The state of mountains, December 22nd 2011

[billski]

New York Times

"WEST DOVER, Vt. — There were far too many skis on hand this week at High Altitude, a rental shop on the road to Mount Snow here, and Andrew Glover, the manager, was far too lonely."
...
At Squaw Valley in Olympic Valley, Calif., near Lake Tahoe only 15 percent of the mountain was open this week. Just 12 inches of snow had fallen at the base of the resort and 26 inches on the upper mountain, by far the lowest in a decade for this time of year. (By this point in 2010, the resort had received 135 inches at the base and 246 inches on its upper mountain.) At Alta Ski Area, near Salt Lake City, the base depth was 34 inches, compared with 105 inches last year at this time.

“People are just ready to sacrifice someone to the gods,” said Bill Clifford of Cumberland, Me., who plans to spend the holiday week with his family at Sugarloaf, where 15 out of 153 trails were open on Thursday.

 

[thetrailboss]

Yeah, it's terrible in LCC. Stay away

Seriously....we got 10" @ Snowbird yesterday. It skied damn well, on and off trail. 60 trails open. Gad 2 opened. It tasted very well.

 

[billski]

Yeah, it's terrible in LCC. Stay away

Seriously....we got 10" @ Snowbird yesterday. It skied damn well, on and off trail. 60 trails open. Gad 2 opened. It tasted very well.

You just got that 10". right?

 

[wawawawawa]

Everyone gets it. Congratulations. You live in Utah.

 

[thetrailboss]

You just got that 10". right?

Yes, but before that the skiing was not that bad at all.

 

[billski]

You're right wawa. This belongs in the Non-Northeast Skiing Trip Reports!

 

[riverc0il]

Everyone gets it. Congratulations. You live in Utah.

Yeah, this. Completely irrelevant to the cited article.

 

[riverc0il]

I was contacted through my web site by one of the authors of that article. Looks like none of my comments made the cut. Perhaps I didn't sound very upset and they were looking for more gut wrenching quotes, lol.

 

[billski]

I was contacted through my web site by one of the authors of that article. Looks like none of my comments made the cut. Perhaps I didn't sound very upset and they were looking for more gut wrenching quotes, lol.

:angry:

 

[thetrailboss]

Everyone gets it. Congratulations. You live in Utah.

You're right wawa. This belongs in the Non-Northeast Skiing Trip Reports!

Yeah, this. Completely irrelevant to the cited article.

LCC = Little Cottonwood Canyon. Alta and Snowbird are in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Take a look again at what the article says:

New York Times

"WEST DOVER, Vt. — There were far too many skis on hand this week at High Altitude, a rental shop on the road to Mount Snow here, and Andrew Glover, the manager, was far too lonely."
...
At Squaw Valley in Olympic Valley, Calif., near Lake Tahoe only 15 percent of the mountain was open this week. Just 12 inches of snow had fallen at the base of the resort and 26 inches on the upper mountain, by far the lowest in a decade for this time of year. (By this point in 2010, the resort had received 135 inches at the base and 246 inches on its upper mountain.) At Alta Ski Area, near Salt Lake City, the base depth was 34 inches, compared with 105 inches last year at this time.

“People are just ready to sacrifice someone to the gods,” said Bill Clifford of Cumberland, Me., who plans to spend the holiday week with his family at Sugarloaf, where 15 out of 153 trails were open on Thursday.

That's the reason for my comment and much like Riv, I was saying that they were being a bit too harsh IMHO and looking for more negative comments than were warranted. I guess I am a glass half-full guy. Sorry you all didn't get what I was saying....

 

[4aprice]

That's the reason for my comment and much like Riv, I was saying that they were being a bit too harsh IMHO and looking for more negative comments than were warranted. I guess I am a glass half-full guy. Sorry you all didn't get what I was saying....

I give you and Riv credit for being optimistic and the Times may be looking for negative comments but lets not kid ourselves either. My BIL just came back from Utah and his report was don't go off the trails. Yes there is skiing out there but just like here it is far below par. Its not the end of the world for me but I certainly feel for those involved in and around the industry. They just announced on the radio that currently all NJ slopes are closed and thats a tough break in a season that's not that long to begin with. I will keep wishing and praying for snow.

I'm not a glass half-empty guy either. I still feel there will be a turn around and the longer and harder it goes one way the longer and harder it will go the other.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[kingslug]

Well I'm glad things are turning around at least somewhere...plane trip..

 

[goldsbar]

Everyone gets it. Congratulations. You live in Utah.

Great for skiing, great for mountain biking. As much as I love those two sports, no thanks.

But yes, a bad day in Utah is a great groomer day in the East.

 

[thetrailboss]

I give you and Riv credit for being optimistic and the Times may be looking for negative comments but lets not kid ourselves either. My BIL just came back from Utah and his report was don't go off the trails. Yes there is skiing out there but just like here it is far below par.

This is very true. I have done some off-trail stuff at Snowbird, but it is up high. And again, my comments were in response to the article. We can't control the weather, but you're right that this holiday is going to hurt a lot of places.

 

[Black Phantom]

Skiing was excellent yesterday. Quite being such pansies.

Merry Christmas little people!

 

[ScottySkis]

Skiing was excellent yesterday. Quite being such pansies.

Merry Christmas little people!

Well glad the skiing was great, considering weather as of late im be happy to wait into the hills have more to offer

 

[billski]

Skiing was excellent yesterday. Quite being such pansies.

Merry Christmas little people!

Where's the TR?

 

[AdironRider]

Yes, but before that the skiing was not that bad at all.

Compared to the East coast. Wait a couple years and youll realize that was one of our worst stretches in 5+ years.

 

[Solitude67]

Unless you had to parts of British Columbia and Alaska, The best skiing in the lower 48 appears to be in Taos and Angel Fire in New Mexico right now; however, mountain reports appear to be getting as fabricated as NBA games. How is Hunter Mountain in New York reporting a 44" base! http://www.huntermtn.com/huntermtn/snow-report.aspx

 

[snoseek]

I've been out skiing all week in tahoe and can honestly say its pretty ugly. This is easily the worst stretch of drought I've ever experienced in the West, then again this is also my first year in this location. Snowmaking groomers are skiing decent and Vail Resorts has certainly put forth a fantastic snowmaking effort, but it is nowhere near adequate for the masses of people that are arriving as I type this. Lots of hiking for me this week and I guess I'm sorta ok with that.

I am starting to question I have the patience it requires to deal with these kind of snow draughts that happen here. Maybe I should have gone to ogden....

f^%cking snow already!!!!!!