Is powder skiing dead?
A friend of mine, after reading several of my posts, gave me some feedback including this:
The powder chasing idea is appealing, but my experience is that powder chasing is becoming more and more difficult. You may be appalled to hear me say that powder days can be overrated. Whaaat? In the more remote resorts (Targhee for example) the powder days are still a real possibility, but I have found that in Colorado (I-70 areas) and anywhere in Utah near SLC, that a forecasted "powder day" becomes a social media frenzy and brings out everybody and his brother. The chance to ski more than one or two powder runs is minimal, and the traffic, the lift lines, and the frantic nature of the powder hounds make it a shit show. By 10:00AM you are skiing skied-out crud with every local from Denver. Don't get me wrong, powder snow is still nirvana, but what I'm saying is that "powder days" can be below expectation. Personally, I would take a no lift line/perfect groomer day over long lines and the chance to maybe find that perfect run.
Skiing out of an RV on the I-70 corridor in Colorado is a challenge so I likely will not be going there. But my experience in skiing the big acreage tier A resorts like Jackson, Big Sky and even Snowbird is that there is plenty of terrain to get great powder skiing in for a couple days. If you exercise some simple lift management strategies (like NOT going to the base area at noon for lunch) lines remain moderate.
I believe the real magic happens at the smaller resorts. Check this post to see where I am going later this season. Love to hear from my fellow skiers on this topic, please post a comment. Have you all had Epic powder days finding almost untracked all day long while skiing right onto the lift? Or are you becoming a discouraged ski area powder skier, now heading out into the back or side country to find the powder?
While I agree finding untracked snow in some of the resorts with crazy lines is likely tough to do finding powder is still fairly easy to do at the right mountains. Planning your day in advance helps and if you can team up with a local that knows every inch of the mountain they will know where those secret hidden stashes are. Also, pack a lunch in your backpack. Once I leave the base area the next time I return is for end of day beers after the lifts stop spinning!
Not sure powder skiing was ever alive along the CO I-70 corridor.
When I worked at Keystone/A-Basin in the ‘80’s, we expected all of Denver to show up, with a big snow fall, and often they did. Loveland, Copper Mtn., Breckenridge, Vail, and our resorts, we’re built along the freeways and highways for a reason, and being within a 2 to 3 hour drive, was the reason a lot of skiers moved to Denver.
As another person commented, know where to ski, don’t go back to the base area (ever), and staying at the resort, and key strategies.
I remember skiers spending the extra money to stay at resorts such as Alta and Snowbird, with the hope the snowfall was so large that the highway up Little Cottonwood Canyon would get covered with an avalanche, preventing the Salt Lake City crowd from getting into up.
Having a winter trailer might just be the ticket.