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Colorado 2021-2022 Colorado Ski Resorts/Conditions/Meetups

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Ken_R

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Interesting that 2015 is looking most like the reference season. The base never got that big, but it just stayed cool and kept snowing in May. The full melt was a bit later than 2014 where we had the huge spring starting in early Feb.

View attachment 168318

The drought continues, this dry period has been going on in the west since about the year 1999? so about 23 years and counting? Forecast calls for it to last at least 30 years so 7 years to go it seems...

Base sucked all season long in Summit, yes, 2011-2012 was worse but my ski bases dont lie and I take care of my skis. It has been rough.
 
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dbostedo

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Trip report posted:

 

nay

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The drought continues, this dry period has been going on in the west since about the year 1999? so about 23 years and counting? Forecast calls for it to last at least 30 years so 7 years to go it seems...

Base sucked all season long in Summit, yes, 2011-2012 was worse but my ski bases dont lie and I take care of my skis. It has been rough.
They have no idea. The old age conifers in the southwest tell tale in their rings of 60 year mega drought. We like to say this is all current climate change, but yet somehow temperature records from the 1930’s Dust Bowl persist.

A late snowpack melt, if it happens (this is only early May), will be helpful. But as we know, for skiing how snow falls matters as much as how much snow falls.

I have a senior in high school, one graduating undergrad in college, and way too much other stuff going on. I just realized I’ve only skied once for a couple hours at Loveland since spring break. I’d honestly just as soon had my skis show a bit more wear and tear, but then this time of life tends to deliver other types of wear and tear that don’t p-tex all that well. bikecrash
 

dbostedo

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I thought the snow was done... if the 15th pans out, this is getting ridiculous...

1651803885332.png
 

Doug Briggs

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Yesterday was closing day at Loveland and the skiing was pretty nice. I went out in a vintage outfit including RD Bad Dogs and Raichle Flexons. It was remarkable how well I was able to ski them in the 1 to 3 inches of corn that developed. Much more than that (more than 3 inches) and they didn't want to do anything but run straight.

With a bunch of ski racing buds...

Kelli Keith - Loveland - 279847570_721771428953931_6234185085322385486_n.jpg

Kelli Keith - Loveland - 279901901_721771445620596_4771632296005103371_n.jpg

Then après...

IMG_20220508_141736437.jpg
'Kiss Bite my shiny metal ass!' Edited: I was corrected by @dbostedo, whom I'm sorry I missed on his recent visit.

IMG_20220508_144646304_HDR.jpg
We saw some of these guys out on the slopes...

IMG_20220509_092416177 (2).jpg
... and after taking some pictures were rewarded with these! Ok. Anyone selling a monoboard?

strava5447317128786576061.jpg
 
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nay

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Check out these temps for Bakerville. The fire danger weather right now is unbelievably scary. May shut down quite a bit more terrain given this is nearly 11K elevation.

452A8DDB-CC44-473A-B7B0-60BC4A3E29C9.jpeg
 

ski otter 2

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Yikes!
That fits, @nay , what's been happening at both Breck and A Bay, pretty suddenly:

Last week, the Beavers had powder days, had great coverage on those steeper groomers. But on Sunday I was kinda shocked: huge bare ground in blind places over rises, on Loafer, extending out 2/3rds of the run, and maybe six feet wide - completely bare there, not just some ground showing. I'll bet The Beavers will be closed by next weekend, if it is not partly closed at least already. Pali was great last week. But on Sunday, it was closed - for the season. The fastest snow melt I've experienced, at least within memory, seems like.

Similarly at Breck, last week, super powder/chop days on the T bar and Imperial up higher, even on Peak 6, and at least covered down below in the PM slush.
But Monday, after a weekend of high winds out of the SW (some of which must have been darn warm), Imperial and the T-bar, which closed over the weekend due to high winds, were still closed, Peak 6 was closed, Peak 8 closed Monday; maybe just the threat of high winds, but near as I could tell, those winds never materialized Monday, and those lifts possibly may not open again this season, unless there's a great dump coming up. And down below, not just mush slush, but huge bare spots suddenly there, again, mostly off the back of blind spots. Peak 8 lift closed, at the last minute in the AM (before first chair) unannounced. (A last minute decision, we were told, so even the bus drivers had not been told.) Folks taking the buses (gondola closed) were not told about the 8 closure, so a bunch of us who went there first were left to either take the bus back around to the bottom and back up to 7 (some did) or walk from 8 to 7, which I did.

I had a fun time, great friend, familiar faces and great conversations, fun making such low angle slopes carry enough speed to not have to pole, but....
Breck too may have to close early. I mean, just Peak 7 lift open yesterday, Monday? Yikes.
 
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Tony S

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Yikes!
That fits, @nay , what's been happening at both Breck and A Bay, pretty suddenly:

Last week, the Beavers had powder days, had great coverage on those steeper groomers. But on Sunday I was kinda shocked: huge bare ground in blind places over rises, on Loafer, extending out 2/3rds of the run, and maybe six feet wide - completely bare there, not just some ground showing. I'll bet The Beavers will be closed by next weekend, if it is not partly closed at least already. Pali was great last week. But on Sunday, it was closed - for the season. The fastest snow melt I've experienced, at least within memory, seems like.

Similarly at Breck, last week, super powder/chop days on the T bar and Imperial up higher, even on Peak 6, and at least covered down below in the PM slush.
But Monday, after a weekend of high winds out of the SW (some of which must have been darn warm), Imperial and the T-bar, which closed over the weekend due to high winds, were still closed, Peak 6 was closed, Peak 8 closed Monday; maybe just the threat of high winds, but near as I could tell, those winds never materialized Monday, and those lifts possibly may not open again this season, unless there's a great dump coming up. And down below, not just mush slush, but huge bare spots suddenly there, again, mostly off the back of blind spots. Peak 8 lift closed, at the last minute in the AM (before first chair) unannounced. (A last minute decision, we were told, so even the bus drivers had not been told.) Folks taking the buses (gondola closed) were not told about the 8 closure, so a bunch of us who went there first were left to either take the bus back around to the bottom and back up to 7 (some did) or walk from 8 to 7, which I did.

I had a fun time, great friend, familiar faces and great conversations, fun making such low angle slopes carry enough speed to not have to pole, but....
Breck too may have to close early. I mean, just Peak 7 lift open yesterday, Monday? Yikes.
Guess I made it out there just in time.
 

Ken_R

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Guess I made it out there just in time.

Yeah, it was perfect timing for A-Basin. The alpine there and at Breck has had good moments this season, really good but on a subpar snow year like this one timing is critical and I am glad you guys lucked out. Overall it was a season I will gladly forget. Looking forward to the Summer. I love Summer in the mountains as well. Crossing fingers that rains come and abate the fire danger which is absurd right now.
 

James

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Driving out of Summit to Denver yesterday it is dry. Only like 60 degrees but looked like 90. The few inches of snow we got a couple times overnight staying in Keystone just evaporates in the sun.
 
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Doug Briggs

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As best I can tell, only Indy chair opened today at Breck. The snow on Pioneer was perfect first thing, just the cord ridges were soft. Angel's rest was about an hour behind; all to do with pitch and aspect. I left at 10:30 when it was apparent that T-Bar and Kensho weren't going to open up soon. Such a pity. Upper mountain looked really nice. It's this damned wind that hasn't let up for weeks. Somedays, like yesterday (when upper didn't open) and today are worse than others, obviously.
 

Ken_R

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As best I can tell, only Indy chair opened today at Breck. The snow on Pioneer was perfect first thing, just the cord ridges were soft. Angel's rest was about an hour behind; all to do with pitch and aspect. I left at 10:30 when it was apparent that T-Bar and Kensho weren't going to open up soon. Such a pity. Upper mountain looked really nice. It's this damned wind that hasn't let up for weeks. Somedays, like yesterday (when upper didn't open) and today are worse than others, obviously.

This has to be the windiest spring in a decade. Just so consistently windy. We have had strong spring storms in years past but this year it has just been very windy for many days and no really strong spring snowtorms so its hella dry. I adjusted my sprinklers for much much earlier in the day and I started them almost 3 weeks ahead of normal schedule which is just insanity.
 
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