A very warm day, though I think Sunday July 3 was the warmest. There was an occasional breeze, more noticeable after noon as clouds were building to the southeast. Driving out at 4PM we hit some afternoon showers around Crowley Lake, then a longer stretch of rain between Little Lake and Mojave 6-7PM. The snow also seemed not quite as heavy as Sunday, but some marginal areas had burned off. The opening to Monument was more constricted so I didn't go out there today.
Costumes were on display from the start.
Summer scenery at the top around 9AM:
It was still worth one more run down Climax to the Chair 5 area. View from top of Triangle.
Note Chair 5 is missing as it is being upgraded to high speed and relocated to the base of Coyote over the summer.
Skiing on face of 5 fall lines was still good, though a bit more suncupping each day.
The exit was more difficult, as the end of the Comeback Trail had burned off so we had to divert through the trees next to Coyote to stay on snow. And burnoff on lower Stump Alley made the walk at the end twice as long as on July 3.
I skied Drop Out and The Hump before departing at 11AM to pack up the hotel room and check out. I returned to the hill at 1PM in bathing suit instead of ski shell pants and skied Wipe Out and Gravy Chute before heading up top just before 2PM. Someone set off a whistling bottle rocket about 5 seconds before our gondola car was bombarded with snowballs. So on to the festivities! Here's what I saw first exiting the gondola top station.
Here the snowballs are flying in front of the gondola building:
Every once in a while once side would stockpile snowballs and charge the other side:
Run or ski through the middle and you're an inviting target:
The tie-dye shirt was from Alta.
These people were looking to be targets:
Mr. & Ms. Captain America:
Here I am with Ms.:
I headed down about 2:45. Climax:
Saddle Bowl:
Andrew on Stump Alley:
Vertical for closing day was 11,800 before 11AM and another 5,700 after 1PM.
Costumes were on display from the start.
Summer scenery at the top around 9AM:
It was still worth one more run down Climax to the Chair 5 area. View from top of Triangle.
Note Chair 5 is missing as it is being upgraded to high speed and relocated to the base of Coyote over the summer.
Skiing on face of 5 fall lines was still good, though a bit more suncupping each day.
The exit was more difficult, as the end of the Comeback Trail had burned off so we had to divert through the trees next to Coyote to stay on snow. And burnoff on lower Stump Alley made the walk at the end twice as long as on July 3.
I skied Drop Out and The Hump before departing at 11AM to pack up the hotel room and check out. I returned to the hill at 1PM in bathing suit instead of ski shell pants and skied Wipe Out and Gravy Chute before heading up top just before 2PM. Someone set off a whistling bottle rocket about 5 seconds before our gondola car was bombarded with snowballs. So on to the festivities! Here's what I saw first exiting the gondola top station.
Here the snowballs are flying in front of the gondola building:
Every once in a while once side would stockpile snowballs and charge the other side:
Run or ski through the middle and you're an inviting target:
The tie-dye shirt was from Alta.
These people were looking to be targets:
Mr. & Ms. Captain America:
Here I am with Ms.:
I headed down about 2:45. Climax:
Saddle Bowl:
Andrew on Stump Alley:
Vertical for closing day was 11,800 before 11AM and another 5,700 after 1PM.
