Telluride 12/24/08 - Off the Hook

[ChrisC]

Things are off the hook in SW Colorado. The Southwest is prime. And Telluride in particular. Silverton too.

This is the best Christmas I've seen in Telluride from a coverage and quality of snow point-of-view - since 1990. And last year was pretty great!

The Revelation Bowl is a great addition to Telluride. I was lucky to have first tracks at an 1130AM opening with 1.5 feet of wind-blown. Open bowl at 12,000 ft and superb snow quality. Excellent.

Some pictures. Will try to do better during the week.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I presume the last pic is the new Resolution lift. Nice to see a few scattered treetops to provide orientation in bad visibility. Is Gold Hill adequately covered and skiable?

It's surprising how this season is unfolding similar to last year in many regions. The big snows started later, but the preceding drought was not as extreme as last year. In both seasons it's been a recipe for dangerous avalanche conditions.

This is not typical for western Colorado. Usually the snow builds up gradually and the steeps are not adequately covered until mid-January. As good as it is, still no North Face or High Lift open at Crested Butte, and only 5 out of 56 expert trails open at Taos. Since the storms are ongoing, it's certainly possible that coverage is now adequate for more of this terrain and thus it may open when control work is done.

 

[ChrisC]

I presume the last pic is the new Resolution lift. Nice to see a few scattered treetops to provide orientation in bad visibility. Is Gold Hill adequately covered and skiable?

It's surprising how this season is unfolding similar to last year in many regions. The big snows started later, but the preceding drought was not as extreme as last year. In both seasons it's been a recipe for dangerous avalanche conditions.

This is not typical for western Colorado. Usually the snow builds up gradually and the steeps are not adequately covered until mid-January. As good as it is, still no North Face or High Lift open at Crested Butte, and only 5 out of 56 expert trails open at Taos. Since the storms are ongoing, it's certainly possible that coverage is now adequate for more of this terrain and thus it may open when control work is done.

Telluride was amazing this year! Off the hook! Everything is open - things only closed for avalanche control. My Telluride trees - kiss of god's this week.

Tony - Telluride is closer to Alta/Bird than Taos. Crested Butte is closer to Vail than Telluride. Why do you try to unnaturally consolidate all of them??

Telluride had much better snow/snowfall than Alta, Snowbird (and everywhere else in Utah) this Christmas. Not just this year, but also December 2002 - I skied Alta/Telluride in a day of each other. And now 2008.

 

[Tony Crocker]

My Telluride trees - kiss of god's this week.

I know you're a local, but where is this great tree skiing? Chair 6 is spaced fairly well, but the most open parts have sunny exposure. The nice long fall lines on chair 9? Those trees look pretty tight to me and would require extreme rabbit warren skills, sort of like chair 10 at Vail. Several Sierra areas have way better tree skiing than Telluride IMHO. Not to mention Steamboat, the Kootenays, etc.

Tony - Telluride is closer to Alta/Bird than Taos. Crested Butte is closer to Vail than Telluride.

Yes, if you're a bird. I tried to keep my regional groupings to a manageable level (8 groups). I admit the northern Rockies groups (both U.S. and Canada) contain disparate climate zones. But the S&W Colorado group is quite homogeneous in terms of climate/topography. Nearly all get 250-300 inches of 6-8% snow per season, struggle to get their steeps covered, are at their best in late season and have notorious unstable backcountry snowpack. The San Juans are the poster child for the latter phenomenon.

Telluride is closer to Alta/Bird than Taos.

Telluride 277, Taos 263, Snowbird 463. :snowball fight:

Crested Butte is closer to Vail than Telluride.

Crested Butte 250, Telluride 277, Vail 359. :snowball fight:

Telluride had much better snow/snowfall than Alta, Snowbird (and everywhere else in Utah) this Christmas.

Dec. 1-15: Alta 40, Snowbird 32, Telluride 35
Dec. 16-22: Alta 32, Snowbird 33, Telluride 38
Dec. 23-31: Alta 44, Snowbird 38, Telluride 26
Looks pretty close to me. Average snow at AltaBird = Huge snow in most Colorado areas.

also December 2002

AltaBird was 65% of normal for November/December 2002. Telluride was about average. Actual snowfall was about the same. I have no doubt Telluride skied better because Snowbird in particular needs more coverage than Telluride. But if both areas are the same percent of normal snowfall at Christmas, we all know who will have a deeper base and more terrain open.

As of January 7, 2009 Telluride was at 179% of average snowfall, yet today it's still only 83% open. http://www.snocountry.com/snowclient/di ... =statelist. Yes, I know it's snow stability, but AltaBird has gotten through its December stability problems and everything is open now.

As a ski area Telluride has steadily improved over the years. During my first visit in 1992 it was often considered a "3 day area" due to awkward layout and disconnected sectors. The Prospect Bowl expansion tied the area together and made it flow much better. But some like Adam still would say, "Why are we skiing down here instead of up there?" Resolution is a nice first step above treeline, but the lift served alpine still pales beside Mammoth, Whistler, AltaBird, Squaw, Jackson. Unless you're a local who wants to hike over an hour to Palmyra at 13,000+.

 

[ChrisC]

My Telluride trees - kiss of god's this week.

I know you're a local, but where is this great tree skiing? Chair 6 is spaced fairly well, but the most open parts have sunny exposure. The nice long fall lines on chair 9? Those trees look pretty tight to me and would require extreme rabbit warren skills, sort of like chair 10 at Vail. Several Sierra areas have way better tree skiing than Telluride IMHO. Not to mention Steamboat, the Kootenays, etc.

There is a ton of tree skiing at Telluride that is exceptional. I think the large pines in the Sierra/Cascades are too big, the maples/oak of New England too tight. BC is the best. Love Red Mt! Steamboat - meh. Stowe/Jay/Mad River ski better than the 'boat. I like parts of Snowbird/Snowbasin/Alta.

Telluride is pretty darn good for tree-skiing.

The entire mile long ridge of Gold Hill has better tree skiing than trail skiing. Turn anywhere on skier's left - wow! Perfect trees followed by open areas that include a usual tight/cliffy spot or open bowl shot - all generally fluffy from lack of traffic. Very fun 1500 vert laps.

Chair 6 is a bowl - all trees are skiable here. They are almost too wide. And you have north to south exposure in this area. And there are areas further out from Apex - like Sully's Remote. Or you could just ski north slots of Silver Glade. Or my favorite Chongo's.

Chair 9 - my favorite area of all. There is a large bowl between Plunge and Lookout - and local's have gladed it out to perfect trees for 2,000-2,500 vertical. It's a huge area. But instead of alpine terrain - it's hand-crafted glades - with trimmings like smoke huts, no brush, trimmed bases, etc. Also, the trees from Bushwacker-to-Plunge top 50% are great. Especially between Mammoth and Spiral Stairs.

(To do 2,000 vert foot laps in powder trees late PM is one reason I still like Telluride.)

Chair 12 - The top 33% of this lift is steep and has well-spaced trees. Esp skier's left.

You really need a topo....but to get a visual

 

[ChrisC]

Telluride had much better snow/snowfall than Alta, Snowbird (and everywhere else in Utah) this Christmas.

Dec. 1-15: Alta 40, Snowbird 32, Telluride 35
Dec. 16-22: Alta 32, Snowbird 33, Telluride 38
Dec. 23-31: Alta 44, Snowbird 38, Telluride 26
Looks pretty close to me. Average snow at AltaBird = Huge snow in most Colorado areas.

Your stats are wrong. Do not know your sources for Telluride - but they prove to be off. (Hope you are not making the same mistakes with all your other ski mountains).

You need to look at the resort website or even a local paper.

Telluride Watch:

During the month of December, a record-breaking 113.5 inches of white gold fell from the heavens onto Telluride, as if a gift directly from some benevolent snow god who heard our collective pleas that our winter be saved despite the recession.

Telluride Daily Planet:

This season has brought much of the same — 110-plus inches of snow deposited on Telluride in December, breaking last December’s record of 90 inches.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Last season Telluride was one of the areas where I used snocountry. I know those can be wrong, and don't use it for areas where I can see there's problem vs. other areas in the region with direct reporting.

This year I've noticed Telluride's website has a season total and use that.

The above are only for in-season reporting. I collect separately at the end of the season. In Colorado mostly from Colorado Avalanche Information Center, which is generally provided by snow safety people at the ski area.