A-Basin, CO 3-1-08

[EMSC]

Did a late start to get some errands run in 'real' life and etc... Arriving at 12:30 and parking a few rows from the front in the early riser pkg lot.

Mostly did some early spring like skiing in Montezuma bowl. The pitch of the skiers right bowl softened up without getting mushy or real wet. Skiers left stayed more wintery, but after getting the opportunity to explore some more, that side is mostly not worth it unless/until the rest of A-basin gets tracked up on a powder day. Skiers left traverse out to the side loses quite a lot of vertical (and poor snow depth from wind scouring) and then you end up with maybe 500-600 vert of real skiing, of which only 300 or so has decent pitch at the bottom in the trees. Skiers right is the real attraction of Montezuma.

The only lift line for us was when they had to stop the lift for 5 minutes to put a contraption on the Zuma lift to put a sled with an injured person on. Not a particularly efficient method for getting people out of there it seemed. So the new lift definitely is spreading folks out (cars were parked way up at the lots by the road maint sheds and beyond, so a good crowd for them.

The entire front side of A-basin stayed completely winter snow and chalky due to the exposure and altitude, though I only got a couple runs on the front. Pali looks covered well and report says 60" base which is a solid # for A-Basin. The chalky snow on front in spite of record high temps on Saturday in Colo. The lower part of East Wall is now open. Looks very sketchy still for any of the chutes or North Pole routes any time soon above the East Wall though.

 

[ChrisC]

Mostly did some early spring like skiing in Montezuma bowl. The pitch of the skiers right bowl softened up without getting mushy or real wet. Skiers left stayed more wintery, but after getting the opportunity to explore some more, that side is mostly not worth it unless/until the rest of A-basin gets tracked up on a powder day. Skiers left traverse out to the side loses quite a lot of vertical (and poor snow depth from wind scouring) and then you end up with maybe 500-600 vert of real skiing, of which only 300 or so has decent pitch at the bottom in the trees. Skiers right is the real attraction of Montezuma.

Nice pics.

I wanted to make it up the road from Keystone to Abasin, but it was not cards,

Do you think the Zuma Bowl will always be wind scoured?

 

[EMSC]

Do you think the Zuma Bowl will always be wind scoured?

Zuma Skiers left, after having been over there now, looks like it will probably always have some level of wind scouring. It faces west where a lot of storms are coming from. This particular year has been far windier than normal in Colo generally speaking, so would expect there to be some years where skiers left is better than now.

Zuma Skiers right, the wind is hitting the opposite side (back side) of the ridge and blowing snow into the skiable side of the bowl so not a concern on that side. Skiers right faces south/south east (just enough of an east component to the ridge line so that vast majority of storms should blow snow into, not out of that side).

 

[ChrisC]

This particular year has been far windier than normal in Colo generally speaking, so would expect there to be some years where skiers left is better than now.

Agreed. The wind scouring atop of Telluride's Gold Hill was much greater than usual. Although heavily loaded in some areas, other areas were down to rock when in less windy years a base can start to build with far less snow.

Even down low in town, the wind was loading the snow on houses quite severely. It was getting into ducts and everything. Late afternoons/evening were spent remedying this situtation.