4/12-4/19 Colorado trip report.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

26 minutes ago, theprogram4 said:

Guess what?

What?

[theprogram4]

Just now, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

What?

Chicken butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

7 minutes ago, theprogram4 said:

Chicken butt!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My nephew says that.  For next ski season I’m gonna buy one of these chickens for the lot to add to the early morning and mid day cowbells. If the fall back doesn’t happen, VTMark2 will be doing laser light shows while we are booting up.  

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

 

Dudes behind me on the plane were talking about blue mountain and Breckenridge...at least they got one out the two correct. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

I just purchased a midweek three pack for Abasin for $239 and I added $2 for the national forest foundation for $241. You don’t have to use it consecutive days which I like.  I’ll prob ski Abasin tomorrow, Friday and Monday and maybe cooper Thursday at least one weekend day at Loveland.  

Edited April 12, 2022 by GrilledSteezeSandwich

[saltyant]

3 hours ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

My neighbors are playing the Outfield right now..doesn’t bring me down and good volume. 

The walls at your hotel house must be thin. I stayed at a cheap motel in the Skills last summer and could hear crappy country music blasting through the walls when I wanted to take a nap at 1 pm. It was not rad.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

5 minutes ago, saltyant said:

The walls at your hotel house must be thin. I stayed at a cheap motel in the Skills last summer and could hear crappy country music blasting through the walls when I wanted to take a nap at 1 pm. It was not rad.

No the music was loud.  At Japanese restaurant right now eating at the shushi bar and jelly of the hibachi peeps. 

[saltyant]

21 minutes ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

No the music was loud.  At Japanese restaurant right now eating at the shushi bar and jelly of the hibachi peeps. 

Nozawa Sushi & Hibachi, by the hotel house? I'm pretty sure I ate there on September 11, 2017 and it was delicious.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

10 degrees here and there’s been some odd and on snow shower activity. 

 

Morning view before free breakfast thirty. 

[Dirtwolf]

a-basin today right?

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

The free breakfast at comfort suites in Silverthorne isn’t that good.  There is sausage and ham.  I’ll probably go to Einstein bagels tomorrow I can see it from my window.  Laid out all my ski stuff, ABasin doesn’t open until 9am but prob get there pretty early to get a good parking place, boot up and get my ticket.  

 

Last night had japanese food..was good and I know hot and sour soup is the most gringo thing but I like it. With my Colorado mule was under $50

[saltyant]

Excellent food pics! Atomic Jeff should take note for how to write a good trip report. 

[saltyant]

1 hour ago, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

10 degrees here and there’s been some odd and on snow shower activity. 

Pretty cray cray that when I was there the first week of March it was 60 degrees. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Johnny Law]

Peeps getting the goods at Vail, April is hoooot and your going to get it real gud 👍 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Hey All,

 

I’m back from another fun ski day at Abasin. I arrived there at about 835am and it was 4 degrees with blowing snow and moderate winds.  I picked up my pass and loaded the Black mountain express a few minutes before 9am.  First run was just a mix of lower mountain Blues..groomed runs with about 1.5-2” of cold chalky pow wow. Second run was a repeat of the first as  knew that lower mountain pow wouldn’t last and the good thing about those lower trails is the visibility is good as there are trees. 

 

Up black mountain express a third time and over to Lenawee, up Lenawee first half of the lift ride comfortable and second half my face froze...then took the rope row over to Montezuma bowl..I took a few pictures and with the temperature zero and real feel probably minus 10 taking off gloves to do anything was not a good plan. Top of Montezuma bowl had no visibility and areas of wind scoured ice with deep shabby snow along the snow fence.  Was survival skiing but lower down was a more consistent few inches like on the front side.  I then ducked into the woods for a safety break and skied to far before cutting back to the lift and did a little skinning with no skins.  To be continued. 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Article about Philadelphia airport parking. 

 

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2022/04/13/philadelphia-international-airport-parking-lots-full-easter-weekend/?amp

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Up the montezuma lift and the goofy patrollers said welcome to the Zumba enturo. There was absolutely nobody on the back side or Lenawee like maybe people every 20th chair.  Back on the upper front face, I actually waited for a group to get in front of me because the visibility was so bad and that area is essentially tree less.  Even though I was following people I got vertigo a few times.  The snow was so so good packed powder or a few inches of untracked everywhere.  

 

I accidentally ended up on a bump one on one of the later morning runs and was a little icy underneath.  Even the black mountain express had no lines, I didn’t even ride the lift with anybody.  I didn’t go on the Pali lift, I want better Vis for that terrain..looking like I’ll be back at Abasin tomorrow again..maybe it will be a degree or two warmer and the sun will come out.  

 

After skiing i went to the mountain Lynn cafe for steak and eggs then had some edibles and a long nap and enjoying a French dip Sammy right now from Cheba hut.  

[Johnny Law]

Fucking titty sparkles 

There is not a soul in almost all of your pics, that shit alone is like a dream and your eating good in the neighborhood. 

Props for always keeping safety first, that spring pow is gold but can be treacherous.

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

30 minutes ago, Johnny Law said:

Fucking titty sparkles 

There is not a soul in almost all of your pics, that shit alone is like a dream and your eating good in the neighborhood. 

Props for always keeping safety first, that spring pow is gold but can be treacherous.

There are a lot of sharks lurking..I’m glad I’m an agile mofo 

[toast21602]

WTGAI! I always enjoy the Colorado Skifari reports and it looks like you hit it at a great time which is good stoke for all of us back in PA

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

6 hours ago, toast21602 said:

WTGAI! I always enjoy the Colorado Skifari reports and it looks like you hit it at a great time which is good stoke for all of us back in PA

Thanks and no altitude sickness so far. I have been drinking a lot of water and Gatorade. The only beer I’ve bought for the room so far is a 12 pack of negro modelo.  It’s only like 4.4% alcohol. 

 

Silverthorne and especially Abasin has been in a snow globe.  There’s been another inch of pixie dust on my rental car at least four times.  Report coming soon.  

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Thursday 4/14..day 2 of 6..

 

This morning I awoke to the first alarm I had set 6:17am and forced myself out of bed, went to Einstein’s bagels and bought one bacon egg cheddar tomato and onion everything bagel and one toasted everything bagel just with butter.  I was hungry blame it on the gummies also had a medium coffee and an Arnold Palmer half and half tea and water.  Hydrated to the max nice caffeine assisted duece..got dressed fast..four layer player again but last two layers don’t go on until the parking lot.  

 

The drive to abasin was semi spicy and snow covered with a few areas of blacktop.  I maintained about 40 miles an hour and guy behind me was slower so the backup was behind him. Pulled into the lot at 840am I was a row closer to the lodge than yesterday probably because Loveland pass was closed.  Cold boot up in 8 degrees or so full on snow globe went to men’s room then on one of the first chairs..at like 9:01am.  

 

I wanted easy country club hippie powder to start so did two fast laps on the lower mountain blues which were groomed with an inch or two of fluff on top, a few deeper areas on the sides of the trails but also some crusties below.  An easy and pleasant start got on black mountain express a third time over to Lenawee which had people like every 20th chair.  Everything is untracked or lightly tracked but visibility was not good especially the top of Lenawee...was also super windy at the top.  

 

I skeet skirted over to the beavers and was in the woods a little bit..some untracked in the woods but some hazards only rode the beavers lift one time and the top half of that lift ride above the tree line was freezing.  I skipped Montezuma bowl today..semi high traffic and bad vis..I found the low visibility terrain off Lenawee wasn’t bad mainly cause it was all untracked and enough small groups to use as reference but if you were full charging and hugged the sides there’s definitely was coral reef that will send you ass over tea kettle even off the blues and single blacks.  

 

I thought about going inside to thaw out my toes a little and have a beer and soft pretzel but was still full from breakfast and did another run and a half on the lower mountain.  The last run I call a half cause I pretty much went far right in search of perd and got it on two moderate pitches on green runs.  Was a short ski day but no lines, breaks was cold, windy, snowy..the sun is trying to come out now in Silverthorne.  

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Last night I got Mexican food from a place called Chamayo, consumed more gummies and slept grate.  Alarm snooze alarm snooze this morning for me and I got the free breakfast from here at comfort suites.  The kiwi strawberry juice was quite good. 

 

April 15th 2022

 

Abasin day 3 of 6.  

 

Today was back into the snow globe and the third of three days on the weekday three pack I purchased for Abasin.  The drive up was the same as the previous two days, snow covered and took the same 22-23 minutes and I arrived around 835am.  It was around 20 degrees and snowing hard as I booted up.  No need to get a ticket or use the facility so I walked right up to the front of the Black mountain express line...clicked in and a few minutes later it was go time and I got my first civilian lift of the trip.  

 

 

It was snowing moderately and a little bit of a wetter snow than before and the parking lot was filling up fast unlike the previous two days.  First run, two inches of fresh on top of cord on the lower mountain and followed it up with another, visibility decent enough to let em run.  By the third lift ride there was a mini line and I rode the lift with somebody saying what a crummy day it was..I then went to Lenawee and low visibility up high was cool seeing people skiing and riding untracked pow from the lift.  That was me a few minutes later..I skied a couple laps on known routes just milking the fresh then went back onto the lower mountain...

 

Took a safety break then when all the way to the right still some green untracked and not much took the black mountain express again this time with people stoked to ski pow..they did talk about Vermont. I was able to ski back to my car, the early riser lot was beyond full and a solid inch of snow on the car and still snowing...

 

The drive from Abasin to Keystone was sketchy icy snowpacked luckily only one person on my ass early that passed me.  By keystone no snow on the roads and in Silverthorne this mornings snow was all melted and it was in the mid 30s.  I stopped at Einstein bagels and got lunch to have in my suite..I also purchased a lift ticket to ski copper mountain tomorrow.  I think it’s going to be very warm in comparison to the last few days at Abasin.  Still snow shower activity in the forecast.  

[skiincy]

On 4/13/2022 at 8:03 PM, GrilledSteezeSandwich said:

Article about Philadelphia airport parking. 

 

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2022/04/13/philadelphia-international-airport-parking-lots-full-easter-weekend/?amp

Yup!!! The parking situation is a shit show in PHL. Glad you snagged some off airport parking and called ahead. 👍🏼

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

April 16th 2022... Copper mountain 

 

Its finally warmer out.  Today began with some nice sunshine with a temperaturen in the mid 30s in Silverthorne.  I left the hotel house around 820am and I was in the free parking at Copper before 840am and riding the Super Bee lift by 9am.  It was a festive atmosphere at Copper mountain with a lot of families.  The groomers were mostly cord but not as hero snow as Abasin..groomed a little more solid and off trail had some areas of try fresh and some sort of manky from the strong morning sun.  I made my way across from west to east to ptaragjn lift, American flyer and Timberline which had really nice hero snow with the sun shining.  I only took the Sierra lift once and it was chilly up in the alpine and as I made my way back across the mountain from timberline to super bee there were some large clouds and by the time I was back in Silverthorne there was full cloud cover.  I’m happy to at least have had some sun and no real liftlines at Copper...I stopped at a mini market for more bottled water, iced tea and some snacks and then got Wendy’s this has to be one of the most expensive Wendy’s. I dropped $17.  I’m thinking Loveland tomorrow and maybe Abasin on my last ski day Monday.