Area #156. We vacillated on today's choice when we had $45 VR tickets available for Beaver Creek, which is an hour closer to our Saturday night destination in Aspen. However the coral reef conditions at Vail Wednesday with similar weather predicted for Saturday made me return to my original choice.
I was absolutely correct with respect to snow conditions, which were winter snow on over half the terrain, even more than A-Basin Friday. Rfarren might be less pleased, as there is an abundance of flat terrain, and Loveland is very unusual in my experience that the highest alpine terrain off the Continental Divide is overwhelmingly intermediate in pitch. Here's an overview of Chair 9 Ridge (left) and Chair 4 (right) alpine terrain.
I was skiing with 2 of the Epic group, Mary and Scott, who were catching late afternoon flights east from Denver. Here's Mary between the Continental Divide views of Keystone and Breckenridge.
From the same spot, looking east to I-70 and the chair 1 terrain at right. Chair 1 is Loveland's most sustained fall line of 1,000 vertical, nearly all north facing with winter snow, a mix of groomers skier's left and steeper lines near the lift and skier's right.
Here's an overview of the Ridge terrain.
You can see the intermediate pitch, and to me it was startling to see as much exposed rock in an area that has had 450+ inches of snow this season. Obviously there is chronic wind blowing most of that snow somewhere else, and I think alpine terrain that is steeper is more likely to collect and hold the snow. On the positive side is that the snow was soft windpack with no melt/freeze on the east facing aspects and even the flatter south facing parts at the top of chairs 4 and 8. There was some sastrugi but every run up there I was able link smooth sections with the best snow. Top of the Ridge chair is 12,700 feet, just shy of Imperial at Breckenridge.
Mary and Scott partway down the Ridge.
Primer Bowl skier's right on the Ridge.
We skied 2 runs on this side (skier's right with a ~1 minute step-up) and 2 the other way.
View of the Ridge while riding chair 4.
We arrived here around noon. Chair 4 faces mostly south and the lower part with more pitch had softened nicely by then. The morning weather was mostly sunny with wind only at the top of lifts. After noon it became overcast and the wind got stronger.
The 3 of us at the top of Chair 4. Chair 1 runs and Hwy 6 climbing Loveland Pass in background.
The last run before Mary and Scott had to leave for their flights was ungroomed Avalanche Bowl near Chair 1.
Loveland base, I-70 tunnel east entrance and Chair 8 terrain in background.
I had lunch and then spent the last hour on Chairs 4 and 8.
From the base of chair 8, you can get back to the base walking through this tunnel under I-70.
While skiing chair 8 I could see the cloud lowering onto the mountains around A-Basin on the far side of Loveland Pass. So I was content to quit at 2:30 after 17,700 vertical. While driving west it poured rain through Avon, Eagle and Gypsum and was snowing when we arrived in Aspen about 5:30pm.
I was absolutely correct with respect to snow conditions, which were winter snow on over half the terrain, even more than A-Basin Friday. Rfarren might be less pleased, as there is an abundance of flat terrain, and Loveland is very unusual in my experience that the highest alpine terrain off the Continental Divide is overwhelmingly intermediate in pitch. Here's an overview of Chair 9 Ridge (left) and Chair 4 (right) alpine terrain.
I was skiing with 2 of the Epic group, Mary and Scott, who were catching late afternoon flights east from Denver. Here's Mary between the Continental Divide views of Keystone and Breckenridge.
From the same spot, looking east to I-70 and the chair 1 terrain at right. Chair 1 is Loveland's most sustained fall line of 1,000 vertical, nearly all north facing with winter snow, a mix of groomers skier's left and steeper lines near the lift and skier's right.
Here's an overview of the Ridge terrain.
You can see the intermediate pitch, and to me it was startling to see as much exposed rock in an area that has had 450+ inches of snow this season. Obviously there is chronic wind blowing most of that snow somewhere else, and I think alpine terrain that is steeper is more likely to collect and hold the snow. On the positive side is that the snow was soft windpack with no melt/freeze on the east facing aspects and even the flatter south facing parts at the top of chairs 4 and 8. There was some sastrugi but every run up there I was able link smooth sections with the best snow. Top of the Ridge chair is 12,700 feet, just shy of Imperial at Breckenridge.
Mary and Scott partway down the Ridge.
Primer Bowl skier's right on the Ridge.
We skied 2 runs on this side (skier's right with a ~1 minute step-up) and 2 the other way.
View of the Ridge while riding chair 4.
We arrived here around noon. Chair 4 faces mostly south and the lower part with more pitch had softened nicely by then. The morning weather was mostly sunny with wind only at the top of lifts. After noon it became overcast and the wind got stronger.
The 3 of us at the top of Chair 4. Chair 1 runs and Hwy 6 climbing Loveland Pass in background.
The last run before Mary and Scott had to leave for their flights was ungroomed Avalanche Bowl near Chair 1.
Loveland base, I-70 tunnel east entrance and Chair 8 terrain in background.
I had lunch and then spent the last hour on Chairs 4 and 8.
From the base of chair 8, you can get back to the base walking through this tunnel under I-70.
While skiing chair 8 I could see the cloud lowering onto the mountains around A-Basin on the far side of Loveland Pass. So I was content to quit at 2:30 after 17,700 vertical. While driving west it poured rain through Avon, Eagle and Gypsum and was snowing when we arrived in Aspen about 5:30pm.
