• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Colorado Spring in Colorado? Yes, please!

dbostedo

Asst. Gathermeister
Moderator
Contributor
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Posts
18,096
Location
75% Virginia, 25% Colorado
This has been only a decent season in Colorado overall... but the late season has been very good. So I booked a last trip to visit friends and ski a few more days in late April (23-30). I wound up skiing 6 days, and even golfing one. I also got to meet a couple more folks from here I've only been familiar with online, which is always fun.

Saturday - 1/2 day at Copper, with @MattSmith and Jess
Sunday - Copper, with @MattSmith
Monday - Vail, solo
Tuesday - A-Basin, with @Drahtguy Kevin, @SkiNurse, and Kevin
Wednesday - Golf with @MattSmith, @Noodler, and Chris
Thursday - Vail, solo
Friday - Vail, with Jess

It was a fun week and great way to end my season with my most days ever, at 27!

Leaving DC you can get some nice views from the plane...
20220423_070530 ACR Conv.jpg

I got into Eagle airport Saturday early, and breezed through picking up my bags and getting my rental car, fast enough to make the ride over to Copper rather than just meet for après. Conditions were wintry with some new snow!
Vail 043022 007 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

Looking toward the Sky chutes and other chutes
Vail 043022 012 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

@MattSmith in yellow heading down Kaboom off Sierra lift... the snow was very nice in this area and we lapped it a few times.
Vail 043022 018 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

We wound up doing some extra après on Saturday, as Vail pass was closed and we were stuck at Copper. But extra après isn't really a problem... Me, Jess, and @MattSmith here
20220423_154305.jpg

On sunday, Matt and I went back to Copper... with the new snow almost everything was open, except for the T-bars... even Copper Bowl and Three Bears lift were open. Here's Matt heading into Copper Bowl
Vail 043022 019 ACR Conv.jpg

Pano across the bowl to the Three Bears area (Tucker Mountain)
Vail 043022 022 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

Riding the Three Bears lift... I'd never been up before, but the snow was good so we skied it twice
Vail 043022 024 ACR Conv.jpg

The view off the back of Tucker Mountain of Clinton Gulch dam and reservoir
Vail 043022 034 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

Rendezvous area coming back from Copper Bowl
Vail 043022 039 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

Matt and me on Rendezvous lift (I think)
20220424_120614.jpg

Monday I skied solo at Vail... more new snow and a lot of soft turns. Here is a view on Avanti.
Vail 043022 044 ACR Conv.jpg

Somewhere else in the Avanti area
Vail 043022 053 ACR Conv.jpg

I skied Riva Ridge top to bottom, which I'd never done, through lots of cut up stuff like this. About 3030 vertical - took a little while.
Vail 043022 056 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

Off Chair 4 in the mid-Vail area, lots of folks were hucking this cliff... some just barely or crashing, but at least one guy took it big, kept his speed, and threw a nice backflip off the lower lip (below the cliff out of the pic here).
Vail 043022 076 ACR Conv.jpg

Mid-Vail view and more cut up pow up high... though it would get super slushy late on the lower mountain, in the high areas it stayed really nice.
Vail 043022 079 ACR Conv.jpg

View of the closed back bowls and Blue Sky Basin from the top of Northwoods area. At times, I had entire huge runs in Northwoods pretty much to myself.
Vail 043022 088 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

I skied these all week... worked well in mixed conditions (they're Blossom Whiteouts/AM77s)
Vail 043022 089 ACR Conv.jpg

No SkiTalk stickers on them, but they do have the website name on the tails...
Vail 043022 090 ACR Conv.jpg

Tuesday I got to do my first official Tuesdays In The Snow at A-Basin... I'd seen this view a lot online or in pics; Nice to see it in person!
Vail 043022 099 ACR Conv.jpg

View of the East Wall early. It had gotten pretty tracked up with the new snow the day before.
Vail 043022 112 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

Riding up Lenawee lift to the high alpine.
Vail 043022 114 ACR Conv.jpg

People were still hiking to ski the chutes.
Vail 043022 127 ACR Conv.jpg

I met up with @SkiNurse (center), @Drahtguy Kevin (right), and Skinurse's cousin Kevin (left)
Vail 043022 135 ACR Conv.jpg

@SkiNurse ripping through Montezuma Bowl
Vail 043022 141 ACR Conv.jpg

Montezuma Bowl pano
Vail 043022 149 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

@Drahtguy Kevin viewing the East Wall from the new Steilhang hut
Vail 043022 156 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

Wednesday was golf, so no skiing. But Thursday I was back at Vail solo again... it was a gorgeous day! Avanti area pano:
Vail 043022 172 ACR Conv Pano.jpg

Northwoods area. It was really nice carving conditions and plenty of room to make huge turns. Lots of fun!
Vail 043022 182 ACR Conv Pano.jpg


Friday Jess and I skied Vail to close out my season. They had a bit more new snow, but it wasn't set to warm up much, so things were very re-frozen. So we waited out some softening by hitting the iconic Little Diner for breakfast...
Vail 043022 183 ACR Conv.jpg



Avanti area - compared to the soft stuff earlier in the week, this was just a BIT more solid (i.e. completely ice)
Vail 043022 185 ACR Conv.jpg

Jess on the lift a little while before the white-out
Vail 043022 188 ACR Conv.jpg

Snow and wind coming in... when the wind picked up it was nearly a whiteout at times and had us retreating to the lodge
Vail 043022 190 ACR Conv.jpg


Windy conditions and low vis
Vail 043022 192 ACR Conv.jpg

After it blew through, there was some soft stuff... but it was very sticky for some reason, despite my newly yellow-waxed skis
Vail 043022 202 ACR Conv.jpg

Jess at the bottom of Northwoods/Flapjack. This doesn't look like much, but getting down there in a random mix of sticky and icy pockets, and strong winds, was an adventure and accomplishment! (It was pretty terrible skiing, as you can tell by how many others joined us. The Ministry of Bad Ideas would have been proud.)
Vail 043022 203 ACR Conv.jpg



And that was it for my season! Leaving the next day I did get some nice views of the I-70 resorts... Vail and BC here:
20220430_123244 ACR Conv ACR Conv.jpg

I already can't wait for next season! :D
 
Last edited:

Jim Kenney

Travel Correspondent
Team Gathermeister
Contributor
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 27, 2015
Posts
3,588
Location
VA
Well played! I see a lot of white on those ski hills! No golf photos? Where'd you play and what was weather like?
 
Thread Starter
TS
dbostedo

dbostedo

Asst. Gathermeister
Moderator
Contributor
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Posts
18,096
Location
75% Virginia, 25% Colorado
Well played! I see a lot of white on those ski hills! No golf photos? Where'd you play and what was weather like?
We played Fossil Trace Golf Club in Golden, CO. It was nice... a bit tight and unfamiliar, but it was fun. The weather was around 70 and partly sunny... we did get a sprinkling of rain too, but mostly it was nice.

And no, I didn't take any photos. I don't tend to when golfing and didn't really think of it.
 
Last edited:

doc

Out on the slopes
Skier
Joined
Nov 25, 2015
Posts
744
Nice pics/report. I remember having breakfast around Thanksgiving a number of years ago at The Little Diner when I sensed rather formidable presence next to me. Finally looked at her once I realized everyone in the place was staring and poking each other in the ribs - it was Lindsay Vonn.
 
Thread Starter
TS
dbostedo

dbostedo

Asst. Gathermeister
Moderator
Contributor
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Posts
18,096
Location
75% Virginia, 25% Colorado
it was Lindsay Vonn.
That's the only famous person I've seen in Vail... Not nearly the same as you did though. It was during the 2015 World Championships in Beaver Creek, and there were festivities in Vail. As we're walking through the village they announced her and she ran up on some nearby stage. I don't even remember what she said or why they announced her - but I do remember seeing her.
 

S.H.

USSA Coach
Skier
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
1,822
Location
New England --> CO
We played Fossil Trace Golf Club in Golden, CO. It was nice... a bit tight and unfamiliar, but it was fun. The weather was around 70 and partly sunny... we did get a sprinkling of rain too, but mostly it was nice.

And no, I didn't take any photos. I don't tend to when golfing and didn't really think of it.
Fossil Trace is a fun course.
 

Tony S

I have a confusion to make ...
Skier
Team Gathermeister
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 14, 2015
Posts
12,630
Location
Maine
Matt and me on Rendezvous lift (I think)
20220424_120614.jpg
Like the new pea-green helmet!
 
Thread Starter
TS
dbostedo

dbostedo

Asst. Gathermeister
Moderator
Contributor
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Posts
18,096
Location
75% Virginia, 25% Colorado
Like the new pea-green helmet!
Thanks! It's actually older than the Giro aviator style one... I bought it when the top shell broke off of my white Smith, and I wanted something other than Black/Grey.

I've worn the Giro most of the season, but I mainly wore it for the goggles this time, so I could easily swap lenses. I knew I was going to have some grey days and some sunny days in CO.
 

Ken_R

Living the Dream
Skier
Joined
Feb 10, 2016
Posts
5,775
Location
Denver, CO

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,453
Don’t see a gap, a shadow.
Use some Flex Seal if it matters that much.
 
Thread Starter
TS
dbostedo

dbostedo

Asst. Gathermeister
Moderator
Contributor
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Feb 9, 2016
Posts
18,096
Location
75% Virginia, 25% Colorado
Don’t see a gap, a shadow.
Use some Flex Seal if it matters that much.
No one sees a gap... there isn't one. That was Ken's point.

But I'd LOVE to see a Flex Seal commercial where they fill a gaper gap!
 

Sponsor

Top