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I think the snowfall pattern is like the southern Alps, very volatile. I suspect higher average snowfall. Baquiera has 7 annual snow totals that averaged over 300 inches, but with data that sparse I don’t know if it’s cherry picking. There was some year in the past decade where the Pyrenees...

Tioga opening dates in years Mammoth was open to July 4: 1975 May 29 1978 June 3 1980 June 6 1982 May 28 *1983 June 29 1986 May 24 1993 June 3 *1995 June 30 1998 July 1 2005 June 24 2006 June 17 2010 June 5 2011 June 18 *2017 June 29 *2019 July 1 *2023 July 22 * Mammoth open beyond July 4...

There are two slingshot lifts serving those long fall lines on the Roca Jack side. That’s the area inaccessible in 2007, should be good for quite a while now.

Probably no more than 25C at 7,500 feet. Andorra La Velle at 3,000 was 32C from some signs on the drive back there.

That section of PCH has significant separation from the Highlands and nearby blufftop houses. But the wind probably blew embers into some of those coastal houses. Because of where I live I’ve driven through Altadena several times. The expensive areas with big lots in the east and the areas in...

Mammoth adjusts opening hours earlier starting mid-May or later for intense sun effect, long after normal daylight time has started. This is a completely different issue from making the starting time later due to light or snow conditions earlier in the season. Telluride’s policy for March was...

Yes it seems clear that La Thuile, Courmayeur and Cervinia can get snow from the west but Monterosa needs to get snow from the Mediterranean.

I don’t know the background history but it does strike me as bizarre that those densely adjoining houses at the water’s edge were on septic tanks in this day and age of Coastal Commission, etc. While I agree that LAFD was derelict with respect to the fire origin after Lachman on New Year’s Eve...

There are few other powderhounds commuting from Los Andes. The road is just slow with the truck traffic. We had a driver in 2007 so not paying much attention but I doubt the drive was as much as 2 hours. The drive from Santiago to Valle Nevado is much worse. It’s so narrow it has to be one way...

No surprise Eagle Point just announced it will not open for 2026-27. Four chairlifts and two lodges were damaged.

Shortly before we left home I researched day hikes in Andorra and came up with this one. Map of the Llacs de Pessons area, just southwest of Grau Roig in the eastern sector of Grandvilara ski area: We hiked a clockwise path (in red) ascending past the string of larger lakes to the SE and...

Per the Portillo and Las Lenas data the last huge season was 2002. The first year I went to Las Lenas in 2005 it got over 100 inches in both May and June plus 80 in August.

Our Mt. Whitney report from 1999 is here.

With regard to James' link, Barcelona is a popular starting or ending point for Mediterranean cruises. That's a good idea so you can spend a few days before or after. We do not like this kind of place as a one day port call, so no loss IMHO if they get rid of those. And yes ChrisC is correct...

Mammoth has these same issues with big storms and I think most skiers there understand delayed openings. One interesting criticism I’ve heard is that Mammoth is a bit too aggressive blasting in early season, and often an entire face will slide down to the rocks. Some say better to keep closed...

No Alagna is the far eastern base with the most tedious mountain road. Base in Grosseney, more central and just as close to the Indren tram.

Only ChrisC has actually heeded the logical advice of taking South America ski trips on short notice. Mine were with notice of an adequate snowpack but still at least 6 weeks in advance so no real read on conditions. All of my NZ trips were scheduled well before the ski season began.

Barcelona to Grandvilara is 2.5 hours drive but to Baquiera it’s 4 hours. Today was our first of three in Barcelona. Yes it’s busy but no more than all of the other places we have been during this peak Euro vacation season. Barcelona metro population is 5.7 million and Toulouse’s is 1.5. So...

That ordeal belongs in the ski air travel thread.

Primary exposures are west at Baquiera and north at Grandvilara. Tourmalet exposures are all over the map. Grand Tourmalet is 2.5 hours drive and 150km from Baquiera and just over 2 hours from Toulouse.