2005/2006 Ski Area Snowfall Log
for the Silver Valley
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I moved to Wallace in January 1993 because it was a
charming village halfway between TWO ski areas, a dozen
miles in either direction on Interstate 90 in northern
Idaho's
Silver Valley.
This page will
log the snowfall
statistics for both
Silver Mountain,
a gondola ride away from Kellogg,
and
Lookout Pass,
at the Montana border. Click on the
animated color bars to move between the top and bottom of
the data. Greg Marsh |
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| 2001/2002 Snowfall Log | 2002/2003 Snowfall Log | 2003/2004 Snowfall Log | 2004/2005 Snowfall Log |
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Silver Mountain The Lodge, elevation 5650 feet, is at "Mid Mountain," while Kellogg Peak, top of Chair 2, has an elevation of 6200 feet. See trailmap for orientation CLOSED FOR SEASON on April 29 |
Lookout Pass The Lodge is at base of Runt Mountain. The chair runs from an elevation of 4800 feet to the top of Runt at 5650 feet. See trailmap for orientation CLOSED FOR SEASON on April 9. |
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| 118 | Days Open in 2005/2006 season April 29 | 111 | ||||||
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The early morning temperatures listed below were
recorded between 5 and 7 AM at the Silver Mountain Lodge and/or at the Lookout Pass Lodge . A (temperature) means it was recorded/reported after 7 AM. A (FL) notation means I was river/ocean kayaking with my son in Florida and missed Lookout's early opening. |
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| Date | 24 hr New |
at Lodge |
at Summit |
temp °F |
Date | 24 hr New |
at Lodge |
at Summit |
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/ (FL) |
Saturday Nov 12 |
(FL) | (FL) | (FL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ (FL) |
Sunday Nov 13 |
1" | (FL) | (FL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 27° |
Monday Nov 14 |
5" | 14" | 36" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 30° |
Thursday Nov 17 |
1" | 14" | 37" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ (30°) |
Friday Nov 18 |
0" | 14" | 37" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 27° |
Saturday Nov 19 |
0" | 12" | 37" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 27° |
Sunday Nov 20 |
0" | 12" | 37" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 25° |
Monday Nov 21 |
0" | 12" | 37" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 19° |
Thanksgiving Nov 24 |
0" | 10" | 32" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ (24°) |
Friday Nov 25 |
0" | 10" | 32" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 27° |
Saturday Nov 26 |
3" | 13" | 35" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 20° |
Sunday Nov 27 |
trace | 13" | 35" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 19° |
Monday Nov 28 |
trace | 13" | 35" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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/ 18° |
Thursday Dec 1 |
2" | 22" | 41" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Twelve inches of cold, light snow fell since Monday, so coverage
was good everywhere on the front side. More than a dozen trails
were well groomed in preparation for the next storm due later
today. Another seven or so trails, including both Idaho and
Montana Faces, were left undisturbed for the powder hounds. My
favorite powder playpen was along the side of
Hoot Owl, quite a bit tamer, but just as
surreal. I made 9 fun
runs by 11 AM, and went home to process the
photos I took of the new north-facing runs:
VERY steep, but one season away from open.
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Wind Closure @ 10:20 AM |
5" | 21" | 30" | 22° / 24° |
Friday Dec 2 |
5" | 24" | 44" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Dec 3 |
8" | 21" | 30" | 21° / 20° |
Saturday Dec 3 |
7" | 26" | 48" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Dec 4 |
0" | 21" | 30" | 10° / 12° |
Sunday Dec 4 |
2" | 26" | 48" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Dec 5 |
1" | 22" | 34" | 19° / 21° |
Monday Dec 5 |
1" | 26" | 48" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Dec 6 |
1" | 24" | 35" | (12°) / |
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(3") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Dec 7 |
trace | 24" | 35" | 7° / |
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(3") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Dec 8 |
0" | 22" | 33" | 16° / 10° |
Thursday Dec 8 |
0" | 28" | 50" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Dec 9 |
0" | 20" | 30" | 14° / (21°) |
Friday Dec 9 |
0" | 28" | 50" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Made six runs from 1 to 3 PM; four on the Backside, which opened
last Saturday. Great conditions: warmer than recently,
overcast 'black-n-blue' skies with intense sun breaks and
reflections, and only about fifty other skiers & boarders to
share two chair lifts with.
Backside was wonderful: skier packed powder with
3-5 inches of fluff on sides, going on forever.
While playing "bump-the-stump" was an option
at the bottom of the middle three runs, bright afternoon sun
on these south facing slopes made wooden obstacles stand out.
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Saturday Dec 10 |
0" | 18" | 25" | 28° / 20° |
Saturday Dec 10 |
0" | 26" | 50" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Dec 11 |
0" | 15" | 25" | 29° / 22° |
Sunday Dec 11 |
0" | 26" | 50" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Dec 12 |
0" | 14" | 24" | 35° / 20° |
Monday Dec 12 |
0" | 24" | 49" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Dec 13 |
0" | 14" | 24" | 20° / |
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(1") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Dec 14 |
0" | 14" | 30" | 19° / |
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(trace) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Dec 15 |
0" | 14" | 30" | 21° / 14° |
Thursday Dec 15 |
0" | 24" | 49" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Dec 16 |
0" | 14" | 30" | 21° / 12° |
Friday Dec 16 |
0" | 24" | 49" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Dec 17 |
0" | 14" | 29" | 5° / 8° |
Saturday Dec 17 |
0" | 24" | 49" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Dec 18 |
0" | 14" | 29" | 0° / 6° |
Sunday Dec 18 |
0" | 24" | 49" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Dec 19 |
0" | 14" | 29" | 32° / 12° |
Monday Dec 19 |
0" | 24" | 49" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This was a very unusual day for me as I spent the entire day on Huckleberry Ridge teaching a friend to ski. In six runs, she went from her first chair lift ride to being able to ski from top to bottom (850 vertical feet) without falling! This was due to several factors including expert service at the rental shop, helpful lift operators, and flawless grooming on this beginner run. With all the attention to the new terrain at Lookout, it is good to remember that this resort is famous as the family oriented area where most Silver Valley locals learned to ski beginning in 1938. As for my day on the bunny hill: I can now smoothly connect four 360's in either direction (before I get dizzy and have to straighten out). Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Dec 20 |
0" | 14" | 29" | 35° / 18° |
Tuesday Dec 20 |
trace | 24" | 49" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Dec 21 |
0" | 12" | 27" | (34°) / 32° |
Wednesday Dec 21 |
0" | 24" | 49" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 5:34 AM |
0" | 10" | 25" | 44° / 37° |
Thursday Dec 22 |
0" | 20" | 42" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Dec 23 |
trace | 10" | 25" | 30° / 33° |
Friday Dec 23 |
3" - 6" | 22" | 45" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 8:20 AM |
0" | 9" | 28" | (41°) / 36° |
Saturday Dec 24 |
1" | 22" | 45" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Low Snow Closure @ 5:21 AM |
0" | 6" | 28" | 41° / (40°) |
Christmas Dec 25 |
trace | 22" | 45" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Low Snow Closure @ 5:39 AM |
0" | 6" | 28" | 37° / 33° |
Monday Dec 26 |
½" | 20" | 45" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Dec 27 |
1" - 2" | 8" | 30" | (27°) / (30°) | Tuesday Dec 27 |
1" | 20" | 45" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Dec 28 |
1" - 3" | 10" | 31" | 30° / 31° | Wednesday Dec 28 |
4" | 22" | 46" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Dec 29 |
1" | 11" | 34" | 27° / 29° | Thursday Dec 29 |
7" | 24" | 52" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Dec 30 |
1" - 3" | 12" | 36" | 26° / 26° | Friday Dec 30 |
trace | 24" | 52" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Dec 31 |
4" | 15" | 39" | 30° / 26° | Saturday Dec 31 |
8" | 30" | 59" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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New Year 2006 |
5" - 10" | 20" | 45" | 29° / 30° | New Year 2006 |
6" | 33" | 64" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Jan 2 |
1" | 21" | 44" | 29° / 30° | Monday Jan 2 |
3" | 35" | 67" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Made 8 fast runs, 4 on each side, on powder, machine groomed packed powder, and skier packed powder — all good! The bottoms of Keystone and Cloud 9 on the backside were mostly clear of obstacles, but challenging because of the 17 inches of snow that fell since Friday. The new Last Chance Glades was deep enough to cautiously try... but now I think the official black diamond designation may be more appropriate than my earlier naive assessment. The morning was calm with light snowfall, but then a whole bunch of people showed up at 10:30 and the snow started to get sticky toward the bottom, so we left at 11. An affordable season pass coupled with 15 minute access from Wallace tends to spoil us locals. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Jan 3 |
3" | 27" | 48" | 26° / | |
(8") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Jan 4 |
8" | 30" | 48" | (28°) / | |
(6") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 7:02 AM |
4" | 34" | 52" | 30° / 26° |
Thursday Jan 5 |
trace | 39" | 76" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Today was a great example of why I have been on a crusade
for seven years, preaching that the two ski areas in the Silver
Valley should be marketing themselves together, rather than as
two competing egocentric resorts. I made 15 joyous runs today;
there was NO WIND WHATSOEVER under the warm blue sky.
Yet only a trace of new snow fell last night.
However, Silver Mountain, 24 miles away, was closed by 30-40
MPH winds after receiving 4" of new snow.
The two areas complement each other. When conditions
are good everywhere, the larger mountain may have the advantage,
but on days like today, Lookout should rock and roll.
Instead, as shown by
18 photos taken today,
there was never a lift line at Lookout.
The displaced Silver Mountain season pass holders from Spokane
that I
spoke to were delighted to be here, but furious that their
mountain was closed for the sixth day this season.
Isn't it time for the two resorts to consider offering a Silver
Valley Season Pass? Or at least to discount tickets bought
by Season Pass holders from the other Silver Valley resort.
Their competition
is Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint, not each other!
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Friday Jan 6 |
0" | 34" | 52" | 35° / 34° | Friday Jan 6 |
trace | 39" | 76" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Jan 7 |
0" | 34" | 52" | 34° / 32° | Saturday Jan 7 |
trace | 39" | 76" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Jan 8 |
6" | 40" | 58" | 23° / 26° | Sunday Jan 8 |
6" | 42" | 80" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 9:58 AM |
0" | 35" | 58" | 26° / 25° | Monday Jan 9 |
1" | 42" | 80" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 7:02 AM |
11" | 35" | 63" | 26° / | |
(14") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday OPEN @ 11 AM |
16" | 51" | 79" | 32° / | |
(20") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Jan 12 |
8" | 59" | 87" | 23° / 27° | Thursday Jan 12 |
8" | 65" | 108" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As the ski report said: YAHOOO! 42" since Monday and still snowing! Made 9 early morning runs, mixing the fresh snow on machine groomed packed powder found on major trails with the knee-deep "slow motion" powder lurking in the trees. The undisturbed snow along the sides of the backside trails was particularly deep and sweet, as was the quiet blanket that safely covered the Lucky Friday and Last Chance Glades on the frontside. I almost fell once in deep skier packed powder, but managed a one legged save, and as a result felt lucky enough and exhausted enough to call it a day. A great day! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Jan 13 |
3" | 61" | 89" | 28° / 31° | Friday Jan 13 |
4" | 67" | 110" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Jan 14 |
1" | 62" | 90" | (32°) / (33°) | Saturday Jan 14 |
4" | 65" | 109" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Jan 15 |
3" | 51" | 81" | 26° / 26° | Sunday Jan 15 |
4" | 65" | 109" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MLK Day Jan 16 |
2" | 52" | 82" | 20° / 23° | MLK Day Jan 16 |
1" | 65" | 109" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim picked me up at my Wallace office at 9:00 AM and I was back at my desk by 11:05. In between, we had us a "six-pack" (six runs, three on each side, at top speed with no stops on well groomed, but hard corduroy surfaces), and coffee in the new Lounge. We left as people started to coagulate and the light flattened in preparation for the next storm due in later today. Living in Wallace is a skier's dream come true; where else can you take two hours off from work and make six ski runs? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 7:22 AM |
7" | 56" | 83" | (28°) / | |
(6") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Jan 18 |
11" | 56" | 83" | 28° / | |
(9") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Jan 19 |
0" | 60" | 88" | 26° / 26° | Thursday Jan 19 |
9" | 69" | 115" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The ski report said: POWDER THURSDAY with 17" of new snow
since Monday. My math has 24" falling since Monday.
In any case, the result of letting the mountain accumulate
powder on its two days off was a typically marvelous Thursday
morning. I made eight runs (six on backside) through the
over-the-boot deep fresh powder on the sides of groomed trails,
and through the deeper fluff present in the surrounding forest.
The frontside Glades were deserted
and delightful as predicted. In fact, the whole place was
empty; the only lift line was when two dozen of us stood around
waiting for the first chair to load at 9 AM. This was sort of sad
considering that today's fresh snow was much drier than
last Thursday's technically deeper powder,
and that the temperature stayed in the upper 20's on this
partly sunny, lightly snowing day.
In other words, it was a perfect day that too many people missed.
We need to find ways to get more folks from far away places
to spend a week skiing and boarding in the Silver Valley,
instead of wasting their money at crowded resorts found elsewhere
in the Rockies. Unfortunately, this will require the two
ski resorts to work together for the common good...
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Friday Jan 20 |
16" | 68" | 96" | 23° / 27° | Friday Jan 20 |
7" | 72" | 119" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Jan 21 |
9" | 63" | 97" | 23° / 24° | Saturday Jan 21 |
11" | 75" | 124" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Jan 22 |
trace | 63" | 97" | 20° / (24°) | Sunday Jan 22 |
0" | 75" | 124" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Jan 23 |
0" | 60" | 95" | 24° / 29° | Monday Jan 23 |
0" | 74" | 123" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Jan 24 |
0" | 60" | 96" | 36° / | |
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Jan 25 |
trace | 60" | 96" | 36° / | |
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Jan 26 |
2" | 60" | 98" | 22° / 28° | Thursday Jan 26 |
2" | 69" | 118" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Got a late start from Wallace at 10:30 AM, but Jim and I still had our "six-pack" workout completed by a few minutes past noon. During this time, the weather went from light to heavy snowfall as the next storm moved in. While the new snow on the backside covered a noisy crusty surface, the new snow on the frontside was gently placed on a softer, more uniform surface. Thus the recently groomed Montana Face was very manageable, for example. We stayed on the groomed frontside for five of our six runs as we indulged our need for speed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Jan 27 |
3" | 65" | 101" | 24° / 25° | Friday Jan 27 |
4" | 72" | 121" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 7:54 AM |
7" | 65" | 108" | 25° / 26° | Saturday Jan 28 |
10" | 75" | 128" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Jan 29 |
12" | 65" | 108" | 23° / 26° | Sunday Jan 29 |
14" | 78" | 132" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 5:17 AM |
10" | 70" | 117" | 30° / 32° | Monday Jan 30 |
8" | 82" | 137" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A little sceptical about the warm weather, we were happy to experience snowfall rather than rain when we made first tracks down Keystone. The new 8" plus wind had smoothed everything over after the busy weekend, when two feet of wet snow fell. This made for invisible moguls, powder holes and other deceptions caused by flat light, mini-blizzards and icy glasses. It also made the Last Chance Glades very fun with knee deep challenges. I only fell once when a foot of powder unexpectedly became three, but four runs were enough. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Jan 31 |
4" | 72" | 120" | 25° / | |
(15") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 8:57 AM |
3" | 72" | 120" | 27° / | |
(6½") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Feb 2 |
trace | 72" | 120" | 27° / 28° | Thursday Feb 2 |
5" | 86" | 143" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Feb 3 |
5" | 77" | 126" | 31° / 29° | Friday Feb 3 |
8" | 87" | 145" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wind Closure @ 7:08 AM |
trace | 77" | 126" | 29° / 29° | Saturday Feb 4 |
½" | 87" | 145" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Feb 5 |
5" | 78" | 124" | 21° / 24° | Sunday Feb 5 |
6" | 90" | 148" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Feb 6 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 21° / (23°) | Monday Feb 6 |
0" | 90" | 148" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Feb 7 |
0" | 81" | 125" | (27°) / | |
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Feb 8 |
0" | 81" | 125" | (35°) / | |
(1") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Feb 9 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 20° / 22° | Thursday Feb 9 |
skiff | 88" | 147" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In marked contrast to my last two ski experiences, today's
snow surface was consistent and carefree. Most of the trails
featured "hero corduroy"
where one could stand tall, go fast and do no wrong. The expert
Whitetail run down the backside was particularly well groomed
and exhilarating.
With blue sky overhead, no wind, temperatures in the mid-twenties
and no lift lines, I danced down the mountain eight times by
10:30 AM, when my ride had to go
sell a house.
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Friday Feb 10 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 19° / 16° | Friday Feb 10 |
0" | 88" | 147" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Feb 11 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 23° / (19°) | Saturday Feb 11 |
0" | 87" | 146" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Feb 12 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 27° / 13° | Sunday Feb 12 |
0" | 87" | 146" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Feb 13 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 27° / (28°) | Monday Feb 13 |
trace | 85" | 145" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Feb 14 |
5" | 81" | 125" | 16° / | |
(4") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Feb 15 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 9° / | |
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Feb 16 |
3" | 81" | 125" | 10° / 14° | Thursday Feb 16 |
trace | 86" | 147" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A group of us "die-hards" made six runs on perfect dry powder during the middle of a lightly snowing day... when the Lodge thermometer read 11° at 1 PM! The summit temperature was 7° colder and the backside was colder still. For almost the first time in my life, I tried to ski slowly (in order to keep the wind chill down). However, I still got ice-cream headaches without the ice cream, and was glad when my ride said "I can't feel my little fingers anymore, let's go home." Since Del was once the manufacturer of the world-famous, high-end "BatWaves" snowboarding mittens and was wearing one of his products, it was obviously wicked cold. Especially on the bottom half of the backside as the Montana cold front crept into Idaho. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday OPEN @ 10:30 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 4°
/ -14° |
Friday Feb 17 |
2" | 87" | 148" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Feb 18 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 0°
/ -5° |
Saturday Feb 18 |
0" | 87" | 148" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Feb 19 |
0" | 81" | 125" | 4° / 6° | Sunday Feb 19 |
0" | 87" | 148" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Presidents Day |
none | 81" | 125" | (16°) / 14° | Presidents Day |
0" | 87" | 148" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim and I made 7 quick runs from 10:30 to noon on "effortless" groomed runs. Actually lower Whitetail on the backside and the Idaho Face on the frontside did require some concentration because of the speed involved. Still had a wind-chilled face, but nothing like last Thursday. A full parking lot meant lots more people on the mountain, yet there were no long lift lines to fret about... especially on the backside where it was ski to the chair and sit down as usual. Speaking of handling resort crowds well, I should mention that a large improvement in the Lodge this year, besides the upstairs Pub that gets all the attention, is the new restroom and locker area in the basement. A good job done by local contractors! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Feb 21 |
trace | 80" | 120" | 18° / | |
(trace) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Feb 22 |
trace | 80" | 120" | 25° / | |
(2") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Feb 23 |
3" | 80" | 120" | 27° / 27° | Thursday Feb 23 |
4" | 88" | 152" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim and I made 10 fast runs on 6 inches of fairly dry powder, had coffee at the Pub and were back in Wallace at 12:02. It snowed the entire time, making visibility interesting, but the snow was forgiving and the temperature was "warm." The snow quality on the frontside was definitely better because of windblown surprises and actual wind present on the backside. Of the 8 frontside runs, our favorites were the trees between Gold and Silver, the side of Hoot Owl, and Last Chance Glades. However, even the deeply moguled Viagra (I mean Niagara) was... empowering. The winter storm warning in effect until 1 AM Friday means that I will have another "powder emergency" tomorrow morning. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Feb 24 |
3" | 80" | 120" | 14° / 14° | Friday Feb 24 |
8" | 92" | 156" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As predicted, today was an awesome powder day. Blue sky, no wind, 8 more inches of powder, and no lift lines on either side. We again made 10 runs, had coffee at the Pub and were back in Wallace by noon. A big difference was that we stayed off the groomed runs for the most part, preferring to make first tracks down steep powder stashes found mainly on the frontside where prior wind pack was not an issue. The extra powder on Niagara made its nickname Viagra even more appropriate as I was able to drop down the fall line without my usual performance anxiety... twice. Cruisin' through the Lucky Friday and Last Chance Glades was sweet; the latter holding the deepest snow that we encountered all morning. It was knee deep and humorous when one of us fell ("I'm OK, but where is my other ski?"). My best tree skiing experience , however, was on the backside... but I'm not going to tell you where. Here is a hint: you won't find it by accident. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Feb 25 |
0" | 80" | 120" | 19° / (19°) | Saturday Feb 25 |
0" | 92" | 156" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday Feb 26 |
0" | 75" | 112" | (33°) / (29°) | Sunday Feb 26 |
trace | 90" | 155" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Wind Closure @ 8:50 AM |
10" | 75" | 117" | (31°) / (33°) | Monday Feb 27 |
5" | 90" | 155" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuesday Feb 28 |
0" | 75" | 117" | (35°) / | |
(3") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Mar 1 |
6" | 77" | 123" | 27° / | (4") | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Mar 2 |
0" | 77" | 123" | (31°) / 23° | Thursday Mar 2 |
0" | 88" | 148" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Following our usual Thursday practice, Jim and I made 10 runs, had coffee in the Pub and were back in Wallace by noon. The 7 inches that fell since Monday were wet and wind packed, so we stayed on groomed surfaces where we could ski aggressively on predictable corduroy. We did see one lift line... but the two people got on the chair before we got to them. On the backside we had the usual weekday "minus three liftline," where you let three chairs go by while you catch your breath and chat with the lonely lift operator. This phenomenon also happens at the larger Silver Mountain resort on weekdays. I have been skiing for 30 years; prior to moving here in 1993, I had skied at almost every New England, Utah, Colorado and Lake Tahoe resort, and never saw a -3 liftline (except at A-Basin in the '70's), but the 45 minute liftline was common. If you are currently happy spending big bucks to stand in line at a major ski area, don't bother coming to the Silver Valley. You might have too much fun for too little money. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Mar 3 |
trace | 77" | 123" | (25°) / 27° | Friday Mar 3 |
½" | 87" | 148" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Mar 4 |
0" | 77" | 117" | (30°) / 30° | Saturday Mar 4 |
0" | 86" | 147" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Mar 5 |
1" | 78" | 118" | 28° / 23° | Sunday Mar 5 |
1" | 86" | 147" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Mar 6 |
6" | 78" | 120" | (32°) / 30° | Monday Mar 6 |
2" | 87" | 147" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Mar 7 |
4" | 78" | 120" | 28° / |
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(4") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Mar 8 |
8" | 84" | 121" | 24° / |
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(7") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Mar 9 |
9" | 84" | 130" | 18° / 19° | Thursday Mar 9 |
11" | 98" | 162" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I have avoided the use of the word "epic" until today. Today was an epic powder day. Light snowfall mixed with sun breaks and temperatures in the mid-twenties, combined with knee-deep "freshies" and no lift lines to make the best conditions found this year (and last year). We made our usual ten runs before noon, but seldom went near the ten groomed trails, preferring to travel thru the perfect ("hero") deep powder present everywhere else. All tree runs were magical slow-motion adventures, especially Lucky Friday and Last Chance Glades. One mental snapshot taken on the first chair up was the sight of a snowboarder, a skier, and a telemarker making first tracks down the Idaho Face, side-by-side with synchronicity, each getting his share of powder "face shots" in the knee deep fluff. The Silver Valley resorts are equal opportunity enjoyment centers. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Mar 10 |
18" | 93" | 139" | 23° / 16° | Friday Mar 10 |
5" | 99" | 162" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Another glorious day on the mountain. Less powder but more sun. Excellent job of grooming on twenty trails with sparkling fluff on top of many of them. Still lots of uncut knee deep powder in secret stashes, but even the chopped powder was easy to fly through. For the first time this season, I switched my ride home and stayed to play all day: 16 runs with a barley pop lunch at 1 PM and total exhaustion by 3:00. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Mar 11 |
7" | 93" | 137" | 20° / 18° | Saturday Mar 11 |
trace | 99" | 162" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Another first, I'm skiing on Saturday... Yes! I bought my 2006/07 Season Pass today for $159 ($166.95 with tax), and as usual, it is good for the rest of this season as well! Rode to resort on the (free) Free Ski School bus (last of season) with out-of-town friends. What a great and under utilized public service for locals and visitors alike! Showed my friends all the good stuff in 11 runs; they were awe struck by the terrain, conditions and view. They normally snowboard near Mt. Hood. While this was a very "crowded" day with the Free Ski School graduation and award ceremony and all, the lift lines were really not that bad (5 min max), and the slopes remained uncrowded and easy to ski. In fact, there still was untracked deep powder in the backside forest... if you knew where to look. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Mar 12 |
0" | 85" | 133" | 20° / 24° | Sunday Mar 12 |
0" | 98" | 162" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Mar 13 |
0" | 85" | 133" | 19° / 14° | Monday Mar 13 |
0" | 98" | 162" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Mar 14 |
0" | 84" | 131" | 25° / |
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(trace) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Mar 15 |
5" | 86" | 132" | 20° / |
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(3") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Mar 16 |
trace | 86" | 132" | 25° / 21° | Thursday Mar 16 |
3" | 99" | 165" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Mar 17 |
0" | 86" | 132" | 32° / 27° | Friday Mar 17 |
trace | 99" | 165" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Mar 18 |
3" | 86" | 132" | 32° / 28° | Saturday Mar 18 |
3" | 100" | 167" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Mar 19 |
3" | 90" | 132" | 34° / 27° | Sunday Mar 19 |
2" | 100" | 167" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Mar 20 |
0" | 90" | 132" | 18° / 17° | Monday Mar 20 |
0" | 98" | 165" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I hitchhiked up and back today to make ten runs on superior snow: blemish-free firmly packed powder. Seven of my solitary runs were on the backside; on four of them, I saw only one person in front of me after leaving the top of the mountain... the lift operator. Seriously! Those of you who are content to ski Back East, or at popular places in the Rockies or Coastal Ranges where you must fight the crowds, should try to imagine how it feels to ski at top speed down a mile-long perfectly groomed run without seeing anyone else, only to arrive at a lift where six to twenty empty chairs have loaded ahead of you. Do this four times in a row, and you feel like royalty. So where are you going next season on your family ski vacation? To a big name resort where you can stand around for a lot of money, or to the Silver Valley where you can ski or ride to your heart's content at two resorts and have money left over? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Mar 21 |
0" | 86" | 127" | 25° / |
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(trace) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Mar 22 |
trace | 84" | 127" | 27° / |
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(½") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Mar 23 |
0" | 82" | 125" | 35° / 24° | Thursday Mar 23 |
0" | 92" | 160" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim and I got a late start, so we only did nine perfect runs before returning to Wallace by noon. However, what a fine set of runs they were! I remember that the term "Spring Skiing" Back East and elsewhere meant that things were getting sketchy with ice, rocks and emerging vegetation at strategic junctions. Not here! Nothing but uniform, yet temperature sensitive, surfaces to play on. "Firm" (but NOT icy) giving way to "soft" (but NOT mushy) as the sun warmed the day. The freshly groomed Montana Face was easily exhilerating and Cloud 9 provided its usual dual rush: scenic overload at maximum overdrive. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Friday Mar 24 |
0" | 82" | 125" | 43° / 32° | Friday Mar 24 |
0" | 90" | 159" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Mar 25 |
0" | 82" | 125" | 30° / 32° | Saturday Mar 25 |
1" - 5" | 90" | 162" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Mar 26 |
7" | 87" | 130" | 27° / 26° | Sunday Mar 26 |
6" | 95" | 168" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Today was "Season Pass Holder Appreciation Day" so all us regulars got a free lunch. Thanks, Phil! I was with die-hards Del and Jim (et al) who began the day by saying "Let's pound The Face a couple of times to warm up." One pounding on steep foot-deep (heavy) powder was enough for me and I retreated to play amongst my favorite backside trees. Later they found me and dragged me down "never-groomed" Niagara. I made a dozen runs all together and got a VERY good workout in the process. I finally "fell" on my last run through Last Chance Glades, after having several tense moments earlier. Actually my fall was just a goofy "sit-down" when my skis abruptly stopped moving as I tried to turn in a deep patch of "Sierra Cement." No harm done, but we were all exhausted and ready to leave by 1 PM. This was the 101st day of operation for BOTH Lookout Pass AND Silver Mountain. What a wonderful season... that is not over yet! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Mar 27 |
3" | 87" | 132" | 28° / 23° | Monday Mar 27 |
0" | 95" | 168" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Mar 28 |
0" | 87" | 132" | 33° / |
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(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Mar 29 |
0" | 87" | 132" | 34° / |
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(trace) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Mar 30 |
0" | 87" | 132" | 34° / 34° | Thursday Mar 30 |
0" | 90" | 162" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Mar 31 |
trace | 79" | 123" | 34° / 32° | Friday Mar 31 |
½" | 90" | 162" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Apr 1 |
trace | 79" | 123" | 35° / 30° | Saturday Apr 1 |
0" | 85" | 158" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday Apr 2 |
4" | 84" | 127" | 27° / 24° | Sunday Apr 2 |
1" - 3" | 85" | 159" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim, Del and I made twelve runs on a beautiful spring morning characterized by blue sky, scattered clouds, picturesque valley fog and warm gentle breezes. The frontside softened first, making Silver and Copper our favorite groomed runs. Early backside runs on firm skier packed surfaces covered with variable amounts of fluff were intense concentration and leg muscle workouts. After the lifts had been open for an hour, I asked the backside lift operator how many people he had seen on such a beautiful day. He said "Well, there was a group of six, and you three, and one other. Ten... about the same as yesterday at this time." As we were driving out of the parking lot at 11:30, however, we noticed that a lot more people were arriving, possibly to compete in the Annual Slush Cup at 1:00. Unlike in some previous years, the "can-you-get-across-it" spectator sport will require engineering... and water. There is no natural slush... or ice... or dirt... on the mountain; all the slopes are totally unblemished. Spring Skiing at its best! Come and get it! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Apr 3 |
0" | 84" | 127" | 34° / 30° | Monday Apr 3 |
0" | 85" | 159" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Apr 4 |
0" | 78" | 123" | 37° / |
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(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Apr 5 |
0" | 77" | 122" | 38° / |
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(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Apr 6 |
0" | 75" | 117" | 37° / 37° | Thursday Apr 6 |
0" | 76" | 152" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Friday Apr 7 |
3" | 77" | 120" | 32° / 30° | Friday Apr 7 |
trace | 72" | 150" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Apr 8 |
0" | 73" | 120" | 41° / 31° | Saturday Apr 8 |
0" | 72" | 150" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Apr 9 |
1" | 73" | 121" | 30° / 32° |
Sunday Apr 9 |
trace | 68" | 150" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jim, Del and I started at 8:30 and had 11 runs completed by 11:11 on this, the 111th and last day of skiing at Lookout Pass. It was a wonderful season, where I managed to get out on the slopes 24 times! Last season, Lookout was only open 83 days and I only skied a dozen times. Today we began by making FIVE runs down Rainbow Ridge under a gentle, big-flake snowfall. The totally consistent surface of new fluff on recently groomed corduroy made for playful, carefree descents. Jim was making his impressive one-legged turns and I was doing my peculiar penguin walk in spite of snow covered goggles and glasses. After four runs, I asked the lift operator how many people he had seen so far. "One other party of five" was the answer. So eight of us were sharing five mile-long trails — where else in America could you have this experience? When we went to the frontside, we found that the surface was not as uniform, and it was way more crowded... you could actually see other people from the chair. They looked like they were having fun also. You should think about joining us next season! We have room for you. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Apr 15 |
4" | 74" | 124" | 30° / | |
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Saturday Apr 22 |
0" | 74" | 124" | 33° / | |
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Saturday Apr 29 |
0" | 58" | 112" | 46° / | |
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| 118 | Days Open in 2005/2006 season | 111 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 97 | Days Open in 2004/2005 season | 83 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 136 | Days Open in 2003/2004 season | 104 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 101 | Days Open in 2002/2003 season | 69 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 90 | Days Open in 2001/2002 season | 80 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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greg4mss@hotmail.com
