200: It's official

[Admin]

On the same day that Arapahoe Basin touted hitting a 100" base via press release, Alta's hit the magic 200" mark. Seven more inches to go and we're at a 700" season! \/

 

[socal]

On the same day that Arapahoe Basin touted hitting a 100" base via press release, Alta's hit the magic 200" mark. Seven more inches to go and we're at a 700" season! \/

I love Alta, and appreciate their attitude is to do what they want (no snowboarding and 930 opening) but it's just lame that they're closed today, will open for 3 days this weekend and then call it a year.

 

[Admin]

On the same day that Arapahoe Basin touted hitting a 100" base via press release, Alta's hit the magic 200" mark. Seven more inches to go and we're at a 700" season! \/

I love Alta, and appreciate their attitude is to do what they want (no snowboarding and 930 opening) but it's just lame that they're closed today, will open for 3 days this weekend and then call it a year.

It's a business after all. If you're losing money, you can't blame 'em.

Besides, it's almost more fun after they close. :wink:

 

[Tony Crocker]

Besides, it's almost more fun after they close.

Only when Snowbird's tram is running.

 

[Skidog]

On the same day that Arapahoe Basin touted hitting a 100" base via press release, Alta's hit the magic 200" mark. Seven more inches to go and we're at a 700" season! \/

I love Alta, and appreciate their attitude is to do what they want (no snowboarding and 930 opening) but it's just lame that they're closed today, will open for 3 days this weekend and then call it a year.

Land use and staffing. This isn't a "deep pockets" scenario like Dick Bass at the bird. Alta isnt made of money like Snowbird. Hell...look around utah..tons of snow and after this weekend all thats left is the bird. Hell even the wasatch back has over 100" bases and they closed like 2 weeks ago.

M

 

[Skidog]

Besides, it's almost more fun after they close.

Only when Snowbird's tram is running.

Hey know it all...dont you remember the little thing called the peruvian tunnel? Up peruvian chair, through tunnel, up Mineral Basin express...BLAM....back to alta..

So yeah...we dont need no stinking tram... O

M

 

[EMSC]

On the same day that Arapahoe Basin touted hitting a 100" base via press release, Alta's hit the magic 200" mark. Seven more inches to go and we're at a 700" season! \/

That indicates that Alta has had wetter snow than usual overall? I don't have A-Basins total snowfall, but Loveland is @ 115" base with a 542" snowfall (14" in 24hrs, 26" in 72 hrs and still snowing hard today ain't exactly bad either...); Alta is @ 200" base with 693" snowfall...

So that gives a 21.2% ratio of base depth to snowfall for Loveland, vs Alta's 28.9% ratio... No huge point here... I'm just a numbers guy and find it interesting how much higher Alta's ratio is this year vs what should be a kinda-sorta similar "dry continental" snowpack over this way.

 

[Skrad]

The mid December base building 70" storm was pretty dense.

 

[Admin]

To add to what Skrad said, much of our early snow was very dense, not just that 70". Those storms covered the ground and the rocks well and prevented subsequent snowfall from melting or settling as much.

 

[EMSC]

That makes sense.

And to defend the Basin a bit, given the well below normal snow seasons they've been having the last 5 or so years (even very oddly out of synch with the general Colo snow patterns in recent years nearby at breck, copper, winter park, etc...) I'd tout a 100" base too! So I understand where they are coming from up there...

Those storms covered the ground and the rocks well

That's the single biggest problem with early Colo snow storms... it doesn't hold like glue to the steeps the way a maritime slop storm usually does to get a base down on the advanced stuff.

 

[Bobby Danger]

ha ha after alta closes :sabre fight:

 

[Tony Crocker]

find it interesting how much higher Alta's ratio is this year vs what should be a kinda-sorta similar "dry continental" snowpack over this way.

I tracked that ratio for the original Westwide Network data from 1979-1995. 10 years at Alta averaged 23% and 17 years at Snowbird averaged 25%. So 28.9% is well above average. Alta's website says this year's average snow density was 9.4% vs. a 29-year average of 8.5%. This bodes well for Snowbird making it to July 4.

And to defend the Basin a bit.... I'd tout a 100" base too!

17 year Westwide average max base depth for A-Basin was a modest 81 inches, so yes 100 is noteworthy. A-Basin's late season/closing date is probably very dependent on its traditionally high spring snowfall, 53 inches in April and 29 in May.

A-Basin's average snow density is likely no higher than Vail's 6.9%. Interestingly the Westwide depth/snowfall ratio was 26% for both 8 years at A-Basin and 15 years at Berthoud Pass. But since LCC averages ~60% more snow than the Continental Divide areas I suspect the snow compacts more there.

I few areas I continue tracking base depths. No surprise who the winners are in max depth to snowfall ratio: Mt. Bachelor at 40% (36 years) and Mammoth at 39% (42 years).

That's the single biggest problem with early Colo snow storms... it doesn't hold like glue to the steeps the way a maritime slop storm usually does to get a base down on the advanced stuff.

I suspect this issue also relates to Pali becoming unstable by mid-May while we can sometimes ski even steeper runs like Hangman's in June/July.