Telluride, CO 12/30/09-12/31/09 20" New

[ChrisC]

The storm over Dec 29, 30 and 31 came in on the optimal West-to-Northwest storm track for Telluride on the NW corner of the San Juans. The predicted 1-3" resulted in close to a reported ~ 20" over the 48 hour period. This put Telluride close to a 50" base - more than enough to open everything with good conditions.

Wednesday Dec 30 skied like a typical storm day. Snow came down at a consistent 1"/hr. I focused on trees, open spots and some powder bumps.

Thursday Dec 31 - well, it was an epic day. According to my Telski friends, Telluride had it's busiest day ever - aproaching 9000 skiers on the mountain.


But you know it's going to be a good, good day when it looks like this out:

Quickly got over to Chair 9 for my standard early runs:
1. Bushwacker or Plunge - these are high-speed very steep groomers with 20" in places
2. Spiral Staris to Lower Plunger - powder bumps
3. Local's Glade/Captain Jack's/Logpile - wherever one begins, one ends - who knows? - but 2000 vert of steep trees




Since the day was super-busy, and the line at Chair 9 became to long for my taste (~10-15 min), I decided to wrap over to Prospect for Bald Mountain via the Coonskin area. Finally took some shots again.

North Chute

The Coonskin Lift & Town of Telluride:

Mt. Wilson

I hiked Baldy twice - did one run down Jackpot and one down a tree slot.

Huge Blow-In in the region of Telluride - over my knees on fat skis (I'm 6-4) - easy 30". (For example, this is how Silverton reports their snow.)



Destination: Bald Mountain. Best skiing is the line not visible.

Palmyra filling in for skiing.

Trying to find good lines at 11am in 30" new.

I went into Revy Bowl ans there was some sloppy seconds. This is a good Telluride addition.

After lapping Revy for a bit, I decided to go back to old school Telluride - the glades on Chair 9. Lots of nice lines at 2pm. I really like the slightly tighter trees of Telluride - they are north facing powdery and so, so good. I like them as much as Fernie, Crystal, etc.

I decided some Chair 6 was in order by the end of the day. Apex Glade was amazing. And this is Killer Slide -- lower down skis very powdery.

Finally, this is off Chair 10 in Telluride - Rockslide. Cold, 30" inches of smoke at 3PM. I like it, like it a lot.

 

[ChrisC]

Some of my dogs - thye seem to have multiplied into 4 - I only take care of one.


This is the black lab who likes to swim at -10F. I guess it is really nature over nurture?

Keeshond walking the block.

Berners are handsome and attractive, but a little useless. I am going to turn this one into a bar. He now has a keg on him -- why not?

 

[Tony Crocker]

Impressive. Telluride and Taos are box canyons that can trap a storm if it's lined up just right. Probably happens a little more often at Telluride. I've not had a big powder day there so I am uninformed about the trees. Apex was the area that looked like good spacing to me but it has sunny exposure, not good on my late March/early April trips. Obviously not an issue on Dec. 31.

I wonder what Silverton reported from this one.

 

[ChrisC]

I wonder what Silverton reported from this one.

Silverton reported 6" from the same storm.
Purgatory 13"
Wolf Creek: 7"


However, I am not sure what Silverton is up to...

Today I just got an email from them today :

Silverton, Colo., January 4, 2010…It's been another very snowy December at Silverton Mountain. January is off to a great start with 14” of new snow this past weekend. Silverton Mountain normally averages 400”+ of snow per year, with the previous record of 600” inches set in 2007/2008.

However, that figure seems odd to me considering the following:

Telluride weekend snowfall: 0"
Purgatory weekend snowfall: 0"
Wolf Creek weekend snowfall: 0"

The storm hit the northern parts of Colorado - not SW Colorado. I doubt the storm could be so localized that it only hit Silverton and missed every place within 10-20 miles as the crow flies.

So I looked on the website:

Another 8” of new snow dropped Saturday 1/2/10 with over a foot every week of the season.

Snow Report 1/2/10
Mid Mountain Base: 60”
New Snow 24 Hour: 8”
New Snow 48 Hour: 8”
New Snow 72 Hour: 14”

Comments: Excellent conditions and no holiday crowds here. Open Thurs-Sun. Ropedeedope from the Billboard, Pope Face etc have been open for weeks and are skiing great.

So I guess they added 6" from mid-week + 8" from a storm so localized that it only hit Silverton this weekend. This just does not pass a sniff test.

 

[Tony Crocker]

The 600 inches in 2007-08 doesn't pass the sniff test either when Wolf Creek had 463, Red Mt. Pass 333 and Telluride 389. The exaggerations are so outrageous that perhaps we should question whether Silverton gets

any

more snow than Red Mt. Pass. There is no obvious weather/topography reason why it should.

 

[ChrisC]

I've not had a big powder day there so I am uninformed about the trees. Apex was the area that looked like good spacing to me but it has sunny exposure, not good on my late March/early April trips. Obviously not an issue on Dec. 31.

The basic map does nothing to help people ski the trees of Telluride.

You are right Apex is the choice. It is due south at 12k feet. However, I always remember some words from my one-sli bum winter in March 90s -- "Dude, I have not had a good Apex run all season." True.

However, the trees of Telluride have giantly expanded:

1. Chair 9 -- All of the woods between the chair and Lookout run are skiable and trimmed. 2500 vertical feet of north-facing CO powder with man-made spacing to help.

2. Gold Hill to Chair 9 - West Face. Turn left anywhere off See Forever.
I love this area. The trees on 'Ski Forever' from the top of Gold Hill Express to Chair 6/9 are great. There is a cliff band 2/43 down - dodge or ski around.


My favorite area not referenced: Chongo's. Unfortunately it's on the map. Always holds the snowfall to 2pm due to lack of crowds.

 

[Tom Moriarty]

I never had the opportunity to ski Telluride, but was on the team that built the gondola. I always thought it looked awesome and would like to go there someday and ski.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Chair 9 -- All of the woods between the chair and Lookout run are skiable and trimmed.

When did they do that?

 

[TRam]

Nice report! I love seeing stuff like this. Sounds like telluride may be due fro some good snow this next week or so, wil you be up there?

BTW As you guys know Silverton is only open thur thru sun (sometimes less) and this reflects in its snow total clumping or once a week reports. Seems as if some of us have a grudge against the management there, just dont ski there then. Form the sound of it they get no snow and the mountain is really not very good. I see 350-400in of the best snow and terrrian in the conti US.

 

[Tony Crocker]

I have skied Silverton. They have a very unique product and I am all for their success. Obviously, because of the research I do I have a personal distaste for managements that overstate their snowfall, and I will do my best to call them out on it.

By comparison with Wolf Creek there is no way Silverton can exceed a long term Nov-Apr average of 350, and the truth is likely closer to 300. The job of marketing people is to highlight strengths of their area. In terms of terrain, snow preservation, low skier density, Silverton has much to brag about. It's "poor man's snowcat skiing" on more technical terrain than most snowcat operators have. But I think marketing does a disservice when they out and out lie. It will ultimately bring them negative instead of positive publicity.