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Question for TB, Snoseek, Stef, SkiNEwhere

4aprice

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Any of our western friends. Still trying to nail down a western trip this year. Easter is falling pretty late this year and my boy gets the week before off. Normally I look at April 15 as the time when a majority of the western areas pack it in for the season regardless of base depth. What are the chances of some of these areas extending the season thru Easter this year? I know LL and A Basin will be open and that is a possibility but just wondering if you guys have heard anything about other areas.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ
 

jaytrem

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Any of our western friends. Still trying to nail down a western trip this year. Easter is falling pretty late this year and my boy gets the week before off. Normally I look at April 15 as the time when a majority of the western areas pack it in for the season regardless of base depth. What are the chances of some of these areas extending the season thru Easter this year? I know LL and A Basin will be open and that is a possibility but just wondering if you guys have heard anything about other areas.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Here are the planned closing dates for all the non-vail owned CO places...

http://www.coloradoski.com/resort-season-dates

Winter Park is a blast, especially for bumps.
 

dmc

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I've skied Vail, Abasin Breck and Keystone the first week of April a couple times..
20th may be a bit late.. But it could snow...
 

4aprice

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I've skied Vail, Abasin Breck and Keystone the first week of April a couple times..
20th may be a bit late.. But it could snow...

Last week in March/1st week in April are my preferred times to go (and I would be headed out to Utah if that was possible) but not this year. In past years that is always when the kids vacation has been regardless of Easter so imagine my surprise (and anger) when the school calander came out with Spring break starting 4/12. Jaytrem that list was very helpful and as you can see a lot of the resort are planning 4/13 closings. I'm afraid Utah (which is cheaper and easier for me due to my connections) will be much the same but I'll wait for TB to confirm that. I'm afraid that Snowbird will be the only Mt open in Utah at that time. Past experience tells me as well that the Front Range might be better for snow then Utah at that time. LL A-Basin and Winter Park would be a nice trio staying in either Georgetown or Idaho Springs. This is the last vacation that has to be scheduled around school and kind of a graduation present for the kid. Next year when its just the wife and I it will be when ever the heart desires.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ
 

snoseek

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I'd either do Summit or maybe Mammoth. I bet Breck stays open also. Snowbird will be open but the rest of Utah?
 

thetrailboss

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Hate to say it, but it depends.

The Park City resorts will close on that weekend or just before. Same for Snowbasin, Brighton, and probably Solitude.

Snowbird and Alta will press on until the end of April and beyond. Snowbird goes well into May....and has a lot open. Last year was Memorial Day. Alta and Snowbird will offer great skiing in April. I'm stunned as to how quiet it is and how great the skiing is...in April 2012 I skied three or four weekends where there was fresh powder and no skiers.
 

skiNEwhere

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Winter Park is a blast, especially for bumps.

Skied WP today. It sucked. Only 3 green trails open, they had the same amount of terrain (acreage wise) open today that A-Basin did exactly a month ago when they opened. At least A-basin opened a Blue though.

To level the playing field, you can tell they've got a lot less snow than A-Basin and Copper (The two other places I've skied so far this season), but you'd think they concentrate their guns on some intermediate terrain.


I hope they get pounded this year though. I love Mary Jane after a good storm
 

snoseek

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Skied WP today. It sucked. Only 3 green trails open, they had the same amount of terrain (acreage wise) open today that A-Basin did exactly a month ago when they opened. At least A-basin opened a Blue though.

To level the playing field, you can tell they've got a lot less snow than A-Basin and Copper (The two other places I've skied so far this season), but you'd think they concentrate their guns on some intermediate terrain.


I hope they get pounded this year though. I love Mary Jane after a good storm
Their snowmaking is week but they get considerably more snow that copper and just as much as abasin.
 

skiNEwhere

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Any of our western friends. Still trying to nail down a western trip this year. Easter is falling pretty late this year and my boy gets the week before off. Normally I look at April 15 as the time when a majority of the western areas pack it in for the season regardless of base depth. What are the chances of some of these areas extending the season thru Easter this year? I know LL and A Basin will be open and that is a possibility but just wondering if you guys have heard anything about other areas.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Actually, last year most of the resorts intended on closing right around the 15th of April, and then we got 2 feet of freshness in the mountains, and most of them announced that they were pushing their closing day a week back.

I haven't lived in Colorado for even 2 years yet, but I've noticed that the big dumps start happening more frequently around the middle of March.

Loveland closed the like 3 days into May last year (2013), leaving only A-Basin open. I skied A-Basin on May 7th with absolutely amazing conditions. I don't know what percentage of trails were open, but it had to be close to 100%. There were hardly any bare spots, and the East Wall was open and there was great skiing to be had there.

As a warning though, if it is a bad year, and the snow gets too soft and slushy due to a warm-up, A-Basin will close down the Pallavicini lift and most of the expert terrain off of it for the season, reason being that a few years ago (2005 I believe) there was essentially an in-bounds slush avalanche on the Pallavicini trail that killed a skier, and so mountain ops will shut it down as a precaution.
 

skiNEwhere

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Their snowmaking is week but they get considerably more snow that copper and just as much as abasin.

In the past, yes, but not the last few years, regardless of what their in house measurement say.

As the crow flies, I live 7 miles East/South East of their base (I'm on the other side of James Peak). I would imagine I'd get similar weather as them. According to the locals and my neighbors, we used to get pounded with snow every year, above the average in Colorado, but it hasn't been the same in the last 5 years or so, so I'd imagine it would be similar for WP, the totals seem to be far below average
 

snoseek

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In the past, yes, but not the last few years, regardless of what their in house measurement say.

As the crow flies, I live 7 miles East/South East of their base (I'm on the other side of James Peak). I would imagine I'd get similar weather as them. According to the locals and my neighbors, we used to get pounded with snow every year, above the average in Colorado, but it hasn't been the same in the last 5 years or so, so I'd imagine it would be similar for WP, the totals seem to be far below average
Are you in St Mary's or Empire??? Two of the three years I was there WP and LL got much more than summit, I think that's usually the norm. Abasin, LL, WP all get in on the same systems usually and it's usually more than copper, breck, keystone
 

skiNEwhere

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Are you in St Mary's or Empire??? Two of the three years I was there WP and LL got much more than summit, I think that's usually the norm. Abasin, LL, WP all get in on the same systems usually and it's usually more than copper, breck, keystone

That's pretty good, I assume you know the area? I'm in St.Mary's.

That's seems odd that Keystone doesn't get as much, since they are right next to A-Basin, but maybe it just seems that way since A-Basin is shielded very well from the evil effects of the sun
 

snoseek

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That's pretty good, I assume you know the area? I'm in St.Mary's.

That's seems odd that Keystone doesn't get as much, since they are right next to A-Basin, but maybe it just seems that way since A-Basin is shielded very well from the evil effects of the sun
No Keystone just doesn't get shit lol. I've skied in your hood in summertime
 

steamboat1

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Snowbird and Alta will press on until the end of April and beyond. Snowbird goes well into May....and has a lot open. Last year was Memorial Day. Alta and Snowbird will offer great skiing in April. I'm stunned as to how quiet it is and how great the skiing is...in April 2012 I skied three or four weekends where there was fresh powder and no skiers.

I think it was two springs ago in the middle of April the last time I went to Snowbird/Alta. They had 7ft. of snow the week before I arrived & another 2ft. the week I was there. Everything could be skied but not all lifts were running.
 

4aprice

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Actually, last year most of the resorts intended on closing right around the 15th of April, and then we got 2 feet of freshness in the mountains, and most of them announced that they were pushing their closing day a week back.

I haven't lived in Colorado for even 2 years yet, but I've noticed that the big dumps start happening more frequently around the middle of March.

Loveland closed the like 3 days into May last year (2013), leaving only A-Basin open. I skied A-Basin on May 7th with absolutely amazing conditions. I don't know what percentage of trails were open, but it had to be close to 100%. There were hardly any bare spots, and the East Wall was open and there was great skiing to be had there.

As a warning though, if it is a bad year, and the snow gets too soft and slushy due to a warm-up, A-Basin will close down the Pallavicini lift and most of the expert terrain off of it for the season, reason being that a few years ago (2005 I believe) there was essentially an in-bounds slush avalanche on the Pallavicini trail that killed a skier, and so mountain ops will shut it down as a precaution.

My experience has been March and April are the snowiest months out there. Appreciate the A-Basin info. Maybe I should direct this question at Snoseek since I've seen Tr's of his for late April but what percentage of Loveland stays open late? I would assume the Valley closes but what about the Basin? Loveland has a super ticket deal (4 pack $130), A-basin has $40 tickets on Liftopia at that time, not seeing particularly good deals for WP.

BTW I see you guys got snow incoming this weekend, here's to hoping you get nailed.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ
 

snoseek

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^^^^They will most likely pull the plug on chair 8, 6, and the valley first. 1, 4 and 9 are the lifts that are important IMO. 4 could potentially burnout if it's a low snow year. There's tons of deals for the spring, I wouldn't commit to anything yet
 
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