EMSC
Well-known member
Sunny and almost too warm.
The day started with plenty of chill at 14F in the Corona lot on MJ side of the hill. The commute being longer than expected with nearly an hour of traffic delays on I70. Having just done this commute a couple weeks ago with only ~25min of delays up, the guess was that everyone was skiing Saturday and not Sunday this past weekend due to the Superbowl.
The planning worked out about perfect though, arriving a bit after 8a and meeting up with Skieric from the site whos Mustang spot I took this year. He and his son were parked in the same lot as myself and my son after flying in from Toronto the prior evening. With me leading especially the early runs where I knew that Panorama would be packed with crowds soon enough for example. So we headed that way for 2 laps first before heading up Sunnyside and then over to Eagle Wind once lines started to form on Panorama. The biggest shock of the day may have been literal zero wind at the top of Panorama lift. Something that basically never happens.
Snow was nice in general with 3" from Thursday am report still around the edges of trees and keeping moguls somewhat soft except the most used lines that were more firm and chalky.
We ended up doing multiple laps on the Eagle Wind as we waited for Skieric's sister and fiancé from Denver to meet up with us. Eventually with a shockingly huge lift line having formed in the gully where the base of Eagle Wind lift is. Part of the problem was some sort of mechanical issue, with the lift stopped for 15+ minutes or so. By then temperatures had warmed up considerably with all of us overdressed by one layer until we had time to ski past the parking lot and ditch some clothes in the early afternoon. Temps at the base warmed up to the mid-30's by afternoon.
After making it out of Eagle Wind (where we finally met up with his sister&fiancé), we took a lunch break for the kids sake at Lunch Rocks. After lunch Skieric wanted to try out the various bump runs on the lower MJ side and stick to some of the older fixed grip lifts to avoid the lift lines on the major lifts. So we tried out Hole in the Wall (one of the most interesting routes at WP/MJ) then Baldys off the Challenger chair (us two the rest did steep but slightly easier/open Runaway). Ditching clothes to the cars at the bottom. Some definite bony entrances to those chutes despite sold snowfall this year and Hole in the Wall has a ~20vertical foot section mid-way that is very bony on one side of the not quite ski length wide available trail. Sorry Skieric, usually it's decent coverage the rest of the way if the entrance is OK.
Then shifting to a run on Iron Horse one ridgeline over; where it was clear the kids were tiring. Since we needed to make it back to the cars, that meant one more run off the Super Gauge, this time to Runaway trail, ending by 3:25 or so as I recall. Great to get to meet you Skieric & son.
EMSC Jr near bottom of Eagle Wind
Skieric & son
Some part of Hole in the Wall
Near the bottom of Hole in the Wall. From Lookers left is where you come out onto this final pitch.
Skieric's sister on final run
The day started with plenty of chill at 14F in the Corona lot on MJ side of the hill. The commute being longer than expected with nearly an hour of traffic delays on I70. Having just done this commute a couple weeks ago with only ~25min of delays up, the guess was that everyone was skiing Saturday and not Sunday this past weekend due to the Superbowl.
The planning worked out about perfect though, arriving a bit after 8a and meeting up with Skieric from the site whos Mustang spot I took this year. He and his son were parked in the same lot as myself and my son after flying in from Toronto the prior evening. With me leading especially the early runs where I knew that Panorama would be packed with crowds soon enough for example. So we headed that way for 2 laps first before heading up Sunnyside and then over to Eagle Wind once lines started to form on Panorama. The biggest shock of the day may have been literal zero wind at the top of Panorama lift. Something that basically never happens.
Snow was nice in general with 3" from Thursday am report still around the edges of trees and keeping moguls somewhat soft except the most used lines that were more firm and chalky.
We ended up doing multiple laps on the Eagle Wind as we waited for Skieric's sister and fiancé from Denver to meet up with us. Eventually with a shockingly huge lift line having formed in the gully where the base of Eagle Wind lift is. Part of the problem was some sort of mechanical issue, with the lift stopped for 15+ minutes or so. By then temperatures had warmed up considerably with all of us overdressed by one layer until we had time to ski past the parking lot and ditch some clothes in the early afternoon. Temps at the base warmed up to the mid-30's by afternoon.
After making it out of Eagle Wind (where we finally met up with his sister&fiancé), we took a lunch break for the kids sake at Lunch Rocks. After lunch Skieric wanted to try out the various bump runs on the lower MJ side and stick to some of the older fixed grip lifts to avoid the lift lines on the major lifts. So we tried out Hole in the Wall (one of the most interesting routes at WP/MJ) then Baldys off the Challenger chair (us two the rest did steep but slightly easier/open Runaway). Ditching clothes to the cars at the bottom. Some definite bony entrances to those chutes despite sold snowfall this year and Hole in the Wall has a ~20vertical foot section mid-way that is very bony on one side of the not quite ski length wide available trail. Sorry Skieric, usually it's decent coverage the rest of the way if the entrance is OK.
Then shifting to a run on Iron Horse one ridgeline over; where it was clear the kids were tiring. Since we needed to make it back to the cars, that meant one more run off the Super Gauge, this time to Runaway trail, ending by 3:25 or so as I recall. Great to get to meet you Skieric & son.
EMSC Jr near bottom of Eagle Wind
Skieric & son
Some part of Hole in the Wall
Near the bottom of Hole in the Wall. From Lookers left is where you come out onto this final pitch.
Skieric's sister on final run