2007/2008 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 | 2005/2006 Snowfall Log | 2006/2007 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 JUNE 1!. |
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 6. |
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| 128 |
Days Open in 2007/2008 season as of June 1, 2008 |
98 | ||||||
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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 (new snowfall) number records new snow when a resort is closed. |
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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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(1") | / 20° |
Thursday Nov 29 |
2" | 15" | 24" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 days later than last year's opening day, Lookout Pass opened the Idaho Side and discounted tickets. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(0") | / 16° |
Friday Nov 30 |
trace | 14" | 24" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(0") | / 12° |
Saturday Dec 1 |
1" | 14" | 24" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(12") | / 28° |
Sunday Dec 2 |
16" | 22" | 36" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(16") | / 32° |
Monday Dec 3 |
22" | 30" | 47" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(0") | / |
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(10") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(0") | / |
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(trace) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(0") | / (28°) |
Thursday Dec 6 |
trace | 28" | 52" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Back Side opened today with "excellent machine groomed packed powder conditions with good coverage on the front side and some obstacles on the backside." Contrast this with the knee deep powder found on the day after Thanksgiving last year. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Dec 7 |
0" | 21" | 50" | 19° / 21° |
Friday Dec 7 |
0" | 26" | 52" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The resort opened today with chairs 1 and 2 in operation, reduced rates and 20 trails, 10 of which were groomed. Compare these snow depths with last years' opening day after a huge November storm. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Dec 8 |
0" | 21" | 50" | 11° / 18° |
Saturday Dec 8 |
0" | 26" | 52" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Dec 9 |
0" | 21" | 50" | 9° / 11° |
Sunday Dec 9 |
0" | 26" | 52" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Dec 10 |
2" | 23" | 50" | 18° / 17° |
Monday Dec 10 |
3" | 27" | 54" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Dec 11 |
0" | 23" | 50" | 18° / |
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(3") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Dec 12 |
1" | 24" | 50" | 23° / |
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(1") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Dec 13 |
1" | 25" | 50" | 14° / 19° |
Thursday Dec 13 |
2" | 28" | 55" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Dec 14 |
3" | 28" | 50" | 20° / 22° |
Friday Dec 14 |
6" | 32" | 58" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Dec 15 |
1" | 29" | 50" | 25° / 24° |
Saturday Dec 15 |
3" | 33" | 59" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Dec 16 |
3" | 29" | 50" | 32° / 26° |
Sunday Dec 16 |
5" | 36" | 62" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Dec 17 |
6" | 32" | 69" | 24° / 25° |
Monday Dec 17 |
4" | 38" | 64" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chair 3 is now open, giving a total of 34 trails, 19 of which are groomed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Dec 18 |
4-7" | 32" | 74" | 24° / |
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(11") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Dec 19 |
3-5" | 35" | 78" | 31° / |
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(15") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chair 4 is now open, giving a total of 51 trails, 21 of which are groomed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Dec 20 |
12" | 40" | 83" | 25° / 31° |
Thursday Dec 20 |
25" | 52" | 82" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
28" OF UNTOUCHED SNOW SINCE MONDAY is what the snow report says.
My math gives a bigger number, but I guess allowances were
made for settling. In any case, as the snow on the chairs
recently hung on the new lift shows, this was very much a
Powder Thursday. I made six runs in light snowfall and fog before 11 AM,
and was thoroughly tired as a result. I loved the boot-deep powder on
recently groomed Rainbow Ridge and Cloud 9 on the Backside.
And the knee-deep powder on Gold and
Silver was an exhilarating challenge on the first day of my season.
But the real fun was the waist-deep powder that I fell into when trying
to get out of the way of the groomer coming down the hill behind me.
I felt bad that he had to stop his machine and watch me wallow, but
I think I may have provided compensating entertainment as I struggled
to release my bindings and regain my upright composure.
Click on the photo to see the start of my
2007/2008 Lookout Photo Album.
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Friday Dec 21 |
1" | 39" | 80" | 25° / 21° |
Friday Dec 21 |
3" | 54" | 84" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Dec 22 |
0" | 39" | 80" | 19° / 16° |
Saturday Dec 22 |
trace | 54" | 84" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Dec 23 |
1-2" | 39" | 80" | 25° / 26° |
Sunday Dec 23 |
1" | 54" | 84" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Dec 24 |
10" | 39" | 80" | (32°) / 26° |
Monday Dec 24 |
10" | 59" | 88" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I made a dozen runs during a day where the weather alternated between snow, fog,
and sunshine, but the powder was uniformly great! It was knee-deep in the trees,
but drier and easier to navigate through than last Thursday. My favorite areas were
the Lucky Friday and Last Chance Glades, where thigh-deep powder
was often encountered, and the trees between Rainbow Ridge and
Cloud 9 leading into the magical "wetlands." And of course, the short
and sweet powder run through the trees between Gold and Silver was
perfect as usual.
More photos taken today may be found in the
2007/2008 Lookout Photo Album.
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Christmas Dec 25 |
0" | 39" | 80" | 19° / 22° |
Christmas Dec 25 |
3" | 60" | 89" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Dec 26 |
6" | 41" | 85" | 16° / 21° |
Wednesday Dec 26 |
5" | 62" | 90" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Today was the grand opening of Chair 3, North Star, which increases the terrain and challenge at Lookout Pass with five runs that drop a thousand feet through deeeep north facing powder. The intermediate run to the skier's right, Marmot, featured knee-deep "hero" powder at a perfect pitch that seemed to go on forever. At the other extreme on the skier's left is the Big Dipper, an expert run that is too steep to ever groom. I fell three times as I worked my way down the extreme slope that mixed never_been_touched surfaces and boulder-sized balls of skier crud. None of my falls were serious... in fact, they were all quite comical. When you push your pole straight down while trying to get up and never hit anything, you know you are sitting on bottomless powder and you need to make a new plan to rise above your skis. I made ten runs in light to moderate snowfall: five on the new terrain, plus five of my favorite tree runs. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Dec 27 |
3" | 41" | 85" | 18° / 20° |
Thursday Dec 27 |
3" | 62" | 90" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Dec 28 |
1" | 42" | 86" | 19° / 20° |
Friday Dec 28 |
2" | 62" | 90" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Dec 29 |
6" | 42" | 86" | 23° / 24° |
Saturday Dec 29 |
9" | 67" | 96" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Dec 30 |
4" | 42" | 86" | 18° / 20° |
Sunday Dec 30 |
8" | 72" | 101" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Dec 31 |
6" | 42" | 86" | 18° / 20° |
Monday Dec 31 |
9" | 75" | 105" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I made twelve runs on everything from fresh powder and machine groomed packed powder
on the Montana Side,
to knee-deep and very dry powder in the Lucky Friday, Last Chance and
Gold/Silver Glades on the Idaho Side,
to steep and deep skier packed powder
on the new Hercules and Marmot runs on the North Side.
More photos taken today may be found in the
2007/2008 Lookout Photo Album.
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New Year 2008 |
0" | 42" | 86" | 20° / 12° | New Year 2008 |
2" | 74" | 105" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Jan 2 |
0" | 42" | 86" | (31°) / 14° | Wednesday Jan 2 |
0" | 73" | 104" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Jan 3 |
1" | 42" | 86" | 32° / 25° |
Thursday Jan 3 |
2" | 73" | 104" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Jan 4 |
3" | 42" | 86" | 28° / 31° | Friday Jan 4 |
9" | 74" | 105" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Jan 5 |
4" | 42" | 86" | 28° / 30° | Saturday Jan 5 |
4" | 74" | 106" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Jan 6 |
2" | 42" | 86" | 28° / 24° | Sunday Jan 6 |
4" | 74" | 106" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Jan 7 |
5" | 44" | 86" | 18° / 18° | Monday Jan 7 |
5" | 76" | 108" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Jan 8 |
2" | 44" | 92" | 20° / | |
(8") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Jan 9 |
10" | 54" | 102" | 25° / | |
(7") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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WIND CLOSURE 9:26 AM |
2" | 54" | 102" | 20° / 20° | Thursday Jan 10 |
10" | 78" | 113" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
As you might suspect, I had a "leg-burning," 16-run epic Powder Thursday... but I also got to meet up with folks who I hadn't skied with in a while. Some were Silver Mountain employees who unexpectedly had the day off due to high winds rocking their gondola 24 miles away. While it snowed lightly all day at Lookout Pass, most of the flakes floated directly downward. As I've mentioned before, one reason why the two Silver Valley ski areas complement each other is because they enjoy different weather patterns. Pacific snow storms normally hit Silver full force from the southwest after traveling over the prairies of Oregon and Washington. Consequently, the resort often gets huge dumps of dry powder. Unfortunately, the only access to the mountain is a ridge-line gondola that intercepts the wind very effectively. Lookout accumulates more snow every season because it also gets a contribution from Canadian storms headed down the Rockies to Colorado. However, the ski area is on Runt Mountain, surrounded by much taller wind-breaking peaks, so the winds are usually, but not always, calmer.Marmot on the new North Side was well groomed and a good workout twice, but for the sublime pleasure of making fresh tracks through calf-deep powder, nothing matched the trees on the Montana Side. When I asked Aaron where he and his wife wanted to ski, he said "Let's go to church." When I looked puzzled, he laughed and said "We read your snowlogs, so let's go to Greg's Church." |
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Friday Jan 11 |
5" | 54" | 102" | 28° / 30° | Friday Jan 11 |
8" | 80" | 116" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Jan 12 |
0" | 54" | 102" | 27° / 29° | Saturday Jan 12 |
3" | 80" | 117" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Jan 13 |
1" | 55" | 103" | 28° / 29° | Sunday Jan 13 |
1" | 80" | 117" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Jan 14 |
0" | 55" | 103" | 28° / 19° | Monday Jan 14 |
trace | 80" | 117" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Jan 15 |
4" | 55" | 103" | 19° / | |
(6") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Jan 16 |
0" | 55" | 103" | 5° / | |
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Jan 17 |
trace | 55" | 103" | 15° / 16° | Thursday Jan 17 |
trace | 82" | 119" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Jan 18 |
0" | 55" | 103" | 17° / 22° | Friday Jan 18 |
0" | 82" | 119" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Jan 19 |
0" | 55" | 103" | 22° / 26° | Saturday Jan 19 |
trace | 82" | 119" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Jan 20 |
6" | 55" | 103" | 16° / 16° | Sunday Jan 20 |
6" | 84" | 121" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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MLK Day Jan 21 |
0" | 55" | 103" | -6°
/ -3° |
MLK Day Jan 21 |
0" | 84" | 121" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Jan 22 |
0" | 55" | 103" | 8° / | |
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Jan 23 |
0" | 55" | 103" | 9° / | |
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Jan 24 |
0" | 55" | 103" | 22° / 14° | Thursday Jan 24 |
0" | 84" | 121" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Jan 25 |
0" | 55" | 103" | 22° / 20° | Friday Jan 25 |
trace | 82" | 119" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Jan 26 |
0" | 55" | 103" | 21° / 26° | Saturday Jan 26 |
trace | 80" | 117" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Jan 27 |
14" | 59" | 108" | 25° / 31° | Sunday Jan 27 |
16" | 89" | 130" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Jan 28 |
12" | 65" | 114" | 16° / 18° | Monday Jan 28 |
13" | 95" | 138" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| What a heavenly day of skiing! First, there was the familiar Lookout halo effect, where it's cloudy and foggy in every direction, except for the blue sky directly overhead. So while I never saw the St. Regis Basin, I was blessed with bright sun and dramatic shadows on the runs facing the Basin. While most of the 20 runs I made today were on the Montana Side as usual, I found the roughed-up powder on North Side's Big Dipper and Hercules to be forgiving in spite of the steepness. Marmot thankfully had an ungroomed strip down the middle that was very bouncy. The deepest powder was again to be found in the Last Chance Glades. These Idaho Side glades face the Interstate as it drops steeply into Montana and get the extra snowfall mentioned above. But for me, the most inspirational runs were through the trees on the Montana side, where untracked knee-deep powder was always available. I never saw anyone else while skiing these trees. I made first tracks through my wetlands church repeatedly; all the big bushes and little trees have long since disappeared, leaving only solitude. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Jan 29 |
6" | 67" | 116" | 12° / | |
(3") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Jan 30 |
5" | 72" | 120" | 12° / | |
(16") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Jan 31 |
10" | 75" | 120" | 19° / 23° | Thursday Jan 31 |
7" | 108" | 153" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday Feb 1 |
12" | 78" | 130" | 28° / 23° | Friday Feb 1 |
8" | 110" | 157" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Feb 2 |
12" | 84" | 130" | 21° / 21° | Saturday Feb 2 |
8" | 112" | 159" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sunday Feb 3 |
1" | 84" | 130" | 25° / 21° | Sunday Feb 3 |
6" | 113" | 160" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Monday Feb 4 |
2" | 84" | 130" | 17° / 20° | Monday Feb 4 |
3" | 113" | 160" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Del and I ran to the Pass for 7 quick runs in the morning. Recently groomed Marmot on the North Side was the best cruiser. The same pitch all the way down lets one establish a perfect cadence. We found untracked knee-deep powder in the Montana Side trees as usual, and, of course, in the Last Chance Glades. I got into trouble in "church" however, when I decided to follow the path I had warned you about in December. "I'm sure there is enough snow NOW that the stream won't be a problem" I thought to myself. This bad thought quickly turned into a a slow speed sit-down in an invisible ditch, followed by a period of severe exercise. My second and final fall was on the steeps of Sun Dance near the Montana Side chairlift... but it was of the "tuck, roll and resume" variety usually accomplished by snowboarders. I know there would have been clapping from the chair... except there was no one on the lift at the time. It was a cardiac event I had no wish to repeat, however; it was time to call it a glorious day. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Feb 5 |
1" | 81" | 122" | 15° / | |
(3") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Feb 6 |
1" | 82" | 123" | 14° / | |
(6") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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WIND CLOSURE @ 5:54 AM |
8" | 82" | 123" | 19° / 28° | Thursday Feb 7 |
15" | 121" | 172" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I joined my powder hound friends Del, Jim and Art for a morning romp through the new powder, only to find myself skiing on the edge of my ability. The new snow was quite heavy. I watched folks coming straight down the Idaho and Montana Faces with untracked snow at their knees... only to have their speed drop to zero as the untracked snow reached for their hips. As Art observed from the chair, "sometimes you need to follow in others' tracks." I naturally tried to stay on groomed Idaho Side runs as much as possible, given the flat light and blowing snow. The half foot of new snow on the most recently groomed runs even proved challenging for me as it played "slip and grip" with my center of gravity. With all muscles on full alert, I skied untracked powder on Silver, but had to seek out previous tracks and adjust to sudden acceleration whenever my speed slowed too much. After three runs with no falls, but an overabundance of "severe equilibrium maintenance maneuvers," I went to the Loft for coffee, bratwurst and conversation. The Montana Side was closed due to high winds, but the North Side opened about 10:30, after the loading dock was found and cleared. Del and Art said that Hercules and Purgatory were steep enough that they could keep their speed up. Del added that he thought he was riding a bucking bronco instead of a snowboard. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
WIND CLOSURE @ 6:53 AM |
6" | 82" | 123" | 21° / 26° | Friday Feb 8 |
10" | 124" | 176" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Saturday Feb 9 |
4" | 82" | 123" | 26° / 29° | Saturday Feb 9 |
5" | 125" | 177" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday Feb 10 |
0" | 82" | 123" | 32° / (33°) | Sunday Feb 10 |
2" | 124" | 176" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monday Feb 11 |
1" | 83" | 124" | 25° / 26° | Monday Feb 11 |
3" | 124" | 176" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tuesday Feb 12 |
1" | 83" | 124" | 27° / | |
(2") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Wednesday Feb 13 |
3" | 83" | 124" | 18° / | |
(2") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thursday Feb 14 |
0" | 83" | 124" | 23° / 16° | Thursday Feb 14 |
2" | 118" | 175" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Friday Feb 15 |
0" | 83" | 124" | 25°
/ 20° |
Friday Feb 15 |
0" | 118" | 175" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Saturday Feb 16 |
4" | 85" | 126" | 22°
/ 26° |
Saturday Feb 16 |
4" | 116" | 174" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday Feb 17 |
0" | 85" | 126" | 23° / 20° | Sunday Feb 17 |
trace | 114" | 172" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wallace is certainly this skier's idea of paradise. I caught a ride from my Wallace office to the Pass at 8:15 AM, made 7 fast runs on beautiful corduroy with Jim and Del, had a round of coffee in the Loft at 10:30, was back in the office by 11, and on duty at the Wallace District Mining Museum by noon. The only bad part was that I misplaced my camera and today was absolutely gorgeous. The view of the St. Regis Lakes Basin over one's left shoulder from the Montana Side chairlift was dramatic in its transition from snow fields, to jagged cliffs, to blue sky, to the underbelly of the Basin's pet cloud. Marmot, Cloud 9 and Keystone were perfectly groomed and delightfully fast. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Presidents Day |
0" | 85" | 126" | 23° / 20° | Presidents Day |
0" | 112" | 168" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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Tuesday Feb 19 |
0" | 85" | 126" | 28° / | |
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Feb 20 |
0" | 85" | 126" | 29° / | |
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thursday Feb 21 |
0" | 85" | 126" | 28° / 20° | Thursday Feb 21 |
0" | 108" | 159" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The bright morning sunshine in Wallace drove me out of town with a Lookout employee to enjoy a "bluebird" day at the Pass. I flew down a dozen groomed runs under blue sky; my favorite flight was Black Bear to Marmot. Done quickly, the thousand foot drop was great aerobic exercise on four occasions. Red Dog next to Marmot was also fun, although the steep bottom funnel into the lift line is somewhat intimidating. Except today when I had the whole run to myself. In fact, that happened a lot. Especially on the Montana Side, where the well groomed runs went from "crispy" to "squishy" during the day, but the lift line was always absent. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Friday Feb 22 |
0" | 85" | 126" | 28° / 24° | Friday Feb 22 |
0" | 106" | 157" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Saturday Feb 23 |
trace | 85" | 126" | 27° / 31° | Saturday Feb 23 |
trace | 104" | 155" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday Feb 24 |
trace | 85" | 126" | 28° / 28° | Sunday Feb 24 |
trace | 104" | 155" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monday Feb 25 |
trace | 85" | 126" | 26° / 30° | Monday Feb 25 |
3" | 104" | 155" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Tuesday Feb 26 |
3" | 87" | 128" | 26° / | |
(5") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Feb 27 |
0" | 87" | 128" | 30° / | (2") | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thursday Feb 28 |
0" | 87" | 128" | 30° / 34° | Thursday Feb 28 |
trace | 104" | 151" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Friday Feb 29 |
0" | 87" | 128" | 36° / 29° | Friday Feb 29 |
0" | 104" | 151" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Saturday Mar 1 |
2" | 89" | 130" | 30° / 31° | Saturday Mar 1 |
2" | 104" | 151" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday Mar 2 |
2" | 89" | 130" | 23° / 23° | Sunday Mar 2 |
3" | 106" | 154" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monday Mar 3 |
0" | 89" | 130" | 23° / 26° | Monday Mar 3 |
trace | 105" | 154" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Several people told me that yesterday was a perfect spring skiing day: blue sky, corn snow, powder stashes in the trees, and a band in the Lodge. I missed the party, but had a fine time today instead. Two differences in the days were the weather and the population density. After making a couple of runs on the Montana Side without seeing anyone else, I asked Russ, the lift operator, where the crowd was. He pointed uphill and said "there is a third of the crowd now," referring to the lone skier approaching us. "There is one other guy on this side, as well, plus three ski patrollers... so I guess we have a crowd of six this morning." I thought to myself: "a ski patroller for each customer... this resort must have the highest customer service ratio in the nation." This impression was reinforced when I went into the Lodge for a bowl of chili at 10 AM and had the entire kitchen staff at my service. The nine runs I made by 11:30 AM, were mostly on groomed runs, but I also explored the out-of-area trees west of Rainbow Ridge, where the slope is gentle but the solitude is steep. This forest is not patrolled, but is open for cross-county skiing, snowshoeing, and careful exploration by local alpine skiers who know when to turn back toward the resort. For me, this is a place to appreciate nature in slow motion. At the other activity extreme, I made three Black Bear/Marmot runs at top speed. My best "flat out" time for the thousand foot drop was 2 minutes, 51 seconds. When the snowfall intensified, I caught a ride back to my office, properly rejuvenated. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tuesday Mar 4 |
8" | 91" | 136" | 22° / |
|
(10") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Mar 5 |
3" | 92" | 139" | 17° / |
|
(3") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thursday Mar 6 |
0" | 92" | 139" | 20° / 20° | Thursday Mar 6 |
0" | 109" | 158" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Friday Mar 7 |
0" | 92" | 139" | 34° / 31° | Friday Mar 7 |
0" | 108" | 157" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Saturday Mar 8 |
0" | 92" | 139" | 28° / 31° | Saturday Mar 8 |
trace | 107" | 156" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday Mar 9 |
0" | 92" | 139" | 25° / 24° | Sunday Mar 9 |
0.5" | 105" | 154" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monday Mar 10 |
0" | 92" | 139" | 31° / 26° | Monday Mar 10 |
0" | 103" | 152" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tuesday Mar 11 |
1" | 92" | 139" | 29° / |
|
(1") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Mar 12 |
2" | 94" | 141" | 25° / |
|
(3") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thursday Mar 13 |
0" | 94" | 141" | 34° / 26° | Thursday Mar 13 |
0" | 103" | 152" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I made fifteen solitary runs on a mostly overcast day with occasional sun breaks.
For the most part, I stayed on the well groomed packed powder runs; there was a
collapsible crust in the trees that made things more interesting than necessary.
Today, I wasn't into technical challenges... I was looking for firm and fast snow
and opportunities to try out my new camera. I found both.
My best time down Black Bear/Marmot is now 2 minutes, 40 seconds.
More photos taken today may be found in the
2007/2008 Lookout Photo Album.
|
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|
Friday Mar 14 |
4" | 96" | 145" | 25° / 29° | Friday Mar 14 |
3" | 104" | 153" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Saturday Mar 15 |
5" | 100" | 148" | 22° / 29° | Saturday Mar 15 |
1" | 104" | 153" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday Mar 16 |
7" | 104" | 155" | 22° / 28° | Sunday Mar 16 |
4" | 107" | 156" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monday Mar 17 |
3" | 104" | 158" | 22° / 25° | Monday Mar 17 |
2" | 109" | 159" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tuesday Mar 18 |
2" | 104" | 158" | 24° / |
|
(6") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Mar 19 |
6" | 108" | 164" | 17° / |
|
(6") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday Mar 20 |
5" | 110" | 168" | 26° / 24° | Thursday Mar 20 |
5" | 116" | 171" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Today combined a little bit of everything in the way of spring skiing: alternating snowfall and sunshine throughout the day produced the entire gambit of snow surfaces. For example, the super dry, turn-on-a dime, powder under the Montana Side trees transitioned to 'Sierra cement' on the untracked sun-baked southern exposure near the bottom of Chair 2. Marmot off Chair 3 was good as usual, offering varying levels of powder depending on grooming history, but Red Dog was better as the totally ungroomed surface had a more consistent top-of-boot depth. After three solitary runs, I met up with my friend Ron from Spokane and we made ten more runs together. Altho Ron is a snowboarder, he also enjoys exploring the out-of-area terrain west of Rainbow Ridge, which today involved way more exertion than necessary because we entered the area before the slope was steep enough... except in the direction that we did NOT want to go (heading down to the Nor Pac Trail and an uphill walk to Chair 3). So even though our day's total was just 13 runs, we were both exhausted by 2 PM, just about when it started to snow heavily again. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Friday Mar 21 |
4" | 112" | 170" | 23° / 25° | Friday Mar 21 |
1" | 116" | 171" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Saturday Mar 22 |
8" | 116" | 174" | 20° / 18° | Saturday Mar 22 |
5" | 117" | 174" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday Mar 23 |
0" | 116" | 174" | 25° / 21° | Sunday Mar 23 |
0" | 117" | 174" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monday Mar 24 |
1" | 116" | 174" | 21° / 19° |
Monday Mar 24 |
5" | 119" | 178" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All the new snow fell last night when it was in the teens, so it stayed consistent
as the mostly sunny day warmed into the forties. When it was fluffy, it was
fluffy throughout; when it was cream cheese, it was spread evenly.
In other words: perfect spring conditions. For example at 1:00 PM, west facing
Red Dog
was a steep mix of skier crud and still untracked patches of powder, yet all
turns were smooth regardless of how the surface looked. I made 11 runs during
the mid part of the day, and as usual, I spent some
time exploring the Montana woods west of Rainbow Ridge. More than I had in mind
it turned out as I learned the
true meaning of the words Saint Regis Pass: BIG FLAT PLACE. I had a great
workout as I trekked through the beautiful, but too gently sloping woods back
to Lift 2. However, the new snow was a uniform surface for my cross-country
adventure and the exercise was a useful tune-up for my upcoming summer job, again
leading the County's
Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Mitigation
crew. This is a
free service for homeowners who want excess fuels removed from their forested
property. Call Jeff Legg at (208) 752-8891 for more information.
|
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|
Tuesday Mar 25 |
0" | 116" | 174" | 18° / |
|
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Mar 26 |
0" | 116" | 174" | 20° / |
|
(0") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thursday Mar 27 |
5" | 118" | 176" | 18° / 22° | Thursday Mar 27 |
3" | 119" | 180" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In accordance with their three_and_we_go rule, Jim and Del picked me up in Wallace at 8:30 AM, since the lifts open at 9:00 on weekdays. We parked in the deserted lower parking lot directly below Lift 1, and after booting up, walked a few feet up a berm to the chairlift and chatted with Kenny the lift operator before boarding. It was snowing lightly, the sun was trying to break through the clouds... and yet something felt very wrong. It took me a couple of minutes before I noticed that not only were there no people visible on the mountain — there was no one else on the lift other than the three of us. Spooky! It was 9:02 and the start of a great day that way too many folks were going to miss. Thankfully, by the time we quit at 10:30, after making 8 fast runs on all possible surfaces, both snowfall and population had increased to a satisfying degree. Snow conditions were quite variable depending on location. Keystone on the Montana Side was a tricky mix of hard corduroy and wind blown powder, while Black Bear/Marmot was consistently good from top to bottom. However, the best powder on the mountain, in our opinion, was on Golden Eagle and Bonanza, to the skier's right on the Idaho Side. On the other hand, we all had trouble in the Lucky Friday Glades because the new snow hide the chaotic crusty surface beneath. We'll be back when such inconsistencies are gone. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Friday Mar 28 |
3" | 118" | 176" | 18° / 19° | Friday Mar 28 |
4" | 120" | 181" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Saturday Mar 29 |
6" | 112" | 170" | 13° / 20° | Saturday Mar 29 |
7" | 124" | 186" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday Mar 30 |
6" | 118" | 174" | 17° / 24° | Sunday Mar 30 |
12" | 128" | 192" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| When Del, Jim and I loaded at 8:35 AM today, there again was no lift line... but there were a dozen chairs occupied ahead of us on this sunny, dry powder Sunday. The recent cold nights had minimized the moisture content of the new snowfall to the point where bouncing in the boot-deep snow to the side of groomed Keystone was like floating in air. Turning in Red Dog's endless knee-deep powder, on the other hand, was quite a workout: the turns were not that difficult, but there were a million of them. Equally good exercise, Marmot presented a much different surface at 9 AM: smooth wind pack. It sounds worse than it was. The top few inches were predictably pushable the entire way down. Naturally, I also frolicked beneath the trees in the easy untracked snow between Rainbow Ridge and Cloud 9. The deepest powder that I encountered was in the Last Chance Glades, as usual, but on my last run, I found an untracked line through calf-deep powder in the trees between Gold and Silver. I completed ten runs by 10:52, and met Del and Jim in the Loft for coffee. Much more skilled than I, they had "dropped the corner" for their last run. You have to be a local to know what that entails. OK, here is a hint: waist-deep powder followed by walking. My bottom line: I was back in Wallace at 11:45 to open the Wallace District Mining Museum. We are open every day from noon to 5 PM, October through April. It is a tight schedule when you have to drop 10,000 vertical feet through dry powder snow on the way to work. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Monday Mar 31 |
6" | 122" | 178" | 16° / 23° | Monday Mar 31 |
10" | 129" | 194" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tuesday Apr 1 |
5" | 122" | 178" | 16° / |
|
(5") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday Apr 2 |
0" | 122" | 178" | 16° / |
|
(2") | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Thursday Apr 3 |
0" | 122" | 178" | 25° / 22° | Thursday Apr 3 |
trace | 132" | 197" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Friday Apr 4 |
0" | 122" | 178" | 36° / 26° | Friday Apr 4 |
0" | 129" | 195" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After hearing that skiing yesterday afternoon was "like cutting through butter with a hot knife," I was eager to experience the same effortless exercise today. Unfortunately, the butter froze overnight, leaving an odd substance in its place for the entire day. I would not call it "icy" because for me, "ice" is reserved for the blue boilerplate native to New England ski areas. I have NEVER seen such a horrible beast at Lookout, yet what was under me today didn't really feel like snow either... I felt like a puck made of dry ice on a table in an eighth grade science experiment. I will describe the surface on the groomed runs as "extremely well packed powder" becoming "exceedingly slick" and approaching "frictionless." Feeling like a awkward tyro, I stayed out of the trees and did not attempt any North Side runs. It was a continuous battle to remain in control of my speed. Today it was not "dance down the mountain;" it was "hang on for dear life." I made ten careful runs between 10 AM and 2 PM, with a couple of retreats into the Lodge for food, coffee and inspiration. Another storm moved into the area as I headed home. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Saturday Apr 5 |
3" | 122" | 178" | 21° / 27° |
Saturday Apr 5 |
2" | 129" | 195" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sunday Apr 6 |
1" | 122" | 178" | 23° / 24° |
Sunday Apr 6 |
2" | 129" | 196" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
On a perfect final day, I made 25 vigorous runs between 8:45 and 3:30, with an
hour out for lunch with friends.
What a difference two cold days and 4 inches of new snow made! The perfectly
packed powder on almost all runs accommodated the normal spring day temperature
cycle, absent on Friday, to provide a consistent surface to push against
all day long: crisp to moist to crisp again. The only time I slowed down was
run #17, ungroomed Hercules with its steep and deep skier crud.
I did not fall, but stopped to catch my breath often.
At the other extreme, my best time down
Black Bear/Marmot is now 2:25. ... Actually, my best time was spent skiing
several runs
with Dan, Kathy and Joe, season pass holders from far away. Dan and Kathy live in
Fremont, California, and yet ski exclusively at Lookout Pass, where they are
often joined by his dad, Joe, who lives in Spokane. They also had a hard
time keeping their balance on Friday, but today we all boogied.
At the end of a glorious day, management threw an employee party in appreciation of both a great season and Kenny Walker, retiring after twenty years as lift operator. The trophy goblet was presented by the Lookout Pass Free Ski School in recognition of the thousands of timid kids that Kenny has helped onto their first chair. |
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|
Saturday Apr 12 |
0" | 122" | 178" | 32° / | |
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On the first Silver Saturday
of 2008, I made 20 vigorous runs between
9:45 and 3:00, when I stopped to bask in the sun outside the Lodge and celebrate
an absolutely gorgeous day where temperatures reached into the 60's. I never
saw a blemish on the snow on any run: no brown spots, no rocks, no ice. Naturally,
as the temperature rose, the snow got slower and slower, but for the most part,
its composition stayed consistent, permitting care-free cruising on well traveled
runs. Towards mid-afternoon, the jump in speed when skiing from sunshine through
shadows became dramatic, but predictable. It has been a few years since I last
skied Silver Mountain and I noticed a new double-black diamond run, Moonshine,
and a lot of glading on steep terrain that was new to me. While I stayed off these
expert enhancements, preferring to minimize challenge while maximizing speed,
I took over twenty photos that will work themselves into a Silver Mountain Photo
Album over the summer.
|
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|
Saturday Apr 19 |
2" | 110" | 160" | 19° / | |
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| The second Silver Saturday of 2008 saw a return to winter conditions: light snowfall all day mixed in with fog and peek-a-boo sunshine. The two inches of "new" was on top of 3 inches of "recent," so snow surfaces stayed cold and reasonably consistent in spite of the date. Thus, I was able to stay calm during a couple of runs down Steep and Deep, and had only minimal trouble with "slip and grip" snow on less steep terrain. The flat light, however, kept me on my toes and ever vigilant, so I was exhausted after eleven runs when I came in for stew at 1:30 PM. I was met by my ride, Del, who had joined up mid-morning with hard-core buddies to pound the double-black diamond run, Moonshine, and the glades below it leading to the bottom of Chair 4. He was beat and ready to head home, saying "it is too hard keeping my speed down." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday Apr 26 |
4" | 112" | 163" | 23° / | |
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The third Silver Saturday
of 2008 was perhaps
the best spring skiing day of my life! From the early rope drop at 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM,
I made 22 runs under flawless conditions, with time out for a bowl of stew and to
spectate at the annual Leadman Triathlon (ski/ride, mountain bike, run) from the top
of Kellogg Peak to the Gondola Village in Kellogg. It snowed a little bit every day
last week with night time temperatures in the 20's, making all surfaces
very homogeneous, and with 4" falling in the last 24 hours and 9" in the last 48 hours,
conditions could not be more ideal. On my first run down intermediate Paymaster
at 8:00 AM, I found perfectly groomed crispy corduroy that allowed me to go very fast
in total control. On my two last runs of the day, with the temperature in the 60's,
I found Paymaster to be a sea of mush that again allowed me to go very fast in total
control. Never during the day, did I encounter the "slip and grip" snow beast that
normally accompanies spring skiing.
Rather, I would describe most of what I skied on as "cream cheese on toast."
There were two exceptions, however. Run #4 down expert Tall Paul kicked my
butt with its nine or more inches of DRY powder. I didn't fall, but my heart rate
sure maxed out. On Run #10, I checked out the "south-of-the-border" out-of-bounds
area where the untracked, south-facing slopes were covered with very heavy deep
snow. Although I was prepared for "mashed potatoes" in this popular area marked
with signs that begin "You Will Die," I found to my delight that my potatoes were
covered in gravy. Since 1600 folks shared this perfect day with me, there will be
another
Silver Saturday on May 3.
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Saturday May 3 |
0" | 100" | 143" | 36° / | |
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| More than a thousand enthusiasts showed up for the fourth Silver Saturday of 2008, and the coverage is amazing, so they will be open next Saturday as well, 7 AM to 3 PM! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday May 10 |
0" | 72" | 132" | 36° / | |
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| More than a thousand enthusiasts showed up for the FIFTH Silver Saturday of 2008, and the coverage is STILL amazing, so they will be open next Saturday as well, 7 AM to 3 PM! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday May 17 |
0" | 57" | 125" | 56° / | |
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| CLOSED TODAY. Unfortunately, they had an unforeseen mechanical issue with the gondola gear box and therefore, will not be open for skiing. They are hopeful to have it repaired this coming week and plan to be open next Saturday & Sunday May 24 and 25. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday May 24 |
0" | 30" | 60" | 38° / | |
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SUNDAY May 25 |
0" | 30" | 60" | 39° / | |
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| The first ever SILVER SUNDAY ends a spectacular season! The slow spring melt (now causing flooding near Cataldo) meant that 46 trails were still open today with 13 of them groomed. Only the unnecessary Chair 5 was closed on the 126th day of operation for Silver Mountain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Saturday MAY 31 |
0" | 22" | 40" | 45° / | |
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SUNDAY JUNE 1 |
0" | (22") | (40") | (45°) / | |
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| The second ever SILVER SUNDAY actually ends this spectacular season! The Resort opened their new indoor water park on Saturday and offered an incredible "Stay, Surf & Ski" package for the weekend, so even though less than a thousand folks took to the slopes on this weekend, it was both a great promotion and a great moment in Silver Valley recreational history! On Saturday, chairs 1 & 2 served 19 open slopes, 8 of which were groomed. While there was no published snow report for Sunday, an employee told me that all 200 die-hards had a good time on Silver Mountain's 128th day of operation. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This Snow Water Equivalent Graph dated June 3, 2008, captures
this truly historic ski season.
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128 178" |
Days Open in 2007/2008 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
98 197" |
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132 117" |
Days Open in 2006/2007 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
106 163" |
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118 139" |
Days Open in 2005/2006 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
111 168" |
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97 80" |
Days Open in 2004/2005 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
83 85" |
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136 85" |
Days Open in 2003/2004 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
104 119" |
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101 111" |
Days Open in 2002/2003 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
69 130" |
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90 209" |
Days Open in 2001/2002 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
80 225" |
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greg4mss@hotmail.com
