EMSC
Well-known member
Another unexpected powder day under clear blue skies.
Report was 3" overnight, but there was more than that in the trees and on some of the east wall. I got a late start after doing more emails and work first thing in the AM and headed off alone as my wife has been very sick. By the time I got to the top of Pali, it was already 11am. All of central Co has been getting good snow the past week or so, but I figured even the 3" overnight would have been basically tracked out by hoards.
Not at all, the basin was shockingly empty for this time of year. My longest lift wait was maybe 10 chairs. Plus especially the trees on Pali were not being skied hardly at all and appeared to have not gotten too much attention Sat either which was weird since a guy I rode the lift with said it was very crowded on Sat (and overcast with poor, flat light). Anyway, anything from the promised 3" up to ~8 inches or so and quite a few areas with no tracks or at least sections of fresh (such as one or two had skied, but alternating your turns with theirs gave you basically untracked).
After 8 laps of Pali (never did hit main street or international which were skied out powderwise anyway), I headed for the east wall areas. First hiking up North pole to 1st which looked good but was land mine city for the first 150' of vert (at least). After picking my way through the mine field, the lower 2/3 was excellent. Not wanting to waste my time down hiking any more North Pole chutes I opted for a very covered looking (it was) Willie's Wide. Great run and reasonably good powder still even at 2:30pm.
With my legs getting tired I did a quick lap into Montezuma bowl where the snow had gotten soft and a bit clumpy, but surprisingly not TOO soft & lumpy. Still rather skiable and fun. Finally a couple laps of Falcon/land of giants on the front side before calling it a day around 3:45. Only the very bottom (or lift area flat spots) got soft to slushy snow. However 10degrees warmer still for the next two days is in the forecast.
I should add a note in here somewhere about knowing A-Basin quite well. At one point a bunch of years ago it was the only season pass I had (pre-colo pass wars), etc... So I know where I am going at all times, where the danger points are, cliffs, etc... Thus why I was not reluctant to hit steeps, trees, etc... on the frontside (heck my warmup run was Gauthier - about as filled in with snow as it ever gets...).
The ride home stank as apparently a lot of people were hitting the big resorts final day, so I-70 clogged up - the latest in the ski season I've ever seen it do that (never had a prob after the first weekend in apr). And then, holy cow, the shorts, t-shirts and road bikers down here on the front range today. Spring has sprung down here in the flatlands.
Pics in just a minute or two.
Report was 3" overnight, but there was more than that in the trees and on some of the east wall. I got a late start after doing more emails and work first thing in the AM and headed off alone as my wife has been very sick. By the time I got to the top of Pali, it was already 11am. All of central Co has been getting good snow the past week or so, but I figured even the 3" overnight would have been basically tracked out by hoards.
Not at all, the basin was shockingly empty for this time of year. My longest lift wait was maybe 10 chairs. Plus especially the trees on Pali were not being skied hardly at all and appeared to have not gotten too much attention Sat either which was weird since a guy I rode the lift with said it was very crowded on Sat (and overcast with poor, flat light). Anyway, anything from the promised 3" up to ~8 inches or so and quite a few areas with no tracks or at least sections of fresh (such as one or two had skied, but alternating your turns with theirs gave you basically untracked).
After 8 laps of Pali (never did hit main street or international which were skied out powderwise anyway), I headed for the east wall areas. First hiking up North pole to 1st which looked good but was land mine city for the first 150' of vert (at least). After picking my way through the mine field, the lower 2/3 was excellent. Not wanting to waste my time down hiking any more North Pole chutes I opted for a very covered looking (it was) Willie's Wide. Great run and reasonably good powder still even at 2:30pm.
With my legs getting tired I did a quick lap into Montezuma bowl where the snow had gotten soft and a bit clumpy, but surprisingly not TOO soft & lumpy. Still rather skiable and fun. Finally a couple laps of Falcon/land of giants on the front side before calling it a day around 3:45. Only the very bottom (or lift area flat spots) got soft to slushy snow. However 10degrees warmer still for the next two days is in the forecast.
I should add a note in here somewhere about knowing A-Basin quite well. At one point a bunch of years ago it was the only season pass I had (pre-colo pass wars), etc... So I know where I am going at all times, where the danger points are, cliffs, etc... Thus why I was not reluctant to hit steeps, trees, etc... on the frontside (heck my warmup run was Gauthier - about as filled in with snow as it ever gets...).
The ride home stank as apparently a lot of people were hitting the big resorts final day, so I-70 clogged up - the latest in the ski season I've ever seen it do that (never had a prob after the first weekend in apr). And then, holy cow, the shorts, t-shirts and road bikers down here on the front range today. Spring has sprung down here in the flatlands.
Pics in just a minute or two.
