RSS
Headline RSS FeedSnow, snow, and more snow in the forecast
December 16, 2007 —
I’m sensing a recurring theme here.
Vail is sunny and bright right now, but clouds are hanging around East Vail and will probably hang around for the next few days.
Snow is likely to come later this week. Weather.com is calling for a few cold and partly cloudy days today and Monday, followed by two days of a 40% chance of snow Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday has a 30 percent chance for snow, followed by a 60 percent chance Friday. The highs will be in the 20s while lows will drop as far as 5 degrees F.
A white Christmas also seems to be in the forecast with a 60 percent chance of snow.
We’ll see exactly how much snow the next 10 days brings, but I get the feeling this winter will continue to be a good one.
Submit a comment on "Snow, snow, and more snow in the forecast"
Courtesy Beaver Creek Resort
Larkspur Bowl opens Saturday at the Beav’
December 14, 2007 —
I have a heavy heart today, for somewhere out in my yard, a teddy bear is missing in action, ensconced in a tomb of snow.
Dragged into the yard during a snowstorm some weeks ago, the teddy was a mere plaything of a few heartless Labrador retrievers who dragged him from his Playtime Palace and used him in a brutal game of tug-of-war. He was soon forgotten (by both beast and man), and now he’s out there somewhere, soggy, and sorely missed only by my sweet little niece.
We shall not see him again until spring.
On the upside, however, ever since World Cup skiing began in Beaver Creek Nov. 29, snow has come almost every day, giving Beaver Creek a 31-inch base plus the few inches which will probably accumulate overnight.
Which means Larkspur Bowl will be that much better when it opens tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.
Additional trails set to open tomorrow include Red Tail, Dally and Arrowhead’s Cresta run. Beaver Creek will offer village-to-village skiing and riding between Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead on more than 1,400 acres served by 14 lifts.
Trails set to open in Larkspur Bowl include Loco, Shooting Star, Lupine, Larkspur, Yarrow and Three Tree Gully.
Beaver Creek Landing is also expected to open over the weekend, providing an alternative entry to the main mountain for guests staying outside of Beaver Creek.
Yes, you read correctly: Larkspur opens at 8:30 a.m.. The lifts at Vail and Beaver Creek are now opening at 8:30, giving early risers the opportunity to catch the first round of chairs and, thankfully, help remove that heavy layer of ice and snow which accumulates there overnight so that by the time I get up there I have a nice, warm seat.
Yes, despite a pretty good run early in the season, first chair will escape my clutches this time around as I intend on spending some time with my niece’s father (a.k.a. my brother) and his wife. The time for holiday parties has arrived, and we all must balance between how much we imbibe at night and how much powder we inhale in the morning.
In between all this, of course, we must remember to pick up a new teddy for under the Christmas tree and, this time, keep him from becoming another victim of the canine bite.
Submit a comment on "Larkspur Bowl opens Saturday at the Beav’"
By Tom Boyd
Davos Trail: a quick jaunt into the white
December 11, 2007 —
Snow is still falling here in Vail as we head into the fourth day (or is it the fifth) of powder, powder, and more powder.
Skiing the mountain everyday just isn’t an option for most people, and frankly I like to get away from lifts and earn my turns every once in a while. When I don’t have a lot of time to ski I go out onto Davos Trail in West Vail, hike as far as I can, and enjoy the slide down.
I usually use my telemark/skins combination on the trail, but skis or snowshoes aren’t usually necessary on this well-used trail. Just about everyone in the neighborhood is up there some time or other, so a hike on Davos can be a bit of a social event, too.
To get there: Davos Trail is located at the end of the North Frontage Road. Take the West Vail exit off I-70, and drive west out of the roundabout on the north side of the highway. The road runs parallel to the highway for a bit and terminates with a parking lot and a sharp, right-hand turn which leads uphill to Arosa Dr.
Park at this parking area and find the trail behind the silver mailboxes. Or, alternately, drive all the way up Arosa Dr, take a left on Davos Trail, and follow the road to the top of the hill, where it terminates in a cul-de-sac. Park here (to avoid getting a ticket, be sure to be off the pavement and onto the dirt portion of the road), and then follow the road up as far as you like. This is a great trail for dogs and kids.
Read more about Davos trail, and other trails, at our trail guide by clicking here.
Wolf Creek
Loyal readers will know that Wolf Creek opened with less than 1 percent of its mountain up and functioning this year, but the latest storm cycle has absolutely pounded the Southwestern Colorado resort.
Wolf Creek is reporting 126 inches at the summit and 106 at the midway point.
Here's some more info:
24 Hour Snow Fall Total: 23 inches
48 Hour Snow Fall Total: 31 inches
72 Hour Snow Fall Total: 56 inches
Latest Storm Total: 32 inches
Year to Date Snow Fall Total: 169 inches
Submit a comment on "Davos Trail: a quick jaunt into the white"
Photo by Jack Affleck/Vail Resorts
Grouse Mountain opens at Beaver Creek
December 9, 2007 —
After staring at Grouse Mountain all weekend during the Birds of Prey World Cup, I can now finally spread the word that Beaver Creek Ski Patrol will drop the ropes on Grouse Mountain at 9 a.m. Dec. 9.
Additional trails set to open include Upper Harrier, Goshawk and Lower Peregrine.
This ups the skiing and riding at Beaver Creek to 1,007 acres and 83 trails plus nine lifts.
Snow continues to pound the valley, with 10 inches of snow reported as of 1 p.m. Dec. 8, with 18 inches falling in the past 48 hours and 36 inches falling in the past seven days.
Beginning Sunday, the Grouse Mountain Express Lift (#10) will offer expert skiing and riding in the Talons area on trails Screech Owl, Raven Ridge, Ptarmigan, Bald Eagle, Falcon Park, Osprey and Ruffed Grouse. There will be expert-only access to Grouse Mountain via the Goshawk and Lower Peregrine trails. Also, skiers and snowboarders must ride the Birds of Prey Express Lift to return to the main mountain; there will be no skiing or riding to the base of the mountain.
Vail had a tremendous number of skiers Saturday, Dec. 8, and with good reason. Snow fell like it was coming from a heavenly dump truck all through the end of the week, and ropes dropped on the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin.
Personally, I found the Steep and Deep section of Blue Sky to be a bit rocky still, and although that’s my favorite run on the mountain (or one of them) I did laps on skier’s left, in Earl’s Bowl, and found it supreme. Usually Earl’s Bowl requires a bit of glade skiing to find the freshies, but to my astonishment, huge tracts of powder remained untracked when I departed from the bowl around 1 p.m. Saturday. Long and the short of it is, if you don’t go poach Grouse Mountain Dec. 9, then be sure to check out Earl’s Bowl.
Over and out.
Submit a comment on "Grouse Mountain opens at Beaver Creek"
Next
