Eldora, CO March 2023

[EMSC]

Not a lot of days at Eldora this month. With guys trip and a probably poorly timed spring break at Steamboat coming up (I'd have gone elsewhere, but I'm fully in the racer chaser mode for now and that's where the races are this late March. Though looks like snow and low temps all this week leading in, so who knows...)

Anyway, at Eldora, this March had a series of small few inches keeping things surprisingly fresh, up until much of Colo and esp Eldora had a whopping one warm day this past Wed. Temps hit 70 in Denver for the one day and all but the shadiest steeps got skunked considering that temps since plummeted with only a couple inches on op of the icy-ness. for example temps in the single digits in the am and under 20F Sat afternoon. Quite chilly for March. Easily the worst conditions of the winter this past weekend, though perfect for race training! (always a silver lining I even had to bring out some proper heavy and narrow skis for this past weekend. Not actually sure if other areas got as warm, but I'd think lower elevations must/might have.

No action shots. I focused on a tiny handful of somewhat more atypical pics the couple of weekends I was there.


Early Bird gets the good parking

7:30a, let the training begin

18year old carbon fiber poles equals new purchase coming up. Not sure I've ever seen much in the way of spring time ski pole discount sales though.

Always the final trail to open... and always a rocky mess for 30 vertical in the steepest part.

That would be James Peak as seen looking S from the Lookout lodge (top of Corona chair)

All sorts of stuff on the ridge that Eldora is built on... communication towers, natural gas pipelines, etc...

Rock hard snow rail jam time Saturday.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I even had to bring out some proper heavy and narrow skis for this past weekend.

Which skis do you use for that purpose?

 

[EMSC]

Which skis

For icy refrozen I go for some old Fischer GS race skis (now ~10 years old). For 'been a couple weeks' since the last snow - level of Colo firm, I use my Blizzard Bonafides (my rock/prior ski to current DPS).

I think I'll probably see if I can find a demo pair of Volkl mantra or similar on sale to have a 'modern' two ski quiver; for most days on my DPS and early season snowmaking/dry periods ski of Mantra (or similar) that is for more 'front side/firm' snow.

 

[Tony Crocker]

level of Colo firm, I use my Blizzard Bonafides

Interesting, as Bonafides have been my daily driver since Dec. 2012. I've pulled edges out of two of them but still have a 2020 model (last year of the 2011 design) for most skiing and a 2015 I got on Craigslist for SoCal local and other questionable conditions. I took the 2015's to the Alps due to the negative reports of the early season there. I used them the entire time including the 3 Via Lattea powder days. Why? My first powder ski Volant Chubb was 110-90-100. The Bonafides are 133-98-118 with early rise so no slouch as a powder ski. And yet they will ski hardpack groomers well too. By the end of that Euro trip they were badly in need of an edge sharpening though.