Colorado Weather Discussion Thread

[cold_smoke]

Unsuccessful on North Maroon yesterday. Didn't have a hard enough freeze and/or last weeks storm consolidated into a 4" breakable crust that insulated the lower snowpack. The approach up the drainage was mostly skinning after a half mile walk then with a little walking on melted out hillsides further up the approach drainage. We gained the upper basin by going further up the drainage and ascending wet slide debris in a chute, we were knee deep when not in the debris. Better consolidation in the basin but once we started ascending the exit chute it was a wallowfest. Took us an hour to ascend the chute and a total of 5 hours to get that far. Decided to call it at that point due to trudging and the level of exertion it took to gain vertical. Bummer as it seemed we had a lot going in our favor otherwise.

[Lindahl]

I can see how that happened. If we had climbed our line it would have taken forever, also.

[trogdortheburninator]

Unsuccessful on North Maroon yesterday. Didn't have a hard enough freeze and/or last weeks storm consolidated into a 4" breakable crust that insulated the lower snowpack. The approach up the drainage was mostly skinning after a half mile walk then with a little walking on melted out hillsides further up the approach drainage. We gained the upper basin by going further up the drainage and ascending wet slide debris in a chute, we were knee deep when not in the debris. Better consolidation in the basin but once we started ascending the exit chute it was a wallowfest. Took us an hour to ascend the chute and a total of 5 hours to get that far. Decided to call it at that point due to trudging and the level of exertion it took to gain vertical. Bummer as it seemed we had a lot going in our favor otherwise.

That makes me feel better about not driving over there for the same objective.

Conditions in RMNP were quite transitional on Sunday. Moderate radiative freeze (much harder freeze on mellow aspects). Went up the notchtop spire couloir, which was in horrible shape after a large avalanche Saturday afternoon. It probably wont be much fun again this season. We ended up skiing the next couloir lookers left, that traverses into the bottom of the spire couloir. Much better surface conditions in there. A nice line before the cross-over ledge melts out. After that, we convinced ourselves we'd find epic low angle corn on flattop, so we slogged up the far left ptarmigan couloir. Slog was deep. Conditions were quite good up high, but over-ripened down low. This was probably around noon. Surface conditions were looking excellent on things that didnt slide. Notchtop couloir had only a narrow runnel and otherwise perfect surface texture. The ptarmigan fingers. ptarmigan glacier, and right-hand ptarmigan couloir all looked to be in fine shape too. Just need a hard freeze and it'll be nuking corn.

[zartagen]

Tried pyramid today. Fucking crust made it a slog. Bailed on the East face when my partner came down with some bad altitude sickness. Skied the north amphitheater with teeth chattering crust up top and sloppy mush and chunder down low. Around treeline was nice.

[cold_smoke]

Keep the high mountain spring reports coming! Some friends skied a couloir on Pacific yesterday (booted up) and noted good conditions and the Silver got gang banged again this weekend. Seems like the Summit/Gore zones are yielding more consistent conditions and the most success right now.

Independence pass opens this weekend!

[Lindahl]

Mag party at Indy pass this weekend?

[timmaio]

Weather models don't look so great for this weekend. Was planning on skiing in RMNP but it looks pretty stormy all weekend.

BTW, N facing couloir on quandary skied awesome yesterday

[smitchell333]

Sunny aspects are going through wet issues for sure - someone triggered a wet slab on Mt Bancroft E face 13K on Sunday:
http://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/ob...p?obs_id=24636

[shera]

Weather models don't look so great for this weekend. Was planning on skiing in RMNP but it looks pretty stormy all weekend.

BTW, N facing couloir on quandary skied awesome yesterday

Cooooool! I always admired that side. Thought it could be good if someone went up the opposite ridge (to the north) and filmed from there, with zoom of course.

[Name Redacted]

Sounds like Pali is closing down for the season. Bummer, it's been riding so well lately with a really deep base.

[shera]

Sounds like Pali is closing down for the season. Bummer, it's been riding so well lately with a really deep base.

Yeah, I've been wanting to ski some slush bumps, went yesterday and ended up lapping Ramrod which is actually pretty fun. Will do that again today. Prolly west wall too.

Not fun in the trees - the shade is icy and the sunny patches are wet...

Have you hiked up into the east wall in the last day or two? How is that? I didn't like the snow much in the falcon/land of the giants area yesterday around noon.

[Name Redacted]

I was up Saturday last and everything was pretty sticky, but fun. Trees were actually better that day. Haven't been up the EW but will probably be hiking up to ride the back side of it in the next few days.

[montanaskier]

Aspen is opening for the weekend. That's a cool decision and a town/ski co. that seems to get it.

[shera]

I was up Saturday last and everything was pretty sticky, but fun. Trees were actually better that day. Haven't been up the EW but will probably be hiking up to ride the back side of it in the next few days.

Haha, been thinking about that as well, but there are so many options right now its hard to decide.

I've been skiing so much powder and so few bumps this year that I feel I have some obligation to practice at least a little and not completely embarass PSIA. Anyway, slush bumps are totally fun.

[shera]

Aspen is opening for the weekend. That's a cool decision and a town/ski co. that seems to get it.

Dunno if you guys saw this one yet: http://unofficialnetworks.com/2014-2...s-noaa-130875/

What does it mean for Aspen? It pretty clearly means extra snow for the front range...

[The SnowShow]

Dunno if you guys saw this one yet: http://unofficialnetworks.com/2014-2...s-noaa-130875/

What does it mean for Aspen? It pretty clearly means extra snow for the front range...

Looks like a lot of Loveland days

[The SnowShow]

Tornadic activity out by DIA...that time of year.

5 small tornadoes I guess? Insane amounts of hail.

[montanaskier]

I was in the area, it was quite spooky

From CU hospital off of 225

[mt_wilson]

Anyone get up high today? Rained really hard last two days in Denver, but webcams look dry in rmnp

[Lindahl]

Rain created shit snow up to 12k in summit, or so I heard. Find out tomorrow I guess.

[montanaskier]

Heading to Indy on Sunday....praying for good weather

[Hott Butt Mud]

Indy forecast looks like a lot of precip. It's also looking pretty warm up there.....

[The SnowShow]

I was in the area, it was quite spooky

From CU hospital off of 225

Holy shit crazy pic

[wolfelot]

^^^^whoa!

[mt_wilson]

Anybody get up high yesterday or today? Wondering if all this moisture is making much snow up there?? Crazy rains in Denver all week but webcams don't show much or any accumulation that I can see...