sure they can see you. In particular, people wandering around without a headlamp is very hard on the cat drivers. Make your neighborhood cat driver smile, use a headlamp.

Falcon and Dragon

Falcon and Dragon are a couple of fun runs on the East side of the Upper Mountain adjacent to the East Wall double strand closure. They are actually gullies and are typically treated very well by the wind. Often, that very velvety surface can be found there. Whether skiing Lenawee or exiting Montezuma Bowl, these lines are a regular treat for many. As you get lower, you can always sneak into Land of the Giants on the East Wall.

Still Looking For A Single Chair

Back in 2016 I did a couple of posts about our two original single chairlifts. One was roughly where Black Mountain Express is and the other was about where Norway is. One of the chairlifts went to Fun Valley, a now closed area just outside of Denver. I believe the chairs were sold as souvenirs in the mid '90's.

I am still looking for one of these chairs. I believe I found one, but the owner did not want to give it up. If by chance you have one or know of someone that has one, let me know. It would so cool to refurbish one of them and display it at the ski area. Still looking.

PURRRRR - Fect

The skiing was good all over the mountain today. I may sound like a broken record, but The Spine was simply amazing today ................. again. It was buffed and soft and carve-able and kind and easy and fast and fun and on and on and on. Sometimes it is hard to get enough of this. This morning other great skiing was found on The Lower Mountain, Falcon, Wildcat, The Face and The Steep Gullies. Very nice.

2nd Steep Gully

Certainly not for everyone, but I found some very good skiing in the 2nd Steep Gully this morning. Accessing the Gully on the left side is a bit tight and very, very steep with a few rocks. As I rounded a right turn and dropped off the ridge line and into the Gully proper the coverage was fantastic. The snow was very packed, but also very carve-able.  Again this line is not for everyone, but, boy, was it fun today. And the skin out was a pleasant cruise through the woods.

Lower Beavers Liftline

These photos are taken looking downhill from the approximate location of Tower 7 of The Beavers chairlift. You can see where the lift line crosses Lower Davis and terminates at the bottom lift station. This pitch is a bit steeper than the photo really portrays and it is an excellent ski. In total the new chairlift will have 15 towers. The area from approximately Tower 11 to the Summit is above timberline.