10/6 Abasin

[Anonymous]

Got my first runs of the year in at Abasin on Saturday. Thought I'd mention how incredibly busy it was; there was a 45 minute wait in line for 2 runs that weren't exactly big on vertical footage, but the snow conditions were okay and they had 3 or 4 rails / boxes set up half way down the run skiiers right. This is my first season in Colorado having moved west from Plymouth, New Hampshire where I primarily skiied Cannon, so I'm used to a 5 minute wait only on the busiest weekends. This sort of wait seemed absurd to me, are weekends at the big colorado resorts always like this? A glimpse at the terrain that will soon be open blew my mind though and I can't wait to ride it, but i'm hopeful i'll be able to get in more than one run an hour.

 

[hamdog]

should've come to big sky.

welcome to colorado! it's all hype down there. enjoy!

like riding loon/wv i'd say is the equivilent to the CO resorts. there are good days and bad ones. you hit a bad one.

i've only visited down in CO myself and i always had to wait in lines while i was down there for spring break.......at least 10-15min. i suppose you will get some more replies of people who have acually lived or live down there as well. but that's my take on CO

 

[Tony Crocker]

It's like Chinese water torture waiting for decent natural coverage to accumulate on the advanced runs of most Colorado resorts. This is due to the tendency for snow to arrive in small 3-6 inch storms of very dry snow. Loveland and A-Basin do get a bit more snow, but they are also more exposed to the wind. The wind will blow that Colorado fluff away, unlike the 82 inches of Sierra Cement that fell on Mammoth in October and which I will be skiing next weekend. Loveland and A-Basin usually don't have all runs open until around mid-January.

If you are patient, you will reap the benefits in the late season. Coming from the East you will be amazed at the quality of skiing in March and April. On the Divide your biggest powder days will be then too. And in April the slopes will be close to empty.

Wolf Creek, Steamboat and Vail are the exceptions to the above rule and the best bets for pre-Christmas natural snow. Wolf Creek is also an exception in terms of greater tendency to big dumps. It is open now, but on only 36 inches snowfall. Winter Park's snow numbers are similar to Steamboat and Vail, but in past seasons advanced terrain seemed to open up more slowly.

With regards to crowds the best defense is to drive a little farther. I have been told that Vail is the limit of how far the typical Front Range skier will drive. Vail is so huge it can disperse crowds once everything is open, as long as you stay away from peak holidays. If you go farther, like Beaver Creek, Steamboat or Aspen, you'll have no crowd problems.

 

[Admin]

unlike the 82 inches of Sierra Cement that fell on Mammoth in October and which I will be skiing next weekend.

Oh, yeah, rub it a little more while you're at it! :roll: You'll be skiing 82" of snow while I'll be skiing on a run or two of Zamboni shavings with thousands of my closest friends. #-o

 

[appskiah]

ah, but just wait till even May to enjoy A-basin, when everyone else is closed. those little 3 inch storms kept it nice into late May this past year. no glacial ice or slush like the East, just corn or soft powder

 

[Tony Crocker]

Those pics illustrate my point exactly. I've been at A-Basin last weekend of April twice, and it was mostly packed powder in 1991 and still very good in the low snow year of 1987, with Paliviccini still skiable.

The lifts are empty in these spring pics, but people are willing to stand in 45-minute lines to ski 2 runs on manmade in November???

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the valuable info Tony.