2016-2017 Four Corners (AZ, NM, S.CO) Weather & Conditions

[Core2]

AZ Snowbowl opened a 1500' vert (almost top to bottom) WROD and their new six pack today. Sipapu also opened their WROD today in NM. Purg also opened some runs as well. I think we can thank James Coleman for this.

A few pics I took at AZ Snowbowl today:

Gnarly choke point, true WRODness

 

[crgildart]

Looks like fun. Not looking good most places, but Thanksgiving Saturday might be possible some places..

 

[Ken_R]

That choke point really puts the death in WROD! Gets my WROD of the year award.

 

[Core2]

That choke point really puts the death in WROD! Gets my WROD of the year award.

You had to straight line it then do a 90 degree left turn at the bottom which I have now nicknamed Dead Man's Curve. Other than that spot the rest of the run was great. I got 16k vert in a couple hours with a lunch break.

 

[Core2]

Full on powder day here in AZ today. 15" above 9500 ft. The WROD is now a full width run.

 

[Spooky]

I should have took the day off.

 

[Jeff N]

Wolf Creek is spinning the Alberta lift today, on a claimed 24" depth. They have gotten 30" of snow for the year.

I'll pass.

 

[Core2]

Wolf Creek is spinning the Alberta lift today, on a claimed 24" depth. They have gotten 30" of snow for the year.

I'll pass.

I was wondering if you were going to brave the low tide conditions lol. Looks like a decent storm is in the works for early next week.

 

[Jeff N]

I was wondering if you were going to brave the low tide conditions lol. Looks like a decent storm is in the works for early next week.

I don't have a Wolf pass this year, and it isn't worth paying for the product right now. This incoming storm should help, though.

My standing advice is to not venture into Alberta until around a 36" settled base, and to be somewhat ginger until 60".

 

[Jeff N]

So should we make this the 4 corners ski thread?

It was a shockingly good day at Purgatory today. Lots of stuff was skiing knee going to waist deep in spots. There were even some tree shots that were good skiing.

They opened quite a lot of natural snow trails, and basically everything feeding into Chair 2 got opened up. Some of the stuff they dropped rope on isn't listed on their website. Animas City, Bank, Nirvana and Mercy were all open and all skied great. It used to be that Purg would wait for a pass by the groomer to open terrain, but that seems to be one of the many things Coleman has changed.

They were putting lift tower pads up on Pandemonium, were grooming the Cherub Crossover, and Upper Hades looked ready to go. Patrol said a lot of the frontside could open as early as tomorrow.

 

[Core2]

So should we make this the 4 corners ski thread?

It was a shockingly good day at Purgatory today. Lots of stuff was skiing knee going to waist deep in spots. There were even some tree shots that were good skiing.

They opened quite a lot of natural snow trails, and basically everything feeding into Chair 2 got opened up. Some of the stuff they dropped rope on isn't listed on their website. Animas City, Bank, Nirvana and Mercy were all open and all skied great. It used to be that Purg would wait for a pass by the groomer to open terrain, but that seems to be one of the many things Coleman has changed.

They were putting lift tower pads up on Pandemonium, were grooming the Cherub Crossover, and Upper Hades looked ready to go. Patrol said a lot of the frontside could open as early as tomorrow.

Yeah, it should be a four corners thread. @Tricia or another mod can please you update the thread title to 2016-2017 Four Corners (AZ, NM, S.CO) Weather & Conditions ?

 

[Ken_R]

Driving down i25 through NM yesterday I saw that most peaks were basically snowless except from Santa Fe north where I could see some snow above 10-11k feet. the Spanish peaks were dry though. I am now in El Paso and it was very warm yesterday and Ski Apache / Sierra Blanca peak looked dry.

 

[Jeff N]

Purg opened up the front face today.

I would expect lift 3 and the beginner area to open next. I am happy as I have my first Adaptive Sports session of the season December 2, and a week ago it was looking like 2 mph skiing on a WROD...

 

[Jeff N]

Hesperus yesterday.

 

[Jeff N]

Wolf up to 95% open on a 39" base. Obviously that base will consolidate down a bit once the fresh snow settles, but you probably have to go North into Canada to get better conditions, no?

Should be great skiing there today. Last week's storm was wet and heavy, and this current dump started wet and is finishing dry. Best of all worlds- heavy snow to spackle into the rocks, blower on top.

 

[Core2]

AZ Snowbowl is in the process of opening up more runs. Blackjack was opened today and skied excellent. Hard to believe it is only November. Lots of CA plates in the parking lot today and I don't blame them for making the drive.

 

[Core2]

Full on awesome winter conditions today at AZ Snowbowl with a nice 2-3" dump. We've had years where it didn't look like this until January.

 

[Spooky]

@Core2 Nice.

@raisingarizona How much longer until game on in the backcountry?

 

[Jeff N]

Purgatory has been super aggressive in opening terrain this year. Today they opened Styx, Upper and Lower Hades, Pandemonium, and Catharsis, none of which were open this time last year despite having more than double the snow. They also opened the bunny hill area today, which is an earlier opening than anybody in the Adaptive program can remember.

Pandemonium

Styx

I love this run. A 1500 vertical foot playground of rolling steeps and double fall lines. A few moments after this picture, a saw a high school kid pop off this same roller, not realizing it drops off like a cliff on the other side. Totally unprepared to air it out like he did. Landed on the tips, double eject into a faceplant from about 30 feet up.

I was nice enough to get him his ski back.

Limbo Alley- need to stay out of the troughs at this point.

From the lift. The cliff section was open last week. Last year it was not open well into February.

 

[Jerez]

Ski Santa Fe opened yesterday. Only a couple of runs on a 22" base, but they do such a good job of grooming that it was still fun.

Heading to WC Tuesday. Sorry Joel reduced the forecast. Oh well. Will report back later.