The predicted Southwest storm was expected to arrive Thursday, but exact timing and locations were uncertain. It was raining when we left Durango about 8:15AM and continued intermittently on the drive to Pagosa Springs. To no surprise it soon turned to snow and was dumping when we arrived at Wolf Creek.
There had been very little traffic, but when we arrived at 10AM we were directed to a fairly distant lot so there were lots of people. When walking to the base area about half the license plates were from Oklahoma, so it wasn’t had to figure out who was on spring break. The prior week was Texas spring break, when Wolf Creek is notoriously crowded. Some locals said there were liftlines early this week but that our day was quieter. We never waited behind more than 10 people or so for the lifts, but we decided not to battle likely lunch crowds in the lodge.
The snow had only started about 6AM, so there was maybe an inch or two before the snow let up not long after we arrived. We took a warmup run on Thumper, which had a crunch at the bottom where it bent to a more east exposure. As it was still thick overcast I only knew this from my prior visit on a sunny day when the runs from Raven chair were more springlike.
We moved to the Bonanza chair and then Treasure, which serves the most vertical and more interesting terrain on Wolf Creek’s main area. Top of Treasure view to Alberta Peak:
View down Treasure chair as the snow has stopped and fog has lifted:
Looking back up at Alberta Face under the lift:
This was steep enough to have all winter snow.
Here Liz is in the scattered trees between Alberta Face and Silver Streak.
After three runs on Treasure we skied Scat into Glory Hole and eventually reached Waterfall gate #4. In 2001 some of the Waterfall runs were sketchy but within this year’s 160+ inch base I wasn’t too worried. We skied Big Drop here.
It was well covered but partial east facing with a firm subsurface.
We spent most of the afternoon on the Alberta lift, where 90+% of the Texas and Oklahoma spring breakers never venture. On our first Alberta run we ventured far out the Coyote Park trail and skied a mellow section of trees.
The next time we only traversed bit skier’s left from the lift into Shazam.
The runs closer to the lift have steep drops near the top.
Next was Chute #1 just past Tsunami.
The lower tree skiing is flatter and thus had some crunch under the new snow.
But Wolf Creek in general has comfortable tree spacing all over, which I’ve found to be relatively rare in Colorado.
Since I was last at Wolf Creek the Charity Jane Express has been added to ease the exit from skiing far skier’s right from the Alberta lift. We also skied Pitch’s Gate skier’s left of Alberta.
Liz took the Erma chair to the base for a short break while I explored to Chute #7.
The Numbered Chutes are steep enough that it’s best to follow the red diamond signs to the recommended paths.
I returned to the main area and skied a Holy Moses and Treasure Falls before we left around 4PM. I finished with 16,000 vertical and a few bits and pieces of powder.
As we descended the west side of Wolf Creek Pass the storm arrived in full force. We had another bout of intense snow around the Colorado/New Mexico border as we drove south.
Wolf Creek got a foot of snow overnight, which I’m sure resulted in a stellar Friday of skiing. But we did OK with only half as much at Pajarito.
There had been very little traffic, but when we arrived at 10AM we were directed to a fairly distant lot so there were lots of people. When walking to the base area about half the license plates were from Oklahoma, so it wasn’t had to figure out who was on spring break. The prior week was Texas spring break, when Wolf Creek is notoriously crowded. Some locals said there were liftlines early this week but that our day was quieter. We never waited behind more than 10 people or so for the lifts, but we decided not to battle likely lunch crowds in the lodge.
The snow had only started about 6AM, so there was maybe an inch or two before the snow let up not long after we arrived. We took a warmup run on Thumper, which had a crunch at the bottom where it bent to a more east exposure. As it was still thick overcast I only knew this from my prior visit on a sunny day when the runs from Raven chair were more springlike.
We moved to the Bonanza chair and then Treasure, which serves the most vertical and more interesting terrain on Wolf Creek’s main area. Top of Treasure view to Alberta Peak:
View down Treasure chair as the snow has stopped and fog has lifted:
Looking back up at Alberta Face under the lift:
This was steep enough to have all winter snow.
Here Liz is in the scattered trees between Alberta Face and Silver Streak.
After three runs on Treasure we skied Scat into Glory Hole and eventually reached Waterfall gate #4. In 2001 some of the Waterfall runs were sketchy but within this year’s 160+ inch base I wasn’t too worried. We skied Big Drop here.
It was well covered but partial east facing with a firm subsurface.
We spent most of the afternoon on the Alberta lift, where 90+% of the Texas and Oklahoma spring breakers never venture. On our first Alberta run we ventured far out the Coyote Park trail and skied a mellow section of trees.
The next time we only traversed bit skier’s left from the lift into Shazam.
The runs closer to the lift have steep drops near the top.
Next was Chute #1 just past Tsunami.
The lower tree skiing is flatter and thus had some crunch under the new snow.
But Wolf Creek in general has comfortable tree spacing all over, which I’ve found to be relatively rare in Colorado.
Since I was last at Wolf Creek the Charity Jane Express has been added to ease the exit from skiing far skier’s right from the Alberta lift. We also skied Pitch’s Gate skier’s left of Alberta.
Liz took the Erma chair to the base for a short break while I explored to Chute #7.
The Numbered Chutes are steep enough that it’s best to follow the red diamond signs to the recommended paths.
I returned to the main area and skied a Holy Moses and Treasure Falls before we left around 4PM. I finished with 16,000 vertical and a few bits and pieces of powder.
As we descended the west side of Wolf Creek Pass the storm arrived in full force. We had another bout of intense snow around the Colorado/New Mexico border as we drove south.
Wolf Creek got a foot of snow overnight, which I’m sure resulted in a stellar Friday of skiing. But we did OK with only half as much at Pajarito.
