Pico Powder - Boot deep and 2-4' drifts

[Tin]

Was planning on Pico since last week. Unfortunately the modeled system slipped south so I was planning on a couple inches on cord, leftovers from Monday's 5-6" event, and hiking to the Outpost area. I do not know what the hell happened, or how, but it was much much more.

I arrived around 8:30 and a solid squall was going through, probably put down an 1-2" in an hour or so at the base. The summit was buried in cloud cover and could not see it from the top of Golden Express. Flew down to the Summit Quad and about a third of the way up this was happening...


I'm not sure of the rate but it was some of the heaviest snow fall I have ever seen (including the 4"+ hour bands associated with Nemo in 2012). Whiteout conditions at times riding the lift. With the exception of one ride up it continued until about 11:30.

At the summit, the trails were untouched and DEEP. I don't know how long it had been going on for (I'm assuming over night or days) but in combination with the wind the top 1000' of the mountain had mid boot-knee deep snow and some 4' drifts on Upper Pike. Skier's right of Giant Killer was mid boot deep, a 20' section of skier's left had 2-3' drifts and consistently over the boot deep. We could lap trails and continue getting fresh tracks due to the new snow and wind.

I don't know what the hell happened over at Killington but both only reported 2-3". Got about 10 runs in off the summit quad. Last 500' of vert to the summit quad was maybe 4-6" on the sides where groomers didn't go. Below that fresh cord with an inch or two on top. It felt like something out of the X-Files.

Went in for lunch at noon and the sun came out along with blue skies. Did some runs after lunch which included poaching upper pike and running it t2b. Legit 4' drifts on waterbars up top and consistently knee deep half way down. Friend I was with mentioned it was the greatest run he had ever had on the east coast.

Maybe 20-25 people on the mountain today, left at 2:00 and the majority of the mountain (with the exception of Giant Killer) was yet to be tracked out, and by majority I mean probably 70% (still fresh runs down Summit Glades, Sunset 71, KA, Birch Glades) of everything above the summit quad base. Have no idea how much snow fell but they definitely had more than the reported 3" since Monday. Have a ton more pics, just amazing. Even better than 30" at Crotched after Nemo. GO GET IT!




This is what was in a mogul trough on KA.







Deep sides...

 

[Tin]

The "thin" section of Giant Killer....

 

[Tin]

Can see the ring around the top...

 

[Jully]

Holy crap! That looks incredible. You really lucked out it seems. This has been some kind of December.

 

[Tin]

By the way, anyone ever see anything like this? Weather nerds...the wind was blowing straight up the mountain just slamming moisture into it? Just don't understand how nothing was happening at Killington and Pico was a blizzard with so much snow. There is just no possible way the drifts and amount of snow was the result of a couple inches from squalls and the 5-6" from Monday, it appeared as though it had been snowing up there for days.

 

[dlague]

This will explain it!

http://www.onthesnow.com/news/a/584884/what-is-orographic-lift-

 

[SkiRay]

HOLY COW!!! I have to show my wife this.. We were there this weekend.. We found some deep stuff though this is way deeper!

 

[bdfreetuna]

haha I saw your reply on the Weather forum and was smiling today knowing you had not only extended your winning streak but hit the jackpot

Also smiling because Saturday I'm going to Burke and I have a damn good feeling about that.

Funny thing Pico was the original plan. But after this trip report it's gonna be a full parking lot on Saturday

 

[Zermatt]

I watched those two big squalls on radar this morning. Total whiteout on the webcams.

Just curious, were any snowguns on anywhere on the mountain?

 

[Tin]

I did not see any guns on but everything aside from Little Pico area should be a go once they catch up on grooming.

 

[Zermatt]

That's disappointing, they need to be making whales and burying trails so they can withstand he warmups and rain.

It will be a go until it gets wiped out on Saturday night with rain. Need to get these trails groomed too.

 

[RHODYTURNS]

Wow. Great pics and report. Let's hope this continues into January, February, and March.

and April???

 

[SkiRay]

Wow. Great pics and report. Let's hope this continues into January, February, and March.

and April???

April for sure!

 

[Zermatt]

Any idea why Pico didn't make any snow the past 5 days?

Everyone of their snowmaking trails could have been buried with whales, but nothing.

And 20 people skiing there on Thursday? Good for the 20 people, horrible for continued operation.

 

[keyser soze]

Any idea why Pico didn't make any snow the past 5 days?

Everyone of their snowmaking trails could have been buried with whales, but nothing.

And 20 people skiing there on Thursday? Good for the 20 people, horrible for continued operation.

I think you answered your own question, no?

 

[bdfreetuna]

It (was) still the first half of December, and Pico still advertising a relatively low trail count. There will be plenty of full parking lots and days when you can't find a seat in the lodge ahead.

Pico also makes less snow than K because they don't need to. The mountain has great elevation, it gets hammered with snow naturally, and most of it's steeper terrain besides A-Slope (which usually has a short season) is upper mountain. Combine that with the fact they don't push for a late season regardless of how much snow might be left on the mountain, and taking weekdays off so they hold snow better, and the mountain skis fantastic through most of it's season.

 

[Tin]

That's disappointing, they need to be making whales and burying trails so they can withstand he warmups and rain.

It will be a go until it gets wiped out on Saturday night with rain. Need to get these trails groomed too.

Not at all. They have a great base on all the main lower mountain trails. Even with the rain/warm up they might not lose anything up top given how deep it is up there, and can bury A/B slope in 36-48 hours hours, they are fine. It is only December 17th. They are off to probably one of their best starts with all upper mountain trails and some woods open by mid December.

 

[Zermatt]

Not at all. They have a great base on all the main lower mountain trails. Even with the rain/warm up they might not lose anything up top given how deep it is up there, and can bury A/B slope in 36-48 hours hours, they are fine. It is only December 17th. They are off to probably one of their best starts with all upper mountain trails and some woods open by mid December.

Thanks, good to know things are normal and/or above normal for this time of year. I have no reference point.

Hope the new snow gets packed down everywhere today with all the skier traffic.

 

[Tin]

Thanks, good to know things are normal and/or above normal for this time of year. I have no reference point.

Hope the new snow gets packed down everywhere today with all the skier traffic.

Was only my 5/6th time at Pico so I'm no expert but everywhere is very far ahead. With this rain they will most likely lose Giant Killer but the fact it was open mid December says a lot.They closed up everything today to save snow. They could have opened more lower mountain stuff including the Outpost if they had time to groom and pack it down Fri-Sat. I noticed some places opening up thin trails this week that generally can't be groomed (and then closing them come weekend) just to get skiers on them to pack it in.

 

[Zermatt]

Decent week ahead of snow making weather. I hope they resurface and expand....so much snowmaking coverage but so little motivation to use it.

This is the response I got from Pico when I asked them if they made snow last week (m-f):

"We did not- we got some natural snow, and with some questionable weather this weekend, and stress on the power grid in the area with the extreme overnight cold, we opted to hold off. We're heading to B Slope and Swinger next. The mountain is sliding great on the natural we have- thanks to the mowing crew!"