lots of snow in Alberta !

Frankontour

Frankontour

New member
I'm sorry if someone already passed the news & pics somewhere on the forum, but here is some pics of Sunshine this morning... I love soooo much these september snowfalls !
 
Below are two pictures from Marmot Basin (AB) at 2pm on Friday afternoon.

And it's not just Alberta, either. Clouds are clearing here from west to east following chilly showers this a.m., and they've broken to reveal a fresh dusting of white on the Oquirrhs. Once the clouds clear further east I'd expect the Wasatch to be even brighter in white, thanks to significantly higher elevation than the Oquirrhs.
 
Admin":2tnesq1v said:
Once the clouds clear further east I'd expect the Wasatch to be even brighter in white, thanks to significantly higher elevation than the Oquirrhs.
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Sure enough, the Wasatch summits are white this morning, too.
 
Nice to see it falling. I really like Alberta. I rode sunshine about 5 years ago. Damn, talk about cold- I don't think I could handle climes that far north. I remember stepping out for a smoke around 11pm in a down jacket and still shivering to the bone! I have been in the region a few other times in summer. The drive from Calgary to Vancouver has to rank as one of the most beautiful I've ever taken.
 
I think Marmot already suprassed last years snow fall total, another storm and they will reach there average yearly snowfall :wink:
 
awf170":8j5gyjns said:
I think Marmot already suprassed last years snow fall total, another storm and they will reach there average yearly snowfall :wink:
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I love my 3 days at Marmot back in 2002. It's a beautiful place (I think I would rate the scenery as, if not more spectacular than Lake Louise) and they had plenty of snow.

Eagle ridge chutes are fun... :D
 
I'll be more impressed if I see pics of someone actually skiing this stuff. :wink: Nathan Rafferty of Ski Utah has it right: It's not worth counting unless someone's skiing it.

Lots of snow in Las Lenas :) .
 
Tony Crocker":1tn1wxpf said:
I'll be more impressed if I see pics of someone actually skiing this stuff. :wink: Nathan Rafferty of Ski Utah has it right: It's not worth counting unless someone's skiing it.
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Sorry, it was -30c and my wife was having morning sickness. So no witnesses and to darn cold to get the camera out. :wink:
 
Patrick":31bqw99d said:
awf170":31bqw99d said:
I think Marmot already suprassed last years snow fall total, another storm and they will reach there average yearly snowfall :wink:
Click to expand...

I love my 3 days at Marmot back in 2002. It's a beautiful place (I think I would rate the scenery as, if not more spectacular than Lake Louise) and they had plenty of snow.

Eagle ridge chutes are fun... :D
Click to expand...

place looks like it has awsome terrian but 160 inches a year is pretty grim, but the cold and little skier traffic probably make up for it
 
I've always cast a skeptical eye on those meager snow totals. But now I've been to Lake Louise in 4 different seasons and the cold and latitude do go a long way in keeping the snow good once it's on the ground. Marmot is probably similar, presuming it has low skier density and fairly expansive terrain. If you're skiing on trails or confined terrain, as at Panorama, it might not be so good.

The best way to enjoy these areas is to avoid early season (for the frigid temps as well as thin snow cover) and probably to hold off booking until there is a real base (not what you're seeing now), thus avoiding El Nino or other southern storm track years like 2004-05.
 
Tony Crocker":3urogf4z said:
The best way to enjoy these areas is to avoid early season (for the frigid temps as well as thin snow cover).
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The -30c was in the 3rd week of March :shock: , locals couldn't believe it that it was this cold so late in the year. That's what I call Cold Spring Skiing.

Marmot has expanded it terrain over the last few years and the potential for backcountry seems awesome. HOWEVER I believe two people died in avalanches on seperate occasion that winter (2001-2).
 
The NASJA meeting in Banff was also 3rd week of March in 2002. Temps (F) declined from 20 Thursday at Lake Louise to 10 Friday at Sunshine to 0 at Norquay Saturday to -20 Sunday when we left. I was also at Kicking Horse Wednesday and snow conditions were excellent everywhere.

Yes the cold can happen in March but frequency is less than December/January. The main reason to ski these areas late is to maximize the snowpack.
 
Tony Crocker":jqut2ylu said:
Yes the cold can happen in March but frequency is less than December/January. The main reason to ski these areas late is to maximize the snowpack.
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No disagreement on my part, I just had to laugh about your comment about frigid temps. Just ask my wife about Jasper. :lol:

I guess you experienced part of the same cold spell we had, by the time we arrived in Norquay (5 or 6 day of skiing), the temps were back in the Spring Skiing range with a hot 15 C (60F). :shock:
 
Kudos to those first turns of 2005-06 on TGR. But you gotta get 'em right away because the snow doesn't last. Like last October in SoCal.
 
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