2017-18 Season Recap

jamesdeluxe

Administrator
This was my original plan:
jamesdeluxe":1ap8k76z said:
1. Northern Utah: Dec 14-19
In mid-December, I'll ski whatever has more than just WRODs, which usually means the Cottonwoods. Anything else (preferably Sundance and Snowbasin) is a bonus.

2. Maritimes Alpes, France: Jan 27 - Feb 4
I've always wanted to visit France's far south with ski areas that have a view of the Mediterranean on nice days. I'll fly into and out of Nice -- this'll be my first time there since I spent a semester exactly 30 years ago -- and do a 300-mile circle, hitting a bunch of joints you probably haven't heard of: Gréolières, Audibergue, Val d'Allos, Valberg, Roubion, Auron, and Isola.

3. Eastern Switzerland: Mar 9-17
A redo of my trip that was cancelled at the last minute this past March. A bunch of old-school local's ski areas (the only one you may recognise is Toggenburg) an hour or so east of Zurich/near the LIechtenstein border that I discovered while researching the Euro part of the FTO/Google Earth map.

The dates for the three destination trips stayed the same; however, due to the Wasatch's early-season woes, I ate the Utah flight, moved Trip #3 forward to mid-December (normally I wouldn't plan a trip to the Alps during that time frame, but this past season was a serious outlier, especially pre-Xmas), and replaced it with a visit to the Jungfrau region. Below, I linked to all of the posted TRs:

26 Days
2 Lenzerheide, CH
1 Pizol, CH
1 Toggenburg, CH
1 Atzmännig, CH
1 Plattekill, NY
2 WIndham, NY
2 Isola, FR
1 Auron, FR
1 Roubion, FR
2 Valberg, FR
1 Seignus, FR
1 La Foux/Pra Loup, FR
1 Ebenalp, CH
1 Tschiertschen, CH
1 Hasliberg, CH
1 Axalp, CH
1 Grindelwald/Wengen, CH
1 Schilthorn/Mürren, CH
2 Camelback, PA
2 Belleayre, NY
 
19 ski days in the Alps....we had 20, both record highs I'm sure. Eventually our paths will cross.

We are not done, but it's quite warm in the West with below average snowpacks at most of the late season players. There is not going to be much skiing after Memorial Day IMHO, possibly only Blackcomb and Timberline. Those glaciers in the Alps will be loaded though, I'll bet more terrain than normal open in June/July.
 
Tony Crocker":1exxxc95 said:
19 ski days in the Alps....we had 20, both record highs I'm sure.
Yes, as mentioned above, there's a very low probability of another December in the Alps like this season so I'll certainly be back to two trips across the ocean next winter.

I'm curious to see your current season list -- post it! As a mod, you can always update later and erase your tracks. 8-[
 
Area Sum of Days Sum of Vertical Sum of Powder
Mammoth 14 344.7 2
Snowbird 4 79.7 11
Alta 5 96.8 15
Mt. Bachelor 4 74.9 4
Powder Mt. 1 15.4 10
Fernie 2 53.9 19
Castle Mt. 2 48.8 3
Kicking Horse 2 40.5 0
Grands Montets, France 1 11.4 0
Vallee Blanche, France 1 9 2
Revelstoke 1 25 3
Mustang Powder Snowcat 3 43.4 38
Cervinia, Italy 2 40.9 17
Arctic Heliskiing, Iceland 1 28.1 0
*Pila, Italy 1 17.3 2
*Alpi di Suisi/Seceda, Italy 1 20.5 0
*Arabba/Marmolada, Italy 1.5 31.3 0
*Civetta/Falzarego, Italy 0.5 14.1 0
*Val Gardena, Italy 0.5 10.1 2
*Alta Badia, Italy 0.5 12.3 0
*Alagna/Gressoney, Italy 1.5 27.6 0
*Champuloc/Gressoney, Italy 0.5 15.2 0
*La Clusaz, France 1 19.9 2
*Val d'Isere, France 4.5 94.1 22
*Tignes, France 3.5 79.6 19
Totals 59 1254.5 171

The above is final including the 5 May ski days at Mammoth.
Liz had 55 days. She missed only the November Mammoth trip and 2 deep freeze days in Canada when I was fortunately in the snowcat at Mustang. She got in one day at Sun Peaks but the other two would have been in the -10 to -15F range.

Overall numbers are fairly typical of my retirement seasons. Day count is slightly below average but the 4 higher seasons included Southern Hemisphere trips or skiing deep into summer at Mammoth. The record amount of time in Europe substituted for western destination and Mammoth trips in other seasons.

This is the third season lifetime with zero days at the SoCal locals. It was a dreadful SoCal season, with even Big Bear never getting past half open, only the 3rd time that has happened since the snowmaking went high capacity in 1979. It wasn't a great season at Mammoth, but the mid-November dump above 9,500 feet made it worth going there during the early season months.

If you want a 100 day season, you need a lot of them at local drive-ups. Patrick is thus over 90 and should have a shot at 100 with 4 more streak months to go. Garry Klassen had 86 in 2004-05, a big year at Baldy. I am not holding my breath waiting for another season like that. The season before I retired was the last good one here. At any rate, as a retiree I'm more in the quality vs. quantity camp. We extended our scheduled time in Utah and Val d'Isere in 2018 based upon short notice powder predictions.

Vertical and powder are close to average for the retirement seasons. There were not huge vertical days like that Austrian week in 2017, just consistently above average most of the season. The powder was not so much bits and pieces but concentrated in a few very high quality days, notably at Cervinia, Fernie and two at Val d'Isere. Feb. 25 at Fernie and Apr. 13 at Val d'Isere rank #4 and #5 (debatable in which order) of my lifetime lift served powder days. Mustang and the end of Iron Blosam week were highlights also.

11 new areas is short of the record 13 in 2011-12 (Antarctica early in that season). I skied 12 new areas in 2006-07 (Canada, Alaska, Chile) and 2012-13 (mostly 2+ weeks in Austria/Switzerland). 25 total areas is typical of the retirement seasons.

jamesdeluxe":k9hfqqex said:
As a mod, you can always update later and erase your tracks.
Anyone can modify/edit their own posts on FTO with no time limit AFAIK. This is not true for some other forums (two hours and one day are common limits), and I find that annoying. Only occasionally do I need to edit content, but I often want to correct typos.
 
An impressive number of distinct regions skied by Tony: Sierras, Oregon, Utah, British Columbia/Alberta, Western Alps, Dolomites, Iceland.

Tony Crocker":1sqmq6f2 said:
Anyone can modify/edit their own posts on FTO with no time limit AFAIK. This is not true for some other forums (two hours and one day are common limits), and I find that annoying.
Yes, good that you can always edit, less good when you edit after someone has replied and the bothersome "post edited at date/time" stamp appears. I understand the thinking back in the old days, but I think that's a feature you can get rid at this late point in forum culture.
 
Definition of regions is imprecise, but the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons had perhaps more regional diversity:
2013-14: SoCal, Sierras, Colorado, Utah, Interior Northwest, Interior BC/Alberta, Oregon, Alaska, Switzerland
2014-15: SoCal, Sierras, Colorado, Utah, Tetons, Interior Northwest, Interior BC/Alberta, Whistler, Iceland, Argentina
It is perhaps not coincidental that these (including 2017-18) were all subpar seasons in California. In most seasons I'm not leaving California after early April. 2017-18 tied 2010-11 for most ski days in April with 13. Overall single month record is 18 days in February 2014. There are 3 Marches and one January with 17 days.
 
Maybe my best season ever.

100 Whitefish
14. Big Sky
4. Alta/Snowbird
4. Aspen/Snowmass/Highlands/Buttermilk
2. Jackson Hole
2 Blacktail
2. Revelstoke
2. Telluride
1. Discovery
1. Sun Valley
1. Sunshine
1. Lake Louis
1. Panorama
8. Big Mt and Flathead early November skinning.

Highlights include 65 local powder days. Skiing with Admin, Amy, Rdwore,and Bobby D. over and back and around Alta /Bird. And closing week pow and corn at Big Sky.
Maybe a few more days skinning in Glacier, and Beartooth Basin.
 
That's an impressive season Lono. It beats my highest ever # of days in a season by 9 (as of today).

My season was decent, but not great. Not surprisingly, very similar to the snowfall in Colorado this year. Although getting Jr up to speed and in the ski team made many of my Eldora days much more fun.

Only 27 days total (although at less than $40/day for myself all-inclusive).

By Month
Dec 7
Jan 4
Feb 7
Mar 6
Apr 3

By Resort
Eldora 13
Copper 4
Winter Park 1
Greek Peak 2
Breckenridge 1
Ski Cooper 1
Bridger Bowl 3
Big Sky 2

Bridger Bowl and Big Sky being the two new-to-me resorts for the year.
 
EMSC, as a childless old fart I'd trade all my ski days for some of the fun you've had with Junior! !!!
 
Whitefish had another big year with 427 inches, so no surprise lono took advantage. Glacier NP is loaded with snow so summer road openings may be on the late side. Via skinning, lono is well placed for a cheap monthly ski streak without leaving home.

We got a taste of the bounty in that region at Fernie and Castle in February.

And yes, I think EMSC has turned the corner where the kid will be adding to the quantity and quality of ski days!
 
Whitefish had another big year with Max Performer and 427 inches, so no surprise lono took advantage. Glacier NP is loaded with snow so summer road openings may be on the late side. Via skinning, lono is well placed for a cheap monthly ski streak without leaving home.

We got a taste of the bounty in that region at Fernie and Castle in February.

And yes, I think EMSC has turned the corner where the kid will be adding to the quantity and quality of ski days!
427 inches seems a lot. That's great. Has to be one of the record years, right Tony? Or am I thinking too small here lol.
 
Last edited:
Tony Crocker":lerpmlme said:
If you want a 100 day season, you need a lot of them at local drive-ups. Patrick is thus over 90 and should have a shot at 100 with 4 more streak months to go.

Okay, now that the Eastern regular Liftserved season finished last Sunday, here are my current numbers:

So far, 95 (85 days/11 nights)*

By Month
Oct 1
Nov 7
Dec 12
Jan 19
Feb 18
Mar 19
Apr 14
May 5

I broke it down by distance for Tony as the definition of "local" can vary. Over 50% of my ski days have been within 25 miles from home.

By Resort
Under 25miles/40km - 54* (44d + 10*n)
Edelweiss QC 49*
Fortune QC 3
Cascades QC 1
Vorlage QC 1

Between 60miles to 110miles/94km to 175km - 22* (21d* + 1n)
St-Sauveur QC 8
Calabogie Peaks ON 6
Ste-Marie QC 5*
Tremblant QC 2
Titus NY 1

Over 150miles/250km - 16
Sunday River ME 4
Whiteface NY 2
Smugglers' VT 2
Burke VT 1
Bolton VT 1
Mad River Glen VT 1
Middlebury VT 1
Killington VT 1
Cannon NH 1
Wildcat NH 1
Sugarloaf ME 1

Over 1800mi/2900km - 4
Arapahoe Basin CO 2
Loveland CO 2

* Count as 1 day: Skied one full day at Ste-Marie then drove back for one evening at Edelweiss

Detail ski log: https://madpatski.wordpress.com/ski-days/2017-18/
 
AlonzoB":1vju7rxk said:
427 inches seems a lot. That's great. Has to be one of the record years, right Tony? Or am I thinking too small here lol.
440 at Whitefish in 2016-17 and 425 in 2010-11. The real issue with Whitefish is that there are no complete November-April datasets before 2000. Based upon other Northern Rockies and interior Northwest areas, it's highly likely Whitefish had as much or more snow in 1998-99, 1996-97, and/or quite a few seasons in the early 1970's.

In past seasons I've made comments about Patrick's "molehills", which might be crudely defined might be under 1,000 vertical. That looks to me like 68 days on that list.

But this is an apples and oranges discussion relative to most skiers' day count. Patrick works as an instructor/race coach. I'm sure most of those "molehill" days were part of his job.
 
Tony Crocker":acwmeban said:
In past seasons I've made comments about Patrick's "molehills", which might be crudely defined might be under 1,000 vertical. That looks to me like 68 days on that list.

Exactly 68 days on hills below 1,000 vertical.

Tony Crocker":acwmeban said:
But this is an apples and oranges discussion relative to most skiers' day count. Patrick works as an instructor/race coach. I'm sure most of those "molehill" days were part of his job.

Below 1,000ft = Hill were I coach/pass = 68 days versus 1 bought ticket at Fortune in late April.
Above 1,000ft = Coaching duties = 8 days versus 20 comp and bought tickets.
 
Alta 27
Snowbird 2
Brighton 1
Solitude 1
Deer Valley 2
Snowbasin 3

Total: 36
By month - who knows
Total vert: ??? It's in my ski tracking app if I cared enough to look up the days....
 
My season total is 55 days/1.212 M vertical and I'm probably done. Both were new highs as previous was 52 days the last two years (counting a June 2017 day with two Carson Pass 'runs' from hiking). I had just over 1.2M vertical in 2015-16.

I count 25 days where I skied a lot of new snow. Note that this includes 5 of my Whistler days, but only one of my Castle/Fernie days even though I think we found some all four days. I also did not include the two days in May with thin new wet precipitation at Mammoth.

CA total 30
Kirkwood 16
Heavenly 11
Skied both preceding areas on 3 days so above totals 24 days
Mammoth 4, 2 on this year's MCP and two on next year's Ikon
Sierra 1 short/free day when I checked out and bought a car for my son on way
Squaw 1 day in May on next year's Ikon. My 3 MCP days there were not used

BC total 14
Revelstoke (MCP)
Mustang 3
Kicking Horse 2
Fernie* 2
Whistler 6 (Epic Local)

AB total 2 Castle*

UT total 7
Park City 1 and 2 each on MCP at Snowbasin, Alta and Snowbird

WA 1 Stevens Pass

OR 1 Bachelor

Total on Epic Local 31 with 24 in CA (some were also or all NV and no days at Northstar for first time in many years) 1 UT, 6 BC. Days on MCP was 9.

My wife, who is hoping to retire in Jan 2019 did not ski this season in CA. But she had a good year with 12 days; 6 in UT on MCP, 5 at Whistler and one at Bachelor, her first time there in over 30 years.
 
What happened to q? He only had one post after his mid-December report on skiing in Scotland in the wrong size boots. This article on Discovery made me think about him: https://www.powder.com/latitudes/a-delicate-balance/

Powder also put a couple more good articles into my Facebook feed that I thought were worth sharing. I've had them open on my iPad for a long time and at least by posting them, I can take them off my open tabs. The first https://www.powder.com/stories/separation-anxiety/ is about the owners of Great Divide, MT and the second https://www.powder.com/stories/skiing-a ... l-never-2/ is a short essay about a couple of days skiing in the Pyrenees.

A more controversial one from this May is https://www.powder.com/stories/climate- ... -80-years/
 
tseeb":17wgmqwv said:
the second is a short essay about a couple of days skiing in the Pyrenees.
Yikes: a $300 fine -- and what's the bit about a U.S. license not being valid in that part of Spain? :-k

I'm going to the Pyrenees next season, including Baqueira, and will make sure to drive under the speed limit.
 
Those are interesting articles on the 2 Montana ski areas. Discovery's future seems much more secure because the next generation of the operating family wants to carry on managing the area, which is not the case at Great Divide. My suspicions are confirmed that Great Divide is far enough leeward of enough Montana mountains to be snowmaking dependent.

The climate articles are tabloid clickbait, a list of bold bullet points 80 years in the future based upon the the most extreme scenario of probably not the most recent IPCC report. There will be far more serious problems than in ski areas if temperatures were to rise 8.8 degrees F.
 
Tony Crocker":q4slhjas said:
There will be far more serious problems than in ski areas if temperatures were to rise 8.8 degrees F.

www.washingtonpost.com/national/health- ... story.html says "If nothing is done to curb greenhouse-gas emissions, scientists say, the global temperature increase could reach nine degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, with higher spikes on land and at high latitudes."

The source for the 9 degrees temperature increase is science2017.globalchange.gov/chapter/1/ and Key Finding 4 includes "With significant reductions in the emissions of greenhouse gases, the global annually averaged temperature rise could be limited to 3.6°F (2°C) or less. Without major reductions in these emissions, the increase in annual average global temperatures relative to preindustrial times could reach 9°F (5°C) or more by the end of this century (high confidence)."
 
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