A Basin 04/09/09

[itbeme]

It was snowing, then not, then again. It was windy, then not, then again. There was crud. Dust on crust. For Christ’s sake, either keep snowing and cover up the crust, or let the sun shine to soften it up. Up top, with no trees, the bad light meant you couldn’t see what you were about to encounter.

By afternoon, however, we actually were enjoying ourselves, everything being relative. That was after there had been enough scraping on the groomers and the quarter inch (liberal assessment) of snow helped soften them a bit, and the sun made a more steady appearance.

 

[rfarren]

A-basin was the worst place when I visited. The terrain seems pretty darn good, but in flat light it was pretty difficult to see. The snow was considerably more scratchy than the other places in Summit County. It was windy, and that's probably the reason why. While I was there A-basin got less snow than every other resort, and not by a little.

 

[salida]

Abasin is a spring.summer place, unless you happen on a very rare bluebird powder morning.

Once the warm weather hits, there is no place better.

 

[ChrisC]

Abasin is a spring.summer place, unless you happen on a very rare bluebird powder morning.

Once the warm weather hits, there is no place better.

Good summary above.

The base always is boney until mid-winter.

And the weather is harsh - so you need a big stable high pressure ridge to guarantee decent conditions. Whiteout/winds.

A-basin is not the place where schedule a date. The place dictates when you are welcome to visit.

 

[rfarren]

A-basin is not the place where schedule a date. The place dictates when you are welcome to visit.

Nor to take a date. Although, Loveland is a nice place. I hear people get married on the summit there every year on valentine's day.

 

[Tony Crocker]

A-basin is not the place where schedule a date.

That's why I discourage the spring fly-ins from out of state.

Once the warm weather hits, there is no place better.

Mammoth and Bachelor, both with at least 4x the terrain and more consistent spring weather???

While I was there A-basin got less snow than every other resort, and not by a little.

Abnormal pattern of the past 2 seasons. A-Basin normally gets somewhat more than Breck and Copper and much more than Keystone. The excess is concentrated in March/April.

For Christ’s sake, either keep snowing and cover up the crust, or let the sun shine to soften it up.

This is the generic problem with Colorado storms: moderate storms of several inches of light and dry powder are not enough to keep you from bottoming out on the subsurface, which will be unpleasant if it's refrozen spring snow. A foot of Sierra snow will resurface nearly everything and keep you above the subsurface, like last Friday at Mammoth. If it's dry snow and steep terrain, you might need 2 feet of it, and LCC is is the only lift-served place I know of where you'll get that with any frequency.

 

[salida]

Mammoth and Bachelor, both with at least 4x the terrain and more consistent spring weather???

Tony it's about the scene at the basin.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Tony it's about the scene at the basin.

Closing day at Mammoth is not too bad. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2152

Besides, Admin and crew make their own scene at AltaBird, and have much better skiing to go along with it. :wink:

 

[salida]

Tony it's about the scene at the basin.

Closing day at Mammoth is not too bad. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2152

Besides, Admin and crew make their own scene at AltaBird, and have much better skiing to go along with it. :wink:

No where even competes to the beach scene. Happens every weekend, march thru june.

I think the spring skiing at the basin is better then almost anywhere else. Much higher elevation, the corn sticks around longer, and your almost always guaranteed a freeze over night. Unlike CA/UT.

Stolen image:

 

[Tony Crocker]

I guess I should ask if salida has ever been to Mammoth, and if so at what time of year. I do know that A-Basin does not salt its groomers. Therefore on a very warm day the corn will not last anywhere near as long as Mammoth's. The other skiing that's good late season is skier-packed steeps and moguls. If Pali is closed in early May, what's there after that to interest the expert for long? We're skiing most of the top runs at Mammoth into June, and even runs as extreme as Hangman's on July 4th occasionally.

Mammoth is 11,000 at the top and freezes overnight about half the time in May/June I'd guess. I would expect A-Basin to freeze more often, but that is more than offset by salting the groomers IMHO.

More pics:
July 2, 2005: viewtopic.php?t=1106
Memorial weekend of a crappy year in 2007: viewtopic.php?t=3217
June 1, 2008: viewtopic.php?t=6848

 

[itbeme]

Many years ago, when I was a young man, a couple Denver natives took me up to A-Basin to ski in a mid-April snow storm--my first time skiing west of the Appalachians. Among other things, we skied down a ridge and they dropped off a cornice into some deep powder on a steep hill. I had no choice but to follow and with great effort I made my way down to the bottom. Three days later we returned on a beautiful warm sunny day and I remember sitting on a deck drinking beer, eating grilled cheeseburgers, listening to music and chatting up some girls who were sunbathing. Naturally, I thought A-Basin was the greatest place on earth. Those memories may have influenced my decision to ski there again last week, and while this most recent trip obviously didn't come close to those two days many years ago, I will always have fond memories of A-Basin. I'll just have to choose the day(s) more carefully next time.

 

[salida]

Many years ago, when I was a young man, a couple Denver natives took me up to A-Basin to ski in a mid-April snow storm--my first time skiing west of the Appalachians. Among other things, we skied down a ridge and they dropped off a cornice into some deep powder on a steep hill. I had no choice but to follow and with great effort I made my way down to the bottom. Three days later we returned on a beautiful warm sunny day and I remember sitting on a deck drinking beer, eating grilled cheeseburgers, listening to music and chatting up some girls who were sunbathing. Naturally, I thought A-Basin was the greatest place on earth. Those memories may have influenced my decision to ski there again last week, and while this most recent trip obviously didn't come close to those two days many years ago, I will always have fond memories of A-Basin. I'll just have to choose the day(s) more carefully next time.

My sentiments exactly. Especially the sunbathing girls. The salida axiom of life one sunbathing girl = 12 inches of powder. One can see how the feet add up quickly.

 

[SoCal Rider]

I live 15 minutes from the beach in SoCal, so ...

 

[ski-the-face]

^ good point. in So. Cal. something like 24 sunbathing girls=12 inches of pow

 

[Tony Crocker]

I should mention again that I've skied A-Basin last weekend of April twice. Both times with mostly winter conditions, much better than what itbeme experienced. I think he was just unlucky. I recommend A-Basin highly in April. It averages 52 inches new snow (also 29 in May) and the season maximum base depth (critical on steep terrain) is on average achieved during the 3rd week of April. I just think A-Basin's reputation is somewhat misplaced. Its strength is the winter conditions and frequent powder for a month after most places have long gone to spring. For the very late season, after early May, I believe it's overrated, particularly with the new policy to close Pali.

one sunbathing girl = 12 inches of powder.

Only in Utah is the latter so commonplace for that equation to make sense. :lol:

 

[itbeme]

While Utah's in the midst of a big storm, I noticed in today's local paper:

"Silver Lake, Colo., got 75.8 inches of snow on April 15, 1921. This was the largest 24-hour snowfall in U.S. history." (Washington Post, April 15, 2009, p.B8, Col.1).

Silver Lake is about 30 miles NE of A-Basin? I don't know much about weather or snow patterns, but I would have guessed the PNW, or perhaps the Sierra's, holding the record 24 hr. snowfall. I wonder where the moisture for that storm came from.

 

[EMSC]

Silver Lake is about 30 miles NE of A-Basin? I don't know much about weather or snow patterns, but I would have guessed the PNW, or perhaps the Sierra's, holding the record 24 hr. snowfall. I wonder where the moisture for that storm came from.

An "upslope" storm would have been responsible. Have a L pressure come in and stall in the right place in SE Colo sucking/pushing Gulf moisture 'backwards' (from the E or NE) against the front range/continental divide. Just 6 years ago Eldora got 72" from a similar event, though over 2 days (and nearby locals were approaching 100" but again over well more than 24 hrs).

 

[itbeme]

Looking at this evening's animated national radar images, I can get an idea of what you are talking about. I never realized so much moisture could move over north Texas, which is quite arid normally (I think), and end up in the Co mountains.

 

[ChrisC]

For the very late season, after early May, I believe it's overrated, particularly with the new policy to close Pali.

I did not realize they are closing Pali now after that slide. Is that a lawyer or patrol decision?

 

[EMSC]

Is that a lawyer or patrol decision?

Officially patrol's call, but they shut it down way earlier now. Pali might stay open through 2nd weekend of May in some years - same with the East wall terrain shuts with a good snowpack still on it.


The storm the Utah folks have been getting is now over here. Should be pounding snow @ Loveland & A-Basin tonight as it's pouring rain (at 37 degrees) along the front range. Forecasters can't decide if it'll stay rain or if it will be up to 2 feet of snow for Denver area over the next 36 hours. Should be interesting. Mtns should get 2-3 feet plus (hopefully). But then we're prepping for earnings & outlook release for the street so I may be stuck working this weekend (I hope not!).