Winter Park, CO 12/14/09

Utah's sloppy seconds (eight inches overnight and another three during the day) were gladly accepted in Colorado today.

I spent the first 90 minutes tracking through bootcuff-deep pow on the Winter Park side (very similar to The Canyons -- a series of ridgelines with lots of trees, long runouts, and oddly-placed high-speed lifts). I had some nice runs, but was, like EMSC, scratching my head over the goofiness of the trail layout.

Under the Gemini Chair:


A lot of trails are still closed, but I poached Milligan's Mile twice:


Then I headed over to Mary Jane with 1,800 verts of consistently pitched, ungroomed trails. They dropped several ropes throughout the day so I stayed there for the next five hours skiing powdery bumps. It's a lot easier when they're this soft.

Girl Teleskier on Mary Jane:

Love seeing the pics, I used to ski the jane quite a bit and then started snowboarding there.
Mary Jane is a great place to ski. There snow is pretty consitent all season long getting better towardes the march april times. With its high elevation, colder climate (fraser is the icebox of the US often) and somewhat north facing aspect the snow sticks around. Also the mountain does not need a huge base to ski well in my opinon.
Winter park is the family side of the mountian and should be avoided. 2 runs lead off the park side and head towards Mary Jane are very good and see little skier traffic, Druken Frenchman and Outhouse, They seem to catch alot of snow also when storms come thru. Another Gem of Mary Jane is the ironhoarse lift, It leads to expert trerrian that is somewhat diffcult to find or traverse for other skiers riding the main lifts. It is slow but the snow is generally really good and doesnt ski out as fast. The challenger lift also offers good terrrian, the new panoramic express is new since I last rode there but the terrian under it has been gladed and was always a favorite for powder tree riding back in my day, Parsenns bowl is fun and cathes more snow generally then the ski report offers but conditions can be varaible and windy. I never rode the new eagle wind lift but imagine the terrian is good and takes pressure of the rest of the mountian.

James ...this looks AWESOME. LOVE the telegirl.

If that was my TR ... I would have had at least a few of these:

\/ \/ \/

James even invited me along. Alas, no go with a new boss & other changes at work; plus a baby coming into the world anytime in the next week or so (in theory). Just can't spare any vaca days right now.

Looks good James. Always better to ski weekdays if/when you can. Now if only we could get more than 7" at a time up in the central mtns this Dec...

Harvey44:2bnaux83 said:

LOVE the telegirl.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I watched the telegirl on two different runs and couldn't believe her level of finesse. So I got on a chair with her and actually asked if I could take her pic (as Patrick has often commented, asking strangers if I can take their photo isn't part of my MO). Unfortunately, I was using my brother's camera WITH NO VIEWFINDER, so I was just guessing as to when to press the button, and of the 16 shots I took, if you can believe it, that was the best one.

Harv would've been in hog heaven. I'd guestimate that 35% of the people on Mary Jane were free-heelers -- no joke, they were everywhere.

I must have caught MJ at a good time for me... because it was so early in the season, the bumps hadn't had time to grow and they were covered with soft pow. Exactly what I love. I'm sure that a few weeks later, it'll be quite a bit different.

Too bad that EMSC couldn't make it... ah yes, the old "my wife's giving birth in the next few days" excuse.

"my wife's giving birth in the next few days"

Click to expand...

December 1984 (Adam was born the 17th) was the snowiest SoCal December in my 34 years of records. I made it to Mt. High 12/30 and to Baldy 1/1. Dodged a few at home for that.

Forgot to mention -- the base village at Winter Park is, at least from the exterior, virtually identical to the one at Stratton. What about Copper, Mammoth, or Whistler?

You'd think that Intrawest would at least make an attempt to customize their resorts' infrastructure somewhat. Eh.... it's probably cheaper for the architect and builder to make everything the same nationwide.

At least at Tremblant, they slapped on those colorful roofs. 8-[

jamesdeluxe":2dkscanz said:

NO VIEWFINDER, so I was just guessing as to when to press the button

Click to expand...

Hate that.

jamesdeluxe":2dkscanz said:

Harv would've been in hog heaven ... I must have caught MJ at a good time for me... because it was so early in the season, the bumps hadn't had time to grow and they were covered with soft pow. Exactly what I love.

Click to expand...

Those look like deluxe conditions all right.

jamesdeluxe":2dkscanz said:

Too bad that EMSC couldn't make it... ah yes, the old "my wife's giving birth in the next few days" excuse. :lol:

Click to expand...

Way to take one for the team EMSC. Would probably cost you big time ski days in the future if you don't. =D>