Colorado Arapahoe Basin 2016-2017

[James]

Zuma closed for the season due to mechanical issues with the chair. Lower East Wall was open and closed late morning.

Snow is quite excellent - cream cheese. For now.

View attachment 24663

You on center mount skis there?

 

[RachelV]

East Wall is loaded with rollers. Probably my last Pali of the season.

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Somebody left the cream cheese out in the sun for too long.

Woooooooow that Pali shot looks amazing. Think I'll be able to sneak in some last laps on Saturday?

 

[dean_spirito]

So I goofed again. The kid has finals on Tuesday. Playing hooky that particular day would make me an irresponsible parent and I've been trying really hard not to contribute to any delinquency.

Ok.....how does Monday the 29th sound?

 

[nay]

You on center mount skis there?

That's my oldest son who is usually 3/4 dead from XC running and hasn't been skiing as much.

Those are Blizzard Peacemakers mounted around -6cm (+1 from recommended IIRC).

 

[SBrown]

 

[SkiNurse]

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Well, that doesn't suck.

 

[James]

Well, that doesn't suck.

right?
From the talk you'd think it was terrible.

 

[nay]

Woooooooow that Pali shot looks amazing. Think I'll be able to sneak in some last laps on Saturday?

Well...I have a sneaking suspicion about one thing and a not sneaking suspicion about another.

Closing Zuma based on a repair issue, and closing East Wall early while the snow was excellent right after a storm cycle based on some rollers (which did turn into Fred Flinstone wheels by afternoon) suggests we are in fact in late May and A-Basin may not try to hold terrain open any longer. That would likely include Pali.

The not sneaking suspicion is that the next few days are going to be shit. There was a lot of snow that wasn't skied out from the Monday night storm, and it got sun hammered and sticky along with the cream cheese that went to sticky mash. And now it is going to freeze and be mostly cloudy through Sunday. Which means the entire mountain is going to be reef and Zuma's groomers are done.

If consolation is necessary, Pali did look awesome from the lift and awesome in pics, but the soft stuff that wasn't skied hard before was just a bit grabby in enough spots that there wasn't much opportunity for rhythm, which is fine since my skiing doesn't offer much opportunity for rhythm, but the upper front side was by far the best skiing all day. There was surprisingly no reef underneath and for several runs it was light and creamy.

We need a few days of moderate sun cycle to be honest, which perhaps we get next week after the holiday hordes are gone.

Another boy.







Afternoon consolation prize.

 

[nay]

right?
From the talk you'd think it was terrible.

Horrible.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Sometimes you work. Sometimes you play. Then you work again. That describes today.

I got a late start but the conditions couldn't have been more fun. A little sticky in places, but soft steeps abounded. I skied the skier's left boundary, Tiger, 13 Cornices, International, Exo and lots more.


Main Street


The East Wall


It was open and delightful.


Relaxing near the end of the day.


The 'lounge'


It was saweet.


@SBrown


On the road home.

Now to fix a client's PC.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Monday the 29th works!

 

[SBrown]

Well, that doesn't suck.

Except that we couldn't ski it.

 

[dean_spirito]

@SkiNurse and @SBrown

Does Monday work for you ladies?

 

[nay]

Except that we couldn't ski it.

And according to A-Basin on FB, East Wall is done for the season.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Pali was 'da bomb yesterday to make up for the EW closure.

There is more more sun than I expected based on the forecast. May the slush be with you.

 

[James]

Everyone laughed at me for rooting for clouds to come in. Let's face it - for snow this time of year the Sun is the Death Star.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Ya, but I like slushy, wet snow especially when all that is left off piste is bumped to one degree or another. Otherwise Dercum's Gulch, Power Line and Norway Face get pretty tedious. I've actually gotten to like the slush bumps; even with the MX98 184s.

I guess I'd rather have good soft skiing for a little while than marginally nice (hard pack) for a longer while.

 

[nay]

I like forecasts like this when other people are going to be skiing on horde weekends.



Snow preservation in May should definitely occur on other people's watches.

 

[Doug Briggs]

Without all the new snow we had at the end of last week, I'm expecting less than outrageous crowds. :-|

 

[Philpug]

Monday doesn't work for us.