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Colorado 2020-2021 Colorado Weather and Stoke (and beer)

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afski722

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Well lets see

We were supposed to be in CO next week, but we cancelled that trip back in November, primarily due to COVID but now it looks like it was even serendipitous with the current snow conditions.
I was going to come out last week of Jan solo, but now have punted on that for awhile.

At this point, I'm looking at late-Feb, after Presidents Day weekend for a potential trip. I want to avoid crowds, and unless good terrain gets open with enough snow, I'm not traveling out there solo to ski icy rock--filled groomers and deal with lift lines in the COVID era. I'm not coming until I see bases get into the 40" range at this point and/or at least 2-3 good storms.
 
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mikel

mikel

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The terrain back there is sketchy. Lot's of directed skiing this past weekend. Spaulding is still the best. Absolutely have the beater/rock skis if you plan on checking out some of those runs. Lower Enchanted was also opened. A few trails were helped by some really good cat drivers moving snow around on the small side.

And some friends decided to rub it in and send pics of the snow happening in Douglas.
 
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mikel

mikel

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I sure hope Feb. is better. Both local Denver stations and the Weather Channel were talking about the ridge setting up this week and the outlook for snow. The ridge might have more of an affect on CA. than here. Overall the expectation was low for snow for awhile.

I was talking with some kids from Team Summit this past weekend. They did the race at Steamboat last Mon and Tue. Sounded to me like anyone on here heading to Steamboat should absolutely be checking with you on conditions ogsmile
 

Ron

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I was talking with some kids from Team Summit this past weekend. They did the race at Steamboat last Mon and Tue. Sounded to me like anyone on here heading to Steamboat should absolutely be checking with you on conditions ogsmile

I'm pretty sure we aren't any different from anyone else except that we did get over a foot last week. Conditions off-piste are not not good and I wont ski on those "runs". Conditions on the blue groomers are actually excellent in the AM. Steeper headwalls are scraped off and bump runs are pretty nasty at the run outs. I have been up almost every day for the past 2 weeks. We ski about 3 hours and call it a day. The lower mountain runs are in really good shape but could use some freshening up.
 

nay

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later this month into early Feb is actually looking "good" for this season. You know its really bad when I am stoked for a 2" "storm". LOL.

The problem is 2-3 weeks out has been looking “good” since mid-Nov.

At this point, we’re really just looking to see if spring is typical as our biggest snow months. Right now there is so much demand on the surface snow that small accums will be here today gone tomorrow. We just want 2013 at this point and all (some?) will be forgotten.

D068EEE6-973A-4659-8B29-321C903D760F.jpeg

In good news, I am whittling down a multi-year honey-do list. I even cleared the entire driveway of snow yesterday instead of just driving on it and cleaned the burners on the downstairs furnace that has been acting up, apparently solving the issue (*knocks on wood*). My ratings are on an upward swing.

Pro tip: if you have been resisting getting a Roomba, just fold. It will change your life.
 

Errand Wolfe

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We require hunting licenses because we need to control the harvest of wildlife. Firearms are a danger to other hunters. And while avalanches triggered by one party can affect another, most of the avalanches involving humans are triggered by the person who is caught or by someone in their own party.

hunting licenses don't control the harvest of wildlife they generate revenue to help manage the costs associated with hunting and the vast majority of hunting firearms injuries and deaths are self inflicted or within members of the same hunting party.

There is a debate in the avalanche profession about whether avalanche education actually reduces human caused avalanches.

thats fair and I'd be interested to see some serious research on it

We don't require licenses to hike in the wilderness. We don't require licenses to climb in most location in America, and there are far more calls to search and rescue for non-avalanche related outdoor activities.

maybe it's time we do?

Requiring education would ensure that only those with significant financial means would participate and use our public lands in winter. Not very egalitarian.

I don't think that is true for back country skiing or snowmobiling considering the large costs already associated with those sports but it would hinder other sports.


All I'm trying to do is figure out a way to better fund the agencies that protect and watch over our public lands, I promise there's nothing nefarious in my intentions. Would you be opposed to a 2% tax on ski gear and bicycles used exclusively to fund public access projects, restoration efforts, and SAR groups instead of the a licensing requirement?
 

doc

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" ...he got thrown on the pavement after a while."
Now, regardless of how obstinate and wrong that customer was, I'm afraid the Eagle Co. Sheriff Dept will find themselves on the wrong side of yet another lawsuit against law enforcement.
Before @Blue Streak and I get accused of thread drift, I do think there was an element of Colorado stoke in his story!
 
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Mike King

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hunting licenses don't control the harvest of wildlife they generate revenue to help manage the costs associated with hunting and the vast majority of hunting firearms injuries and deaths are self inflicted or within members of the same hunting party.



thats fair and I'd be interested to see some serious research on it



maybe it's time we do?



I don't think that is true for back country skiing or snowmobiling considering the large costs already associated with those sports but it would hinder other sports.


All I'm trying to do is figure out a way to better fund the agencies that protect and watch over our public lands, I promise there's nothing nefarious in my intentions. Would you be opposed to a 2% tax on ski gear and bicycles used exclusively to fund public access projects, restoration efforts, and SAR groups instead of the a licensing requirement?
have you bought your search and rescue card? https://dola.colorado.gov/sar/cardPurchase.jsf

There's a lot of people who snowshoe (low cost), hike in winter (low cost), climb in winter (relatively low cost), rent backcountry gear, or rent a snowmobile. And if you were to ask the members of the SAR teams, the CAIC, or sheriffs departments I seriously doubt that they would endorse a licensing system for wilderness travel. There's the minor issue of enforcement, and none of them want to be responsible for that.

In terms of the severity of the problem, there have been a grand total of 293 people killed in avalanches in Colorado -- over the last 70 years. Is that really a problem that requires such draconian action? We'd have a greater public health impact of jailing folk who don't wear a mask.

1610407980810.png
 

doc

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Interesting avalanche stats, which do put the relative absence of a problem in context. However, I'm struggling to see how North Dakota had an avy fatality. Snow sliding off a roof?
 

dbostedo

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Interesting avalanche stats, which do put the relative absence of a problem in context. However, I'm struggling to see how North Dakota had an avy fatality. Snow sliding off a roof?
Yes.

"Strangest of all, though, is the idea that avalanches can truly strike anywhere — even in the flat and therefore seemingly avalanche-free state of North Dakota. An unfortunate roof shoveler on a warehouse in Fargo was caught, buried, and killed by a rooftop slide."

From this article:

 

nay

dirt heel pusher
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Yes.

"Strangest of all, though, is the idea that avalanches can truly strike anywhere — even in the flat and therefore seemingly avalanche-free state of North Dakota. An unfortunate roof shoveler on a warehouse in Fargo was caught, buried, and killed by a rooftop slide."

From this article:


That’s a NARSID.
 

dbostedo

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That’s a NARSID.
I thought they counted rooftop slides in the avalanche count? The roof slide that killed a mother and son at Kirkwood a few years ago shows in the avalanche stats on the CAIC page:

1610413568104.png
 
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nay

dirt heel pusher
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I’m just saying if you look at total Avy deaths and say 20% are from roofs, that’s a silly skew of data.

What class do you take for that?

I’ll revise and say *should be NARSID.
 

SBrown

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An avalanche is snow sliding down an incline. I don't get the problem. They have long been dealt with by avalanche pros. They even issue advisories!

 
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