EMSC
Well-known member
No time to do daily write-ups for simple Eldora days this past ~month.
After solid late Dec and first half+ of Jan snowfalls, the storms in Colo began to be from generally the wrong direction for Eldora to get more than a couple inches here or there. Eldora never really got to a point of bad conditions, but slowly firmer and by afternoon scratchier groomers, the steeps slow formed huge moguls with some sections getting to be fairly rocky in the troughs. For a couple of weeks I believe they only got 3" per week which helped soften surfaces just enough to be OK, but not great.
Finally for the past several days the rare but nice purely orographic snowfall from being so close to the divide got up to ~9" over several days. Not enough to attract hordes of Ikon pass skiers, but enough to really soften up much of the hill and even the steeps. Specifically getting ~4" this past Wed/Thur; then 0" on the report, but getting a soft 3" during the day on Sunday; and instead of the forecast huge winds on presidents Monday they instead got un-forecast snow squalls most of the day dropping another 2".
With yesterday being the best day of the month there, for me at least. With the huge wind forecast (prediction was 60+ MPH, which I believe they are now getting today with upper mtn on wind hold), and Monday always the lightest day of the holiday weekend, the place was not busy and those that were there were almost exclusively skiing the groomers. To the point that even late in the afternoon, my son and I were #2 & 3 on Moose glade, Chute one, parts of Salto, etc... Not deep powder or anything but still 2-5" tracks all to ourselves on the fun steeps. Given the Ikon hordes for big snow events nowadays, that's about as good as it gets is smaller un-forecast snowfalls with literally no competition at all.
This coming weekend will be lots of scraped off groomers at Golden Peak at Vail (son racing), so no more Eldora days for me this month.
Several ski days I took literally no pics.
I tried to get one of the race coaches mid-air but instead got him landing. Of note in this pic, the massive amount of brown is not due to lack of snowfall, but due to the huge winds scouring that entire hillside. Also of note is the highest elevation of the parking lots which is brand new this year. In total that plus a couple other areas near the Nordic center added ~800 new parking spaces. They have 100% filled esp on Saturdays multiple times already this season...
This was my only picture on Sunday 19th. Too dang cold! Temps in the upper teens but 20mph breeze and snow all day made it feel much colder.
The rest of these are from yesterday the 20th. The only real difference from Sunday being 10F warmer.
Upper Ambush. Hint: lookers right is in good condition, the rest not so much (it's that way every year)
Moose glade is known for lots of big and random wind drifts.
If I recall this might be in "Chute 1"
Pure lifting of moist air by the continental divide... The sun is almost out. And only half way down the shelf road towards Nederland and it was only flurries, with temps Sun & Mon in the 50F's in sunny Boulder but only 19F & 29F with snow at Eldora.
After solid late Dec and first half+ of Jan snowfalls, the storms in Colo began to be from generally the wrong direction for Eldora to get more than a couple inches here or there. Eldora never really got to a point of bad conditions, but slowly firmer and by afternoon scratchier groomers, the steeps slow formed huge moguls with some sections getting to be fairly rocky in the troughs. For a couple of weeks I believe they only got 3" per week which helped soften surfaces just enough to be OK, but not great.
Finally for the past several days the rare but nice purely orographic snowfall from being so close to the divide got up to ~9" over several days. Not enough to attract hordes of Ikon pass skiers, but enough to really soften up much of the hill and even the steeps. Specifically getting ~4" this past Wed/Thur; then 0" on the report, but getting a soft 3" during the day on Sunday; and instead of the forecast huge winds on presidents Monday they instead got un-forecast snow squalls most of the day dropping another 2".
With yesterday being the best day of the month there, for me at least. With the huge wind forecast (prediction was 60+ MPH, which I believe they are now getting today with upper mtn on wind hold), and Monday always the lightest day of the holiday weekend, the place was not busy and those that were there were almost exclusively skiing the groomers. To the point that even late in the afternoon, my son and I were #2 & 3 on Moose glade, Chute one, parts of Salto, etc... Not deep powder or anything but still 2-5" tracks all to ourselves on the fun steeps. Given the Ikon hordes for big snow events nowadays, that's about as good as it gets is smaller un-forecast snowfalls with literally no competition at all.
This coming weekend will be lots of scraped off groomers at Golden Peak at Vail (son racing), so no more Eldora days for me this month.
Several ski days I took literally no pics.
I tried to get one of the race coaches mid-air but instead got him landing. Of note in this pic, the massive amount of brown is not due to lack of snowfall, but due to the huge winds scouring that entire hillside. Also of note is the highest elevation of the parking lots which is brand new this year. In total that plus a couple other areas near the Nordic center added ~800 new parking spaces. They have 100% filled esp on Saturdays multiple times already this season...
This was my only picture on Sunday 19th. Too dang cold! Temps in the upper teens but 20mph breeze and snow all day made it feel much colder.
The rest of these are from yesterday the 20th. The only real difference from Sunday being 10F warmer.
Upper Ambush. Hint: lookers right is in good condition, the rest not so much (it's that way every year)
Moose glade is known for lots of big and random wind drifts.
If I recall this might be in "Chute 1"
Pure lifting of moist air by the continental divide... The sun is almost out. And only half way down the shelf road towards Nederland and it was only flurries, with temps Sun & Mon in the 50F's in sunny Boulder but only 19F & 29F with snow at Eldora.