Aspen/Snowmass early April - what can I expect?

[007]

planning a 7 night/6 day week in Aspen the first week of April 2008. Have never been before. Assuming 2007/8 is an average/decent year snow-wise, what can I expect in terms of conditions there?

- slush @ base by mid-day?
- Cirque + Hanging Valley still open?
- winter snow conditions up top?
- some lifts finished for the season?
- recduced grooming?
- can it puke?

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[Tony Crocker]

I've been to Aspen/Snowmass March 28 - April 1, 1998, which had 15 inches new snow and was mostly winter conditions. I was also there March 21-24, 2004, which was nearly all spring conditions during a 3 week heat wave. But my kids' spring breaks were around the first of April for over a decade, and in Colorado I can say that the latter trip was much more unusual than the former.

- slush @ base by mid-day?

Probably 50+%. But except at Buttermilk (which I've never skied) you're going to be at least 1/3 of the way up the hill nearly all day.

- Cirque + Hanging Valley still open?

90% These areas take a long time to get open, but once open almost never close due to excellent snow preservation. Cirque/Hanging Valley were open during the 2004 heat wave, but they closed at 2:45PM each day.

- winter snow conditions up top?

Despite the unseasonable hot weather in 2004 and 2007, I'd say 70% winter up top over the long run on April 1.

- some lifts finished for the season?

Buttermilk and Highlands close first weekend in April (April 6, 2008 as posted on their website), so I wouldn't do a destination trip any later than that.

- reduced grooming?

I would think not. If Aspen keeps a trail open, they will likely maintain it.

- can it puke?

Definitely. Average April snowfall at Gothic (30 miles south of Aspen if you're a bird) is 80% of what it gets in March.

I'm very high on these high altitude southwest destinations at this time of year. Very uncrowded; that's why they close so early, often with their maximum coverage and sometimes best conditions of the season. Telluride held up even better than Aspen in 2004, and we had a great spring break at Taos in 1993. Crested Butte was good too on my first two spring trips there, but unfortunately the 2007 heat wave was too much for the North Face in a below average snow year.

 

[ChrisC]

planning a 7 night/6 day week in Aspen the first week of April 2008. Have never been before. Assuming 2007/8 is an average/decent year snow-wise, what can I expect in terms of conditions there?

- slush @ base by mid-day?
- Cirque + Hanging Valley still open?
- winter snow conditions up top?
- some lifts finished for the season?
- recduced grooming?
- can it puke?

Thanks for any feedback!

I think you should be fine too. I'm basing most of my observations from time spent in Telluride during the Spring -- which is very similar to Aspen's climate.

On a typical sunny SW Colorado day, you will have softening on mid/lower elevations. Roughly elevations below 10k or so. Winter conditions should prevail above this - especially on north-facing slopes. Operationally, everything is generally maintained/open. Snowfall can be heavy and powdery.

Generally, there is very little snow in town. Do not expect a winter wonderland. Also, you might need to wait for some 'softening' of the snow.

Here are some April trip reports from Telluride last year after average yearly snowfall and a very, very warm March.

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... php?t=3115
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... php?t=3116
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... php?t=3117

 

[007]

thanks for the encouraging feedback - I'm in Toronto and can do a week in Aspen for less $$$ in early April 2008 that in either Banff or Whistler (both of which I've done in early April)

 

[ChrisC]

I was in Banff a week or two before April in Telluride -- and they ski quite similarly at that time of year. Deepest bases of the season, good preserved snow, etc.

But if you can do Aspen reasonably - with a declining American dollar -go! The Hanging Valley area at Snowmass is quite interesting. Also Highlands Bowl is extremely worthwhile too.

 

[Pajarito-Bred]

I've skied Snomass a weekend or two every April for the last 12, I think it's a great place for late-season. Way Way better than someplace like Steamboat that time of year, which faces too much to the west and is lower elevation. Most of the feedback so far is on-target. Here's how it skis on a warm spring day.

1) Slush? Yep-Except Tony needs to double his estimate of slushiness at the bottom to 100%-- but it doesn't matter, since you also asked about the Cirque/Wall, sounds like you won't be spending the day on the lower part of the mtn. The slush is nasty at the bottom of Fanny Hill- you'll only see it on the last run of the day, or at the bottom of LongShot.
2) Steeps? The Wall will almost certainly be open, the top segment faces north, is almost always soft mid-winter conditions- no matter how warm at the base-- but the lower segment faces more to the east (facing the Elk Camp lift) and may be firm/icy early, then over-softened by 1 pm. The cirque is gonna be soft and light, except in the most extreme heat/dry spell.
3) Winter? Yes, the 3 upper lifts-Burn-High Alpine-Elk Camp will normally stay nice-n-soft-n-wintry, even on warm days.
4) Closures? The only lifts that might close early in a mediocre snow year are the low-elevation bookends Campground or Two Creeks, bummer but not a deal-killer.
5) Groomers? They don't let up on the snowcats, even on the last day of the year there's plenty of fresh-groomed to atone for those starry, flake-free nights.
6) Freshies? Yes, absolutely! I've had a couple of mid-April last-day-of-the season 12" + powder dumps.

It's definitely worth a trip to Highlands for a day or two, Aspen Mtn (Ajax) for one. All three have similar altitudes/verts. Depends on the snow and your inclination to ski 3 of 4, and if you're staying in town or at Snowmass. Buttermilk only for novices or wicked high-wind January days. Stay in town to max out the party side of the ski/party equation (I'm still working on the formula), or at Snowmass for better access to ski in/out.

If you can get a decent price on a flight to Eagle (between Vail and Aspen) or Aspen it could be worthwhile, unless you have extra (non-weekend, ideally) days to ski Summit County or Vail.

 

[ChrisC]

I've skied Snomass a weekend or two every April for the last 12, I think it's a great place for late-season. Way Way better than someplace like Steamboat that time of year, which faces too much to the west and is lower elevation. Most of the feedback so far is on-target. Here's how it skis on a warm spring day.

Pajarito, Do you have a favorite Colorado late season ski place since you live in central location to get to many of them?

 

[Pajarito-Bred]

>>>Do you have a favorite Colorado late season ski place since you live in central location to get to many of them?


Sittin' here a week before my first '07/'08 ski day, thinkin' about how it's all gonna end is is tough. Especially this year, as I've got the first three weeks of April already booked up with a rafting trip. (ooh! maybe a pre-raft-trip ski day at AZ Snowbowl! ) I'm really hoping for a few bonus ski weekends at the end of April, which means A-basin (or Loveland) most years.
Where-to-ski late-season depends on, of course, if I've got any more prepaid-for days to use up, best guess of the weather, and if I'm planning to meet up with a front-range friend in/near Summit County.
Most years the bikes and the raft and the skis are battling it out in the garage for who gets to go out and play in April-
For my favorite late-season skiing, mid-April or later, I'll have to dig deep into the memory banks to find a year where we didn't have a nasty spring heat wave swoop in and and melt everything-- Areas like Beaver Creek and Snowmass seem to be rigid in their mid-April closing dates, regardless of snow.
But Vail and Breck (Peak 6, T-bar) some years have great snow in early May, and will stay open if they can. The spring snow in the back bowls at Vail can be incredibly great, it helps to know the exposures to follow the sun around the ridges. And on the front side there's rumors of a brand-new high-speed quad Chair 10 (that's so great!- I'm so pissed! depending on the moment) Copper has a high-elev. base, and also stays open late if they've got the snow for it. I'm not a big fan of their back bowl area- the east side of the mountain softens up nicely, though (Resolution bowl) I'm not geographically situated close enough to ski Winter Park/Mary Jane, 4+ hours away, no recent ski experience there.
Of course there's A-basin! And a new back bowl Montezuma bowl this year, can't wait to try it out! They stay open 'til the 4th of July most years. AND although I haven't not yet been down to Silverton Mountain (what the heck is wrong with me? Oh yeah, that knee......) In a good snow year, looks like they've got the terrain and altitude for a nice late-season.
Ok, now I'm really tired of this extended mid-Nov. warm spell, where oh where is that first really cold, cold front? If I have to get my bike out one more time I'm gonna scream!