Conditions: packed powder
Temp: mid-thirties
Gear: skis
Greetings from Colorado! We've all heard about the great snow that Colorado is getting this year, so I figured I'd head out for a little vacation. Not that the snow in Utah is bad -- we're having a pretty great year ourselves -- but the lure of record snowfall in CO was irresistible.
I spent my first day skiing at Beaver Creek (the Beav). Arrowhead (part of Beaver Creek) is less than 2 miles from my friend Kyle's condo. Can't beat that drive! And thanks to Kyle for putting my up for the week and showing me around the mountains.
(Arrow Bahn Express.)
Arrowhead is more of a residential area -- swank mountain homes and condos -- and less of the challenging terrain that I enjoy, so I quickly made my way over to Bachelor Gulch. I'd heard about some great tree skiing in the Gulch, but wasn't quite sure where to find it so I kept moving across the mountain. I'd return later in the day....
I had a great run off Larkspur to really get things going. Mind you, it hadn't snowed since Saturday but there was still some great powder to be found. There might have been a few tracks in it already, but it was far from skied out.
After a few more runs in the Larkspur/Birds of Prey area, I hit Spruce Saddle for an early lunch. It wasn't cheap -- nothing at a Vail resort is -- but it was a lot of food for the money. I left with a very full stomach.
(Spruce Saddle after lunch.)
I spent the early part of the afternoon on the main mountain at Beaver Creek. I had great runs through Heads Up, Corkscrew, and playing around in Jack Rabbit Alley. Thanks to a tip from a friendly couple from New Hampshire, I discovered the trees to the skier's right of Redtail -- great stuff.
(Skiers on Centenial at Beaver Creek.)
Then after a run down Rip Saw, I met Peter from Brooklyn. He mentioned some great snow under the Rose Bowl Lift and offered to snow me. We made a run there before heading to the Royal Elk glades -- killer stuff there! Then some nice trees just off of Strawberry before heading to Bachelor Gulch. Peter showed me the trees I'd heard about there. Unfortunately, we only had time for a few runs before I had to head back to Arrowhead lest I have to walk to my car. Thanks to Peter for those runs!
(Bumps under Rose Bowl.)
'til later,
- Jeff
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