Wolf Creek

[Tony Crocker]

Where is Matt Duffy's Wolf Creek report? The Wolf Creek stats (87 inches snowfall to date) do stand out so far this season

 

[Admin]

He's got limited computer time these days. Here's what I got from him via other channels (I'm sure that he won't mind me reposting it here): <BR> <BR><B>Subject: Wolf Creek, Co 11/15</B> <BR>There's a refuge in southern Colorado right now; an escape from the early seaon routine of groomed cruisers and artificial snow. There, it's a full on mid-winter paradise. <BR> <BR>The change is abrupt. From marginal cover to snow gobbed all over everything on the way up Wolf Creek Pass. The ski area reported 16" new this morning. On top of 11" new from yesterday. The base is over 60" now and they're 100% open. <BR> <BR>From 8:30 to 4:00, that buzz was spreading like a raging fever. Contagious involuntary grinning. Illogical proportions of enthusiastic shouting. Dead silence. Adrenaline. The cup runeth over. <BR> <BR>There is a metal staircase implanted in the side of a rock face that ascends to the Knife Ridge. Quite aptly named, it's entire spine is a cornice that points straight up in the air. Wherever you drop in, the entries are nearly vertical just long enough to induce freefall. Then the runs mellow to really freakin steep the rest of the way. <BR> <BR>On one of our last runs we took the first possible entry after the staircase. Immediately after the stairs there is a severe slot between rock and trees. Required is a diagonal straightline across fluted powder spines, an abrupt right turn directly at a rock band, followed by a mandatory hard left plunging down the ultra steep fall line. It goes by in a flash as the vertical is only about 300', but what a sweet piece of terrain. Completely untouched at 3:30, no less. <BR> <BR>There were 4 trips to the Waterfall Area - a little bowl shaped conglomeration of chutes and drops through/over rocky outcrops onto and into steep gladed shots of trackless powder. There was a low vis run down the Peak Chutes with nothing but rock walls to distinguish the dizzying white-out vertigo from reality. A hole in a wall of rock above a narrow steep shot. Threading the needle. Lots of tree skiing; some of it Neo-style. Hero snow. <BR> <BR>It's going to be difficult to go back to those snomaking runs...

 

[powderfreak]

Alta's nearing 100 inches so far for the season. That seems pretty deep to me. The west is having a real good opening to this year. From the meteorological field I've been hearing something about the west should be getting it early till early December and then it flips east for a while. <BR> <BR>Models keep trying to throw the cold and snowy trough into the east each run at days 12-16. The only problem is, the next day, the trough is still 12+ days away...models are screwing with my head. I'll be sure to pull the trigger on a pattern switch once I have enough confidence. For now, guys in the west enjoy it cause it's sticking around. <BR> <BR>-Scott

 

[salida]

Ya I agree with Scott, the longer term keeps looking like it will change but it always seems to be 12+ days out, it never advances. <BR> <BR>Wolf Creek is at 96 inches for the year, that is in like the past 3 weeks basically, I am was supposed to ski there at Christmas. Stupid knee screwed everything up. Hopefully will be there in February. Can't wait. <BR>porter