Western Weather

[Marc_C]

Another indicator for this season: Snowbird announced their closing date - 13 May is their last day. As of today, they're down to just the Tram, Little Cloud, and the MBX - every other lift is closed for the season.

[Admin]

Another indicator for this season: Snowbird announced their closing date - 13 May is their last day. As of today, they're down to just the Tram, Little Cloud, and the MBX - every other lift is closed for the season.

Which is largely due to lift ticket sales, not the amount of snow remaining.

[Marc_C]

Another indicator for this season: Snowbird announced their closing date - 13 May is their last day. As of today, they're down to just the Tram, Little Cloud, and the MBX - every other lift is closed for the season.

Which is largely due to lift ticket sales, not the amount of snow remaining.

Are ticket sales really that far below last year at this time? I dunno, but the snowpack certainly is - Snowbird is reporting 80" at mid-mountain. Last year it was more than double that right now. Yes, last year was an outlier, but the same thing happened in 2007(or 03?) when they also pulled the plug mid-May when we had a sudden, very hot spring, dropping the May snowpack to ~65".

Edit to add: I notice today that both High Baldy and the Cirque traverse are closed.

[Admin]

Another indicator for this season: Snowbird announced their closing date - 13 May is their last day. As of today, they're down to just the Tram, Little Cloud, and the MBX - every other lift is closed for the season.

Which is largely due to lift ticket sales, not the amount of snow remaining.

Are ticket sales really that far below last year at this time? I dunno, but the snowpack certainly is - Snowbird is reporting 80" at mid-mountain.

I know that you were sick this past weekend and never made it up. I was there. Trust me, there's plenty of snow. Cover isn't the issue. Remember past seasons where there was basically nothing below Little Cloud? Snowbird is wall to wall, top to bottom right now save for a couple of thinner patches on lower Silver Fox and Adager where the brush is poking through.

Snowbird's lower mountain right now

cliffcam_thecirque.jpg (45.87 KiB) Viewed 1313 times

But with the crummy winter people have packed it in much earlier than normal. That was clearly evident by traffic levels at Alta over the weekend and the subdued scene in the Wildcat parking lot on Sunday. I've got to think that 95% of the traffic at Snowbird right now is confined to season pass holders. That's simply not a profitable recipe.

[Marc_C]

I'm not so sure that 95% passholders at this time of year is pretty much the same every year.
Regarding coverage, I'm not thinking about right now, but two weeks from now. With only 80" today, that wall-to-wall coverage is going to go really fast. Currently we're loosing about 3" of snowpack at 9500' daily.

[Tony Crocker]

I'm fairly sure going back into the 1980's and 1990's Snowbird has closed before Memorial Day in low snow years, so this was no surprise to me and MarcC noted that it happened in 2007 with a similar snowpack. It's a chicken and egg situation. The low snowfall season is depressing both the snowpack and skier visits.

With regard to non-season passholders we know from last year that Snowbird is raking it in from them on powder days after the other places close. How many of these people show up when there is a deep snowpack but no powder is another question. Snowbird can't predict the powder but does choose to remain open on a limited basis with the deep snowpack.

Mammoth gets decent business for Memorial Day and went to rather extreme measures in 2007 to keep WROD's open to Main Lodge. This year might be somewhat better than that because total snowfall is similar but most of it came in March/April this year vs. February in 2007 followed by very warm and dry March. The opposing argument would be that more early snow plus a ton of snowmaking in 2006-07 may have produced a more durable snowpack. This year's manmade base got trashed during an extended warmup over the holidays and early January.

[berkshireskier]

Isn't it golf season in Utah yet?

[Admin]

Isn't it golf season in Utah yet?

It has been for a couple of months now, but why would I want to play flog*?

* - I'm surprised that spelling it forwards got past our profanity censors.

[Marc_C]

Isn't it golf season in Utah yet?

It is possible to play flog year round in UT. Why anyone would want to is a question better suited to a clinical psychology discussion forum.

[berkshireskier]

Isn't it golf season in Utah yet?

It is possible to play flog year round in UT. Why anyone would want to is a question better suited to a clinical psychology discussion forum.

Now that ski season is almost over in North America, I was hoping we might revive the thread discussion from a few years ago of whether golf is a "sport" or a "game". LOL

[Admin]

Game.

Sent from my Android phone via Tapatalk

[berkshireskier]

Game.

Sent from my Android phone via Tapatalk

Just for the sake of the argument, I guess it depends on what criteria separates a "sport" from a "game." Is it a sport only if significant physical exertion and conditioning is required? If this is the case, then, is ditch digging a sport? I would say that a "sport" is an endeavor that requires a certain level of athletic coordination and ability to perform well. If you accept this definition, then golf is a sport. I have played golf almost my entire life and I have never known a good golfer (handicap below 5 or so) who was not also a good athlete (although I have certainly known good golfers who could not run 50 yards without dropping dead of a heart attack). On the other hand, you might argue that croquet is a "game" because you can be a skilled croquet player without a high level of athletic coordination and ability (I'm guessing). For this same reason, poker is a game and not a sport. I would certainly classify skiing as a sport as it takes a fairly high level of athletic ability and coordination to be an accomplished and skilled skier. I realize this question can never be definitively answered and others may have different opinions. It is also obvious that I am bored at work today.

[Admin]

Game.

Sent from my Android phone via Tapatalk

Just for the sake of the argument, I guess it depends on what criteria separates a "sport" from a "game." Is it a sport only if significant physical exertion and conditioning is required? If this is the case, then, is ditch digging a sport? I would say that a "sport" is an endeavor that requires a certain level of athletic coordination and ability to perform well. If you accept this definition, then golf is a sport. I have played golf almost my entire life and I have never known a good golfer (handicap below 5 or so) who was not also a good athlete (although I have certainly known good golfers who could not run 50 yards without dropping dead of a heart attack). On the other hand, you might argue that croquet is a "game" because you can be a skilled croquet player without a high level of athletic coordination and ability (I'm guessing). For this same reason, poker is a game and not a sport. I would certainly classify skiing as a sport as it takes a fairly high level of athletic ability and coordination to be an accomplished and skilled skier. I realize this question can never be definitively answered and others may have different opinions. It is also obvious that I am bored at work today.

[Marc_C]

Regarding coverage, I'm not thinking about right now, but two weeks from now. With only 80" today, that wall-to-wall coverage is going to go really fast. Currently we're loosing about 3" of snowpack at 9500' daily.

Upthread, Admin posted this pic from Snowbird's webcam on 2 May 12:


Here's that same cam from today, a mere 3 days later:

cliffcam_thecirque_5_5_12.jpg (46.89 KiB) Viewed 1225 times

[Admin]

But with the crummy winter people have packed it in much earlier than normal. That was clearly evident by traffic levels at Alta over the weekend and the subdued scene in the Wildcat parking lot on Sunday. I've got to think that 95% of the traffic at Snowbird right now is confined to season pass holders. That's simply not a profitable recipe.

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