indiggio

They have Tele days up at Blue every so often to introduce people around here into it. Did it once with Tele-Jake, a Blue instructor.

2/27/25 Batted about the idea of hitting the newest CO ski slope, Echo Mountain, but at 600ft vert, that idea was replaced with going back to Loveland. It’s fast becoming the slope of choice and worth the double-down. Up 2 then lapped a few off 6 as a warmup. Groomers were good but off them was wind-blown and baked, so we decided to go higher. Up the 9 there was a nice cornice in Patriot bowl that had good snow so we lapped that a few times. After lunch we headed back up the 9 and instead dropped into Castle Rock. The snow wasn’t as good as expected. Headed over to Chet’s to end the day. Avalanche bowl, Zoom, Cat’s Meow all held very nice snow and we called it a day. No complaints! Dinner was grilled chicken and stir fry veggies and cheesecake.

2/26/25 It was off to A-Basin today. Day started out crystal clear and colder than previous couple of days. Weather at the mountain was mid double digits, but it didn’t feel like East coast cold. Over the pass there were many fresh tracks off in the surrounding hills and also a lot of slides. The snow was squeaky cold chalk, firmed up with some wind-blown icing. Up the BME, we headed right back down for a warmup and check the snow; fast, firm packed power. Off the groom, the snow was baked Alaska with some lipstick on top. After a couple of laps on the Lenawee, we dropped into the bowl. With mostly South-facing aspects and recent warmer and clear days, the snow was quite grumpy. Made a few laps looking for something good but came up empty. Up and down to the Black Mountain lodge for some lunch where we ran into some others from NJ who spotted a Blue sticker on our helmets. They too are out touring the local mountains. After lunch we decided to check out The Beavers. Made some runs down the outer tree runs looking for somewhere good to lap, but even the trees didn’t help, so we headed over to East Wall. Traversed out to the boot pack to see what it was like out there. More if the same baked snow with some wind-blown in the troughs. Had to watch the light crust on top wanted to grab your ski to take down an unaware skier, which it did to Donny. Also traversed over to check out one of the slide remnants, ugly! Lapped the gully’s a couple of times and called it day. Not the greatest snow conditions, but it was still a fun day regardless. Dinner was salmon, salad, baked potato and cheesecake.

Donny’s friend Greg is wicked fast skier and has a ton of stories to tell, as he’s skied a ton of places. We all have Camelbaks, mostly for the constant hydration availability and lunch, with the odd other pair of goggle lenses, spring ski gloves, heavier face mask, sunscreen…

2/25/25 Heading over to Copper today for another notch for all of us. Out the door at 7am, planned to meet up with Donny’s friend again later, as he knows the mountain pretty well. The sky is hazy overcast and they’re calling for 1-3” at the mountain today. As we head through the tunnel, light snow started to fall. After booting up, went out the door at the lodge and saw a guy in bump pants sitting at a table drinking a coffee. Turns out it was the bump instructor from Blue who relocated out here 11 years ago. He said they had the competition bump line over on Treble Cliff so we should check it out. He also said to stick to the groomers early bc of the warm weather. Up the Eagle and Excelerator and down Andy’s and Rosi’s. Stopped at Treble Cliff to check out the bump line but they hadn’t yet got to it. Up the Super Bee and met up with Donny’s friend. Made our way down to the Flyer to check out the other side. Down and up the Sierra, we sampled the snow on Revenge which was still pretty good, so we lapped that until lunch. After lunch we made our way into Copper bowl. First run down Matchless was frozen crud due to its aspect. Ran a few runs off Blackjack but the snow wasn’t too hot. Headed up the Three Bears and down Summit Stash that looked pretty good from below. The wind was hurricane force at the top, but the snow was good. Just as we pulled back into the lift, SP was closing off the area. Last run down Western Slope the wind was brutal, but the skiing was great. Other than the wind, we all had a great time at Copper. Dinner was chicken and veggie stir fry.

2/24/25 What would a bump trip be without hitting Winter Park? The other three on the trip have never been and I hadn’t been back since I was out with the wife in the 90’s. The place sure has changed a lot! On the road just after 7 to clear skies and warmish temps but still very windy here but they’re calling for overcast and 1-3” at WP. Up and over the pass, we’re immediately met with falling snow. Looks like a good day! We parked in the Mary Jane area lot as we figured we’d end up there at the end of the day. We planned to meet another Blue skier that the others know later in the day, so since the others have never been here, we’d tour WP side before meeting up. Up the Super Gauge and down groomers to the Olympia in falling snow, the snow and trails were excellent. Got the meetup call, so we didn’t get to spend any time on the WP side, so headed back to MJ. The Panorama was running so we headed up to the peak. We were going to take a lap bc of the line, but decided to wait. Good call bc they shut it down shortly after we got on. The wind was howling up top, but down below there was no wind at all. After lunch it was MJ time and he ugh ton queue the sun come out. I wanted to revisit Trestle in particular bc I accidentally drug the wife down it years ago due to a wrong turn. Never heard the end of that. Trestle was wall to wall, too top to bottom bumps. It’s tucked away so the snow was still very good. The rest of the afternoon was spent picking off runs off Derailer, all of which still had good snow, but temps were on the rise and we all had a helluva workout. Dinner was simply frozen pizza.

We didn’t see them running at all or made mention of either.

2/23/25 Well, going with Loveland yesterday and really avoiding the crowds, we couldn’t believe how empty it was for a Saturday morning, we decided to hit up Eldora which would be another new notch for all of us. Unfortunately the winds have picked up and are forecasted for the next 2 days, at least. I hate the wind! Up and over the pass and down into the town of Black Hawk. This place is a gambler’s dream! There are casinos on every block!! WTF?? Arrived in the lot about 7:30 and the winds was already howling, but it was a warm wind too. Hopefully it wouldn’t affect the snow too much. It was another big race day here too and they had a couple of runs set up with gates already. Chatting with a SP, he suggested staying out on the Corona lift to keep away from all the race activities. Up the Alpenglo and down Around The Horn to get out to Corona area, the snow was perfectly groomed packed powder: fast and edgeable. The plan today was to hit up some woods and from the Corona base the Salto glades and West Ridge looked interesting. Unfortunately when we got to the top they were closed. We dropped into Brian’s glades and they were so crazy tight you couldn’t get a rhythm going, punt! Up the Corona again we chatted up a mountain guide who suggested the Gully Glades. He said there were two entrances, both are good. Stopped at the first entrance and it looked tight as Brian’s, so opted for the second. Gully’s is far more fun. The trees are just a tad more apart and you could get a nice run going. There’s a steep section in the middle that you have to watch for, otherwise a ton of fun and we spend most of the day in there. We went back to the base area for lunch and then went back to Corona. Everyone must have been at lunch, as there was no line at all. Decided to hit the Indian Peak lift just because it was running. No line at all, but slow. Didn’t find anything there so went back to Corona. Up the Corona, we saw they opened up the Salto Glade area, so we headed in to check them out. Out to the West Ridge to the boundary and the wind was howling. The ridge is fucking steep with gigantic bumps. Looking over the edge puckered up the sphincter a bit. Dropped in and the snow was great and had a fun run down the bumps. Called it a day after that workout! Dinner was leftover chicken pot pie and lasagna.

2/22/25 Wow, that was one helluva night. All the times I’ve been to Colorado the altitude hadn’t really bothered me but this time was very different and unexpected. Tried going to bed but it felt like my heart was gonna beat outta my chest and was sucking wind just sitting doing nothing. How the Hell was I gonna ski tomorrow? God it sucks getting old! Didn’t sleep a wink and managed to cobble up an egg and cheese bagel and banana, all the while sucking down water and Gatorade Zero to ultra hydrate to help with the altitude. Went down the list of mountains to visit and having spoke with some others, the recommendation was to skip all the big resorts on a Saturday and hit Loveland because most skip it for the biggies, so that’s where we headed. All the times I’ve been out here, I’ve never got to ski Loveland, so it’s another notch on the belt and sticker on the helmet. Arrived in the lot about 7:30 with the sun lighting up the ridge. Kinda chilly but not too cold. The area got a bunch of snow last week, unfortunately none in the forecast for us this week. Maybe some flurries at best. The lot was filling up fast with a ton of racers. Headed up Chet’s and down a blue to the 2 lift. The groomed snow was superb for giant arcing turns and the edges were still soft. Up the Ptarmigan and down into the bowl there was soft, piles of chowder everywhere. Up the 9 and down, the snow wasn’t as good as elsewhere, so punted going back up there. Runs off the 4 were somewhat the same. Didn’t find much off the 8 either, so we made our way back to the other side. Spent the afternoon rummaging in Cat’s Nix trees. All in all a very good first day. Can’t believe it was such a good day after last night’s horrors. Dinner was Costco frozen lasagna and Caesar salad, not bad.

2/21/25 Slim, Rick, Donny and I boarded our United flight out of Philly on time, only to sit there at the gate for 1/2 hour due to snow in Denver and they were delaying out bounds to stagger arrivals, at least that was their story. We arrived only like 15 minutes after schedule anyway. Got a big Denali rental and headed for Costco to load up on supplies for the week and headed up into the mountains. Home base would be the lower level of a big house in Georgetown just off 70. Talking with a local, they said a judge built the house then got caught cheating on his wife so they had the sell it in divorce court. It’s a really nice 2 bed, 2 bath and lots of space with a gated driveway to boot. They say lots of people think the place is a hotel and pull in asking for rooms to rent. Dinner was Costco chicken pot pie and Tiramisu cheesecake for dessert.

Dude! Black is 100% open. Gotta hit it!

Curiously interesting.... Indigenous Origins and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe The area around Coeur d'Alene was originally inhabited by the Schitsu’umsh people, who called themselves “Those who were found here” or “The discovered people.” For millennia, they lived across a vast territory of over 3.5 million acres, encompassing present-day northern Idaho, eastern Washington, and western Montana. Lake Coeur d'Alene, a central feature of the region, was the heart of their homeland, providing abundant resources like trout, salmon, and whitefish. The Schitsu’umsh were skilled hunters, gatherers, and fishers, using tools like gaff hooks, spears, and nets. The name “Coeur d’Alene,” French for “heart of an awl,” emerged in the early 1800s when French-Canadian fur traders from the Northwest Fur Trading Company, led by explorer David Thompson, encountered the tribe. The traders nicknamed the Schitsu’umsh “Coeur d’Alene” due to their shrewd trading practices, likening their sharpness to an awl, a pointed tool used for piercing leather. This name stuck, eventually applying to the tribe, the lake, and later the city.

Ahh, I wanted to hit Dartmouth when we were up there but ran out of time. Next trip. Waiting for the Black report... 😉

Guess all this is why up in Maine all they do is spread sand around instead of dealing with all the headaches of salt.

A few bumpers are headed there Thursday...

Sloppy!

How about some ice melter stuff followed by some traction stuff after it has melted a bit so that the traction stuff has a place to sink into the ice?

No sarcasm there either! 😄

Yup. The time we were there the groomers were in pristine shape first thing but then deteriorated to boiler by the afternoon after the masses scraped off all the goods. Just conditions with which all mountains and sliders have to contend.

Report from Gah-skier George said it was pretty good. Good till on the snow and the place is a ghost town. Still have to deal with the wind in same ol spots.

Thought about it, but went outside to find the plow blasted my mailbox off its post. Spent a rainy morning repairing it, fuckers!

Indeed it was crazy how good it was for the first run on practically all the trails and then just went to shit on the next run down them. Quit the shit-show around 11:30 since everything was down to boiler in the middle and crazy sugar on the edges. Lower Main was just a pile of sugar waiting to envelope those who weren't paying attention. Left around 1:30 or so with lots of people still pouring in and searching for parking spots. Pay lot was down to 15 free. Departure was interrupted by a pretty good 2 car accident on the North side of Mountain Drive. Looked like the lost it on the top turn and T-boned and uphill car and then spun into the ditch. Staties were there limiting traffic to one direction at a time.

Alta doesn't stand for Another Long Traverse Again for nothing... Yeah, it torques the locals when rookie skiers can't even handle the traverses properly let alone the problems boarders would have with them. Deer Valley on the other hand...

Does it have a winch, looks like there's one in the bumper? There appears to be plenty of trees around.

Would be a great buy by Indy like Black Mountain NH. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/05/metro/entabeni-systems-indy-pass-black-mountain-ski-area-nh-co-op-model/ Check out...