Vail

C

CWHappyRN

New member
I was checking snowfall and resorts to ski at in the West. I see that CO is hot again, early season! Vail has snow forecast for 7 out of the next 10 days! I always feel that I belong in that state ever since I moved from there as a young girl! ...Well.....! Nurses are employable anywhere! Carol :)
 
Vail is certainly doing better than California, but at 42% of normal not that great. I think it will be a close call on the Back Bowls getting open by Christmas.
 
It may be at 42% of normal but we're expecting a lot of snow over the next few days so they are saying that will put us above normal on snowpack for this area (not sure about Vail specifically). And with over 1000 acres open they are far beyond anyone else in the area.
 
Last year my friend and her family moved there from Big Bear, CA. They are originally from the O.C. in CA. Her husband boards and she as babies. She wants to learn to ski. She slipped on the stairs and both both legs 2 winters ago. Her husband required surgery for his fall while snowboarding that shattered his arm! But, alas, they got a huge house in Springs and good jobs and another baby on the way. The snow and wind was so intense that they had a time to groom those slopes. Else where I heard it was a veritable mess in the back country with drifts and winds and piles of unstable snow. Most years, just nice. I am from CA and they hate CA folks. I would have to change my license plate, ASAP and explain I grew up in CO prior to CA. Silly, a type of racism, or geocisism. But, they aren't used to their area getting "wrecked" with the population surges as we have sadly become in California. ??? what to do??? Ski, midweek!!!!!!!!!! Makes it all worth it. Carol
 
Admin, thanks for the heads up! I've got visitors in the office from our UK office and we're trying to decide where they ski this weekend (and I'll be joining them on Sunday). I think I'll be pushing the Vail option for sure.
 
The expansion to 3,500 acres is a surprise relative to previous slow starting seasons. Last weekend's storm was from the south and perhaps was better for base building than the usual Colorado fluff. I think the original chair 5 bowls will be very limited. This was one of the reasons for the Blue Sky expansion. It's favorably exposed and probably gets the most snow within Vail's terrain. And the ski access to it through China Bowl is intermediate pitched and does not need very deep coverage. Blue Sky had not been developed the last year (1998-99) that Vail did not open the bowls before Christmas.

Vail (and also Aspen) will be substantially better than the places closer to Denver. The Front Range areas had more severe November drought (record low snow at Loveland and Winter Park) and also got only half as much snow last weekend. My guess is that the current storm will have a similar pattern when it gets to Colorado.
 
Actually, the numbers being reported right now are giving more snow to Breckenridge than Vail but who knows what will happen through the day today and tomorrow. Last weekend's snow was quite wet and great for base building. so it helped significantly.

I will now be in Vail overnight tonight and tomorrow, hoping to ski there Sunday (if I can convince my colleagues who are joining me).
 
For Colorado, the snow last weekend was quite wet. Much more like an April storm than December. It was 34 degrees for awhile at the TOP of Vail last Saturday. However, I also would be very careful and hesitant to ski the back bowls (Blue Sky prob much better given the exposure). As despite the new snows, there was a LOT of obvious rocks/bushes, etc... sticking through - at least in the original bowls (we had good views of Sundown from top of Game creek).

That being said, the upper half of the front side skied excellently last weekend already (though not much true steeps there of course); and if I were going up I-70 to ski this weekend Vail is the place I'd go for sure. Alas, obligations will keep me to only one day (or half day) at Eldora this weekend - though even Eldora is reporting 18" in 48hrs so far...

Also Breck has been over-reporting lately. one storm about 1 1/2 weeks ago they reported 11" and from friends who work there, they only found ~4" on the hill on Peak 9. I believe Breck also over-reported last weekends snow, claiming another 11" but really only ~7-8" on peak 9. I don't really trust the Breck reported #'s lately. They must have a measurement area set up in a wind loaded area.
 
I skied Vail today and spent time in both Sun Down Bowl and Blue Sky Basin, I think this weekend's snow did wonders for the coverage there as I found no rocks once I got into Sun Down (found one, buried deep in Blue Sky) but enjoyed it very much. The front side is also looking great.

Thanks for the info on Breck, I've been wondering about it since they've been reporting numbers quite different from anything else in the county.
 
Nice to get regular info from both of you. We couldn't find much on FTO about what was going on in Colorado before this season.
 
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