RSS
Photo by Reid Griebling
Headline RSS FeedOne of the great things about skiing alone: meeting new people
March 18, 2008 — Happy day-after-St. Patrick’s Day, hope all is well. We had a great weekend in the Vail Valley weather wise, with a total of 15 inches on the ground by Saturday morning.
Sunny skies graced a very busy Vail Mountain on Saturday as people rubbernecked their way through the Frisco area (thanks for the video, Tom) and enjoyed Vail and Beaver Creek's white gold. I was lucky enough to ski Vail on Friday, nine inches of dense snow saw an empty mountain during the morning, and as I was playing hooky, I was again a solo rider.
Dr. John Bell, a general practitioner from Colorado Springs, and Mariano Rodriguez, a private ski school instructor, and founder of mendozaholidays.com on vacation from Argentina, were my lift mates on Chair 5 after my first run down Ricky's Gully. We all agreed that the snow on Friday was choice, we couldn't seem to find anything that was tracked up (not a bad thing).
Mariano was on a 24-day holiday in the States, spending 14 in Vail and the rest with some friends in Lake Tahoe, a ski bum from the other hemisphere who skis 50-60 days a year at his home resort of Las Lenas (lucky).
Dr. Bell had made plans with a fellow M.D. to ski Friday through Sunday, who forgot to clear his schedule, OOPS! leaving him solo for the day as well.
As it was Mariano's first day back in his boots since October, and first time ever in Vail, Dr. John and I decided to show Mariano a little bit of the legendary Back Bowls, taking him through gate two of Windows.
The snow was deep, dense, and delightful, although we could still hear the firmness underneath.
Surprisingly, the lift line at chair 5 was again, non-existent, which made for quick laps, tiring this blogger out by noon. (Thanks for the skiing guys).
Check out Mariano's web site at mendozaholidays.com.
OK, now on to the weather report: This week looks a bit unsettled with a chance for snow showers each day. However, models show an unfavorable jet stream, and only weak disturbances passing through. I don't think we can expect any accumulating snowfall this week, although we might see a few showers here and there.
Temps will be mild with highs “on mountain” in the 20s and mid 30s at the base. This should be consistent throughout the week. Winds will be light and variable, with gusty conditions as the few disturbances pass by.
All in all it looks like a great weekend of skiing for our guests, with mild temps and good visibility. We will keep watch as the week progresses.
Happy snow-riding.
1 Comment on "One of the great things about skiing alone: meeting new people"
Sundance Kid — March 18, 2008
I relish the chance to strike up a conversation with lift-mates. I like to play a bit of a game: I'll start out with a few superficial questions and see how fast I can determine whether they're local or from out of town. Unfortunately, New Yorkers usually give up their origin with the least amount of interaction. I can almost smell em' out. :)
Photo courtesy Jack Affleck/Vail Resorts
'Memorable storm' on the way
March 13, 2008 —
An urgent update for you powder hounds out there: If you have not already heard, a winter storm warning is in effect for our region beginning this evening at 6 p.m. until Friday 6 p.m. This could be a memorable storm, with estimated accumulations ranging from 8-12 inches overnight Thursday and an additional 4-7 during the day Friday.
A moisture-packed Pacific system will bring moderate winds and colder weather this evening with the bulk of the snow falling overnight. Winds will range from 20-30 mph overnight from the W/NW, with gusts in the 40s.
Temperatures will be cold with highs on mountain in the single digits on Friday.
Winter is still with us folks, and as records show, this storm will reconfirm that March is one of our wettest months annually. I believe that forecasters are correct in their accumulation totals, dynamics look good with this storm as temps are cool prior to the storm arriving, and there is ample amounts of moisture in the upper atmosphere. Should be a great way to start the weekend.
Speaking of the weekend, rumor has it that this could be the busiest March weekend in history. With that said, please be aware of your surroundings on the mountain as there will be a lot of people, please give your fellow snow-riders respect and room.
Finally, the Junior Olympics (J.O.'s) will be finishing on Sunday, if you have a chance, head over to Golden Peak and catch some of the action. These are our future World Cup and Olympic racers competing, show them your support.
Happy snow-riding, and keep your fingers crossed for yet ANOTHER powder day (sorry Dave O.!)
Submit a comment on "'Memorable storm' on the way"
Photo by Reid Griebling
With warm weather, a bit of wind, try sunny Arrowhead and Bachelor Gulch
March 11, 2008 —
Good day to all, hope the last two weeks have treated you well. I know it was great for the "Vail Snob" http://www.realvail.com/CenteroftheUniverse/ (nice photo).
Our weather has been spring-like through the first part of March, and should continue.
We can expect to see more quick storms cycles move through the area, with warming temps directly following.
Our next cold front moves in Wednesday (March 12) evening bringing light accumulation. The good news is that this storm does have all of the ingredients to drop another 4-6 inches by Thursday afternoon as the bulk of the energy passes over during the day Thursday.
Temperatures will range from the low 30s at the base, and high teens on the mountain through the weekend at both Vail and the Beav'. Winds will be light Wednesday during the day increasing overnight.
Thursday winds will be in the 20-30 mph range from the W/NW, with gusts into the 50s at the ridge tops.
Winds will move to the southwest Friday and Saturday which should keep temps mild.
The overall outlook for the remainder of March looks favorable for those who have not had their fill of powder days. Unsettled weather should stay with us through March, increasing chances of snow.
Also, now is the time to venture over to Arrowhead and Bachelor Gulch, with warm temperatures and soft snow, the skiing is great, and they also have some great après music at the Broken Arrow this time of year.
And did I mention the parking is FREE!
Happy snow-riding
Submit a comment on "With warm weather, a bit of wind, try sunny Arrowhead and Bachelor Gulch"
Another great month of snow for the Vail Valley
February 29, 2008 —
Vail Mountain saw 95 inches of snow during the month of February, and March is annually one of the wettest months in the Centennial State.(Beaver Creek was not available at the time). And with spring slowly creeping upon us, daytime temperatures will begin to soften the snow on the south facing aspects of both Vail and the Beav'. This freeze-thaw pattern will continue throughout the remainder of the ski season, and with it, are some local tips that can help those of you who are unfamiliar. Temperatures during the overnight period are still well below freezing, keeping the snow cold, however, when the sunrises and begins to warm the air, the snow on the mountains begins to "thaw" giving snow-riders soft and very fun snow conditions. During the morning hours on the mountain, skiing on trails that are ungroomed can be a nightmare. There are many different names for these snow conditions: death cookies, chicken heads, and my favorite, the coral reef. None of these names sound good for snow-riding; and they aren't. Until after the noon hour, the best skiing on the mountain will be on the groomed trails. Be sure to pick up a grooming report at the base of every lift each morning.
Groomed trails will vary each day, so be sure to check with anyone wearing a yellow jacket. Also, be aware that many of the Back Bowls will be closed until the snow softens, please feel free to ask anyone in a yellow or red jacket if the bowls are open and respect the rope closures that are put in place, they are there for your safety. The weather for the upcoming weekend looks favorable for more snowfall. Saturday looks warm with increasing winds from the west.
Temperatures look to reach the 30's on the mountain and 40's at the base. Winds should range anywhere from 15-25 mph during the day and increasing overnight as the next storm system makes its way into the northern mountains. Snowfall will increase after the midnight hour Saturday and continue through Sunday. We should see the bulk of the snowfall Sunday during the day as the storm moves eastward. Snow totals should range from 4-7 inches by Sunday p.m. Temperatures will be colder on Sunday, with highs in the low 20's.
Winds should range anywhere from 10-20 mph. Monday the storm moves out and leaves us under partly cloudy skies and warmer temps. Hopefully we see enough moisture and cooler temperatures to get a good amount of accumulating snow from this storm, we will watch.
Again, if you are planning on snow-riding during the morning hours, pick up a grooming report and stick to the front side of the mountain while the sun works its magic for the Back Bowls. Happy March!
- Reed
1 Comment on "Another great month of snow for the Vail Valley"
Luke — March 2, 2008
Another rough day at work! Your pictures came out great!
Submit and read more comments on "Another great month of snow for the Vail Valley" now!
Next
