A busy ski day to end the looong year...it may call for a late lap this afternoon.

"All the fundamentals are still in place," remarked a SkiCo official this morning while standing in a full lift maze at the base of the gondy. It's a good point. If people weren't going to get out and go skiing in Aspen, on New Year's Eve, on a quasi-powder day, in the sunshine, then they probably weren't going to go skiing. But the full maze was an indication that skiers are still skiers and Aspen is still Aspen. Haven't had to second-guess that much in the last thirty years here, but then, this has been 2009. The last day of the year brought a report of six inches to Aspen Mountain, which seemed a tad generous, two inches to Snowmass and Buttermilk and an inch to Highlands. Seems like Highlands might be sandbagging its snow counts this week to discourage people from coming this week. (Sincerely doubt that, but still, but it makes you wonder as the Bowl typically gets so much more snow). There is a 20 percent chance of snow is in the forecast for Friday and another 60 percent of snow is in the forecast for Saturday. But, there is a giant swirling blob of blue on the weather radar, though, so there is reason to be hopeful that 2010 will start off with a fresh approach.


Walking off the hill today, there was a great moment as crews were in the middle of loading in to the Belly Up for tonight's sold-out show with Jane's Addiction. Rock and roll tonight in the old mining town. And there should be twice as much toasting tonight in Aspen to make up for last year's bombed-out party. Cheers!

Walsh's open with boot-top fluff over firm base. Almost too pretty and pleasant out. Almost.

Nectar blue sky day... with several fresh inches over last two days. Joy in America's best ski town this morning.

Just now prying ourselves away from worldly concerns and heading out to see
what the early morning hounds have overlooked. It's an easy day for optimism
and for embracing a fresh start, a clean slate and a renewed outlook. Into
2010 we slide.

An Angry Inch came in last night and dusted up the local ski areas.

As of noon, Snowmass and Buttermilk had picked up an inch, Aspen Mountain two inches and apparantly, Highlands didn't get any snow, according to SkiCo's online report, but that seems odd. Gray and misty out on this second-to-last-day of the year. Snow is in the forecast, with 1 to 3 inches being called for Wednesday afternoon and another 3 to 5 inches in the forecast for tonight. That would be nice. Heard Jackpot is now open on Aspen Mountain. All but Mosh Pit and what is now apparantly called "Grampster's" on SkiCo's online snow reprt, and not "Grahamster's" as on the trail map, are open in Highland Bowl. Much of the double-diamond terrain at Snowmass is now open, according to SkiCo's online report, including Roberto's, Hanging Valley Wall, K.T., A.M.F. and the Cirque Headwall.

Powderhorn near Grand Junction is reporting this morning it picked up 11 inches and Telluride got 8 inches. This coming next wave of snow may favor the central mountains of the state more than the southern mountains, according to CAIC. Cross those toes...

Fun stuff at night on the hill this week

There is a moonlight party open to the public at the Sundeck on Ajax on
Tues. Dec. 29 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $5 for season pass holders and
$10 for non-season pass holders. Drinks and dinner will be available. On
Wed., Dec. 30, Highlands is having a public torchlight descent at 5:15 p.m.
Participants should be intermediate skiers and boarders and should meet at
the bottom of the Thunderbowl lift at 5:15 pm after signing up at the guest
service desk. Limited to 100 people. Wear old clothes, like the one-piece
you wore at the closing-day party.

Plenty of snow birds out today in the sunny chilliness. Snowpack dry and grippy and thirsty for more fresh snow.

Perhaps Aspen's busiest day of the season unfolded today under mostly clear skies and warmer temperatures. Lots of chat on the lift about how cold Christmas Day was, with one local saying she can't remember it being ever so cold here. Could be. Twas brutal. Today was still cold and you could feel the day's chill long after coming off the mountain. But it was downright tropical by comparison to Xmas Day. The snow now has a dry chalky feel to it, which means you can get an edge in alright, but it is also best to watch for hard chips lurking in the snowpack. The cold sucked the base depths down and the snowpack is once again hungry for more cushioning. Maybe later in the week it will fall once again from the sky...but still, the skiing is fine and worth getting up for.

Christmas Day West Buttermlk trees

There are certain days when it makes sense to go up to West Buttermilk and slid around through the untracked fresh snow in the trees. It's quiet, pleasant and just steep enough for effortless gliding. We'll take that, especially as the trees were slightly sheltered from the bitter winds.

Cold Christmas wind blowing upvalley, low clouds spitting frost. Good day for winter shelter and a Yule log.

Sure feels like it is going to snow. Certainly cold enough that it ought to snow. National Weather Service calling for up to three inches tonight in Aspen, on what will be a brutally cold Christmas night, with lows around minus four degrees with a wind chill factor of minus fifteen. Winds out of the northwest, all right, with gusts up to 25 mph. That'll keep you huddled around something warm in a glass.

Christmas Day visit to the Milkland as snow approaches...

Powder shot from this morning on Ajax via SkiCo's Jeremy Swanson

Was a blue sky, and blue-tip, powder morn. A nice early present...

Frosted Bear Paw glades await.

Lower Dumps were expected to open today and 'trollers were working on Hyrup's and Kristi. Gondy maze was near full at 11:30 as Christmas visitors head up.

Very cold + crisp Christmas Eve with some fresh and some wind-loaded. A mix of sun and frost...

Snowy morning brings out lovely smile in Aspenite

That smile in the gondy brightened up the morning, it did, Really kicked the
charm factor up a notch. The snow this morning was pleasant, too, with four
inches laid in over a crusty bottom, but there were tales of genuine
softness on mid-mountain in the trees. It was foggy on top to be sure.
Another 1 to 3 inches in the forecast for this afternoon and then again
tonight. As of 11:45 a.m., four flights were showing delay at the Aspen
airport as a light snow falls downtown under a low ceiling. Christmas Day
forecast is for mostly cloudy conditions, according to NWS but the local avi
forecast notes that "light snow is in the forecast through the remainder of
the week. Snow totals will be light each day, but could add up to 10-12
inches in areas by Friday. Some gusty winds will blow this afternoon as the
northern cold front approaches." Well, that makes us smile even more.

Four inches served chilled with a fog topping. A welcome, welcome sight.

Cruising the carpet as a chill wind brings...snow?

Brisk grayish morning on the hill as the southwest wind sweeps in, potentially bring an inch or two of snow with it this afternoon, and another inch tonight. More small bits of snow in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, which could lead to a white Christmas, just like the ones we used to know. In the photo above, Zander of Challenge Aspen was helping "The Count" enjoy a few laps in his red sled on the Ajax Express. It was great to get out with someone who really relishes doing so.

Aspen enjoys another sunny Drycember day

It is a beautiful and mellow Christmas-week day in Aspen. Forecast is
calling for a high of 38 degrees today. But snow is back in the forecast,
which is a good thing. The National Weather Service is calling for 1 to 3
inches on Tuesday and another 1 to 3 inches on Tuesday night. We could use
the snow, as most of the steeps on Aspen Mountain are not yet open and the
carpet is low cut and firm. Still, it's hard to complain (yet we still
manage) about the weather today, as it is just plain pleasant out. A good
day to be out toying with gravity and taking in the view.

New glades opened...somewhere on the mountain

No, you're going have to find this new little patch of glee on your own. But
it's out there. And it's open. And it's near the top of the mountain. That
was a nice little discovery to make during a late lunch lap today. Was also
pleasantly surprised yesterday to see how good the inside of Bonnie's
restaurant looks after a summer of construction. A new truss support system
was installed to keep the roof on and the new wooden beams look cool. If you
didn't know the work had been done, you probably wouldn't notice any
changes. It just looks like there is more wood in the place. And the cashier
stands are a little different. So that's nice. And best of all, Bonnie's is
now once again serving breakfast, which presents yet another reason to get
up on the hill early. Friday morning, a week out from Christmas, could be
slightly white. There is a 20 percent of snow tonight, and that's the only
snow in the forecast. So we're hoping...

Christmas tree waits for bulbs and tinsel in Tourtelotte Park

Gray skies ruled the day and a breeze came cutting through the afternoon,
but it was still a good day for poking around the mountain. Aztec and Spring
Pitch were nicely groomed and skiing well. Aspen Mountain reported a 22-inch
base this morning with 523 acres open and 28 percent of its advance/expert
terrain open. Highlands was reporting a 56 inch base in the Northwoods, 770
open acres and 80 percent of its advanced/expert terrain open. (People are
remarking how quiet it has been at Highlands and how good the snow has been
in the Bowl - shocking, I know). Snowmass has a 44-inch base on top and a
whopping 1,790 acres of terrain open. Of the advanced/expert terrain at
Snowmass, 30 percent is open. Buttermilk has a 24-inch base and is 100
percent open with 408 acres. All for you. Just bring an ornament for the
Christmas tree.

Gray sky so far, light flat, carpet smooth, soft and empty. Steeps clinging to their thin 22-inch coat. Hmm...cocoa?

Photo of slide in Five Fingers taken Tuesday by AH correspondent. She said it was big.

New terrain and facilities opening this week

The little Assay Hill slope is set to open Wednesday at Snowmass. The lift has been open, but not the trail. On Thursday, Bonnie's restaurant opens on Aspen Mountain for breakfast and lunch (check out the new sweet potato fries). On Friday, the Two Creeks lift, terrain and base area will open for the season. On Saturday, the Cliffhouse restaurant at Buttermilk will begin serving a full menu and the Lynn Britt Cabin at Snowmass will open for lunches and snowcat dinners. Also on Saturday, the Campground lift and terrain will open at Snowmass and the Thunderbowl lift and terrain will open at Highlands. Info from the SkiCo PR desk.

Shoulder of Bell opened Monday. Dumps may still be a storm away.

More terrain opened this week on Aspen Mountain, including the best piece of
ski terrain, square-foot-for-square-foot, in the U.S., Bell Mountain. We are
glad to see the terrain open. And just for record, yes, we still want to see
a new Bell Chair built to service this terrain. We want a high-speed double
chairlift that goes just as fast as the gondola so that we didn't feel silly
riding the lift. Yes, we know it makes no financial sense, but that's hardly
been our frame of reference, you know? Anyway, great to see more terrain
open up and thanks to the patrol for dropping ropes as soon as they can.

Tale of the signboard on Ajax on a warm sunny day. Green runs gaining on red runs.

Sparkly morning on the hill. Very nice.

The as-yet forbidden zone on Bell, perchance to open soon.

Should be quite sweet. Last night's several inches has fluffed up the waiting base layer...

Snowy town at the end of a quite solid ski day. Lots of snow in town to soften things up.

It really was the kind of day where if you stayed out all day in the snow and the wind and got hooked into the powder-packing tours down the Shoulder, the Ridge and the trees near Keith Glen...then your legs felt like jelly when you hit the bricks. Overall, a good day of skiing in Aspen, Colorado. The report from our Highlands correspondent was that it was very quiet there today, as it was yesterday. But there was tons of fresh snow in the trees and the still un-bumped-up Temerity section was skiing like it had well over a foot, maybe two feet. It wasn't that deep, but it was skiing like it was. That's what she said. And she's credible. Another 3 to 5 inches in the forecast for Sunday night and then clearing for Monday morning. Looks like a good day. You're not working are you?

Snow blowing in across the western ridge, piling up on the leeward side.

Storm sweeps Sundeck.

"Just ski where it's untracked," said the patroller, smiling as she pointed down the Shoulder.

3 new and snowing steadily. Crowd light. Works.

Smooth and uncut snow found at Highlands on opening day

The young and talented Pat Sewell of Aspen ripping it up today somewhere in the trees at Aspen Highlands in a photo by Daniel Bayer, courtesy of the Aspen Skiing Co. PR department. It was a quality opening day with all four Aspen areas now up and running. And there could be snow directly ahead. As of 3:15 p.m. Saturday, the NWS was calling for 1 to 2 inches of fresh snow tonight in Aspen, another 2 to 4 inches Sunday, and another 3 to 5 inches Sunday night. That is so cool. And it kind of does now feel like "the warm before the storm." In regard to the snow outside the boundary lines, Brian McCall of the CAIC wrote this morning in his report that "instability signs are still present in the snowpack and observers around Marble mid week noted large whumpfs that were 'massive' and 'found with every step.' The snowpack on many slopes is still teetering on the edge. Natural avalanches have slowed down, but triggered slides are probable in most areas." Seems like part of the message there for the casual out-of-bounds skier is: don't let the new snow seduce you into poor impromptu choices on the Highlands catwalk...And we note with hometown pride that Vancouver-bound Gretchen Bleiler got second today at the Olympic qualifying halfpipe event at Copper Mountain and that Chris Klug's Summit for Life event is tonight on Aspen Mountain. Given all of the above, we suggest a moment of quiet reflection on our collective good fortune...

Posse heading toward summit on Thursday

Cold, clear, crisp. Photo taken by Sean Keery of Stay Aspen Snowmass via
SkiCo PR.

Lovely day on Aspen's west bank: warmer, faster, busier on the trails.

We've emerged out of the deep freeze - for the moment. There are clouds in
the forecast with one to three inches in the forecast tonight and a low of
three degrees. Saturday is supposed to be cloudy with a 50 percent chance of
snow and a high near 28. All four mountains open tomorrow.

Pockmarked, yet otherwise pristine, pre-posse bowl

This is how the bowl looked just as the posse was cresting the last ridge. A
few pockmarks from bombs, a few patrol tracks, but otherwise uncut. Soon
after this photo was taken, the first squad of four skiers turned it loose
from the top and swept down G-7 and G-8 in rhythmic arcs to the runout. Just
a beautiful display of Colorado skiing at its finest. Kudos to the hardy
posse members, up getting the best of what the day had to offer.

Exquisite torture watching posse streak down the bowl from afar.

You can feel the joy radiating across the valley as dozens get untracked smoothness down the bowl. Perfect crisp bright day with great feel to the snow...or so one not there can imagine. Doh! We'll be hearing about this one for a week. At noonish, the posse was heading down for its second lap...

Slides in the Dumps on a frigid day

The Dumps showed some signs of sliding this morning, evidence of the weak underlying layers. The fresh snow on the hill today was dense given the cold temps overnight, but the carpet was rolled out nicely. Frigid conditions under clear skies was the prevailing theme. The National Weather Service says snow showers are likely this afternoon and that another 1 to 3 inches could fall. Nice and clear at mid-day though. The high today was forecast to be 12 degrees, and just before noon it was only 4 degrees.

Snowmass reporting 6 inches in the last 24 hours at mid-day and Aspen Mountain 4 inches. Red’s Run opened this morning on Ajax and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see some tracks in some other locations today. Snowmass now reporting a 41-inch base on top with 795 acres open. The Sheer Bliss terrain opened today on the Burn, but not the lift. The Elk Camp lift is supposed to open Thursday , and Alpine Springs, High Alpine and Gwyn’s High Alpine restaurant are scheduled to open Saturday. Also opening Saturday is the Assay Hill lift, which will make the new Viceroy Snowmass hotel truly ski-in, ski-out. The online grooming report for Snowmass showed that both the Elk Camp and Sheer Bliss lifts were open today, but that is apparently not the case.

Aspen Mountain is now reporting a 20-inch base and 258 acres are formally open, or, at least were open this morning. Could be more by the end of the day. SkiCo is working on getting the Ruthie’s side open for the weekend, but nothing firm yet. And Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk are set to open this weekend as well. The snowstorm that swept through Colorado gave most ski areas a pretty good boost. According to Colorado Ski Country USA, Silverton got 38 inches of snow in the past two days, Wolf Creek got 35 inches, Purgatory 34, Crested Butte 28 and Telluride 17 in the last 48 hours. Sunlight in Glenwood picked up 16 inches of snow, as the storm hit the lower valley harder than Aspen/Snowmass. Nice to see the state covered in snow...

Headless mountaineer found in Aspen storefront on snowy eve.

Snowmass opens more terrain, Wed. to be very cold

Staff at the Snowmass Ski Area took advantage of the 6 to 8 inches it got
today and opened up much the terrain served by the Sam's Knob lift,
including Wildcat, Slot, Zugspitze and Promenade. One field tester said it
was boot-top to knee-deep and a bit exotic with some occasional wind crust,
but it was fresh powder and he was not complaining. At all. So mark this as
the day the Knob opened. Next up at Snowmass is the Sheer Bliss terrain on
the east side of the Burn, which is likely to open before the Sheer Bliss
quad starts running. As of mid-day, Snowmass was showing that nine inches
had fallen and Aspen Mountain was sporting 4 inches. It snowed steadily and
happily throughout the valley all afternoon and at least into the early
evening. So yes, Virginia, Wednesday morning is bound to be quite full of
fresh snow. Forecast for Tuesday night was calling for 1 to 2 inches in
Aspen and 1 to 3 inches early on Wednesday. Wednesday is supposed to be
quite cold, with a high of just 9 degrees and wind chill values as low as
minus 25 degrees, given the expected wind gusts out of the north up to 30
miles per hour. Good day for that face mask. Photo of snowboarder on Tuesday at Snowmass is from SkiCo by Jeremy Swanson.

Windy. Cold. Snowy. Skied off quick by the hungry horde. Some opening shots coming?

Snowing steadily in town at 11:30 a.m.. The Dipsy Headwall opened today, which is nice, and no doubt a few other runs will be christened today. Could be some good late laps as the snow fills in and the early eager riders and skiers retreat for cocoa and cookies. The SkiCo mid-day snowfall tally shows 9 inches so far at Snowmass, 4 inches at Aspen Mountain and 10 inches at Highlands in the North Woods. Seems right, at least on Aspen Mountain. NWS service mid-day forecast was calling for 2 to 4 inches this afternoon, 1 to 3 inches tonight and an inch on Wednesday. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has posted an avalanche watch through Wednesday at 9 a.m., noting that “forecasted new snow and high winds, as well as a weak old snowpack, will combine to create dangerous avalanche conditions in the backcountry. Large avalanches possible in areas that received over a foot of new snow.”

Just a couple inches actually on Ajax, although newly cut glade seems to hold more...

Happy powder-skier Weems heading into several inches of fresh.

Check out the guru of Brilliant Skiing and Diamond Sessions at EdgeChange.com.

Snow accumulation mode activated

As of 8 p.m., downtown Aspen had gotten about an inch of fresh snow laid down, picking up the winter-wonder-land charm factor a bit. The weather/snow forecast now has 2 to 4 inches coming tonight, 2 to 4 inches Tuesday and 1 to 3 on Wednesday, which is optimistically 11 inches of fresh. And that’s at the airport. The Highlands Bowl forecast, tailored to 11,595 feet right on the peak, is calling for 7 to 11 inches tonight, 4 to 8 inches Tuesday and 2 to 4 inches on Tuesday night. Highlands, as you know, opens Saturday. The forecast discussion from the NWS includes this classic line: “Current winter highlights look good with most areas already in snow accumulation mode.” Snowmass had a 32-inch base and 493 acres open today and Aspen Mountain had a 15-inch base and 200 acres. Hopefully those figures will grow quite a bit this week. We're recommending going up to see for yourself.

Weekend Snowmass powder shot from SkiCo's J. Swanson.

It's out there somewhere... Someone just asked how the skiing was. "Getting better," seemed like a good response. Followed by "Thank goodness it is snowing." If forced to adhere to our typically high standards, we'd have to confess it was a tad scrapey under the flat light this morning and easy to find pebbles on the carpet. But 1 to 2 today, 2 to 4 tonight and 3 to 5 on Tuesday is what the mid-day forecast was calling for. So we're clearly heading in the right direction. Onward into the storm.

Light snow, falling steadily on top. Cold. Seibert's, BB1 slightly bumped from the weekend. Quiet. Pleasant.

Sunday, snowday

Cold and snow are still in the forecast for Sunday afternoon and Monday. Snowmass was very quiet on Saturday and a gray and windy day is unfolding today, albeit one with some fresh snow. Aspen picked up one inch last night and Snowmass got two inches. And it is heartening to see up to eight inches of snow in the forecast for today and tomorrow. Monday continues to be shaping up as potentially the best day of the season so far. You’re not working are you?

How about that Lindsey Vonn? Two downhills in two days? Come on. Safe to say she’s had a better time in Lake Louise than she did in Aspen. But maybe she needed Aspen to get mad, get frustrated and she how it feels when she doesn’t win. We’ll forgive her.

We’re sorry, too. We wish she hadn’t hit the rock in the GS. We wish the slalom course had been perfect. We think it’s amazing how well she's skied over the last two years and we wish her all the success in the world. And winning the first downhill in Lake Louise with blood streaming from her mouth was an awesome athletic moment. That’s the kind of grit and determination that was not on display in Aspen. But we knew it was there.

We now think the best thing that could happen to the strained relationship between Aspen and Lindsay Vonn is for Aspen to hold a women’s downhill. Enough with the GS and the slalom. Enough with the four or five gates on Summer Road between Spring Pitch and Strawpile. Let’s have a race down Aspen Mountain. And let’s give Lindsay a fair shot at winning it.

Frosty rolls in

The big freeze is on. Friday night’s forecast from the National Weather Service is/was calling for a low of minus seven degrees in Aspen, with wind chill values as low as minus 20. Whoa. That’s cold. Saturday is not expected to be much of a picnic, either.

The forecast is calling for a high near 30 degrees on Saturday, but is also saying that wind chill values could be as low as minus 25 (!) degrees, which seems weird, but believable after the last two days of severe nipperlyness. I could see it feeling like minus 25 degrees around 5 a.m. on Saturday if the wind was really up. And indeed, the winds are expected to be out of the south between 5 and 20 miles per hour on Saturday. So heck, bring the face mask and the full down body suit.

Then there is some snow in the forecast, with one to two inches in the forecast for Saturday night and another two to four inches on Sunday, with a high of 22 degrees. By the sound of the forecast, we could see more snow than that moving into next week, as the weather service is saying that “it appears all the necessary ingredients will be present for substantial and widespread snowfall.” Just love that kind of talk. And at least one local hill rat is thinking Monday morning is going to be good.

This week saw Copper Bowl open up on Aspen Mountain, providing two routes off the top. And the Sam’s Knob lift is expected to open Saturday in Snowmass, although the lift will primariy access Banzai Ridge and not the runs directly below the Knob toward Campground. Sam’s Smokehouse will also open.

The Aspen/Snowmass area was doing pretty well in the “Colorado Terrain Derby” on Friday. Between Aspen Mountain and the Snowmass Ski Area, it had 693 acres open, with 200 on Aspen Mountain and 493 at Snowmass. On Friday, A-Basin had 130 acres open, Beaver Creek had 368 and Breckenridge had 374 acres open. Crested Butte had 118 while Vail had 413 acres and Steamboat had 134 acres open. Hopefully the winter storm will grace all of the Colorado areas with snow and based on the forecast, that may well happen.

Through the electric snow, the morning sun catches a piece of Aspen.

Quite a place, this ski town. Just watched 30 conventioneers from the big hotel climb on the bucket for the first run of their trip. They have little idea about how narrow, steep and slippery the Upper Face of Nell is this morning due to snowmaking operations. It will make last night at the underground private club seem tame.

All hail the snowmakers, groomers, and patrollers for the quality track they put down during the record freeze. Nice work.

Skiing quite good, we think, but we can't be sure, as we're numb as icicles and can't feel anything. But the corduroy is well-tailored to be sure.

Cold. Bright. Empty. Firm. We're in.

Copper Bowl opens for season. Surprisingly good surface. A tad uneven and chunky in places, but otherwise good thick snow. And so it grows.

Frosty-mountain morning. Frigid mist near top. Copper Bowl looks open...

River ice in the Fork means it's bound to be cold on the hill.

Klaus, with his four-bell pin on his ski school jacket. From the gondola plaza display.

At just after 6:00 p.m., the December full moon — the Klaus moon? — is rising over Smuggler Mountain. It was a fine day in Aspen, as two inches of snow graced Ajax and three fell on Snowmass. It was, we can honestly say, the biggest powder day of the season so far. As in, the only day day so far when fresh snow fell during the day. As in, hey, it’s a start. The biggest change we saw today was in the weather, as the cold front came sweeping in hard. Tonight in Aspen, the forecast is for minus two degrees with wind chill values down to minus ten degrees, which could make this moon “the frozen moon.” It was clear out during the moonrise, but there is a 40 percent chance of snow Thursday, when the high is expected to be just 21 degrees. The skiing and riding should be considerably better tomorrow than it has been throughout the week, although the conditions have been quite good, for how much snow we have. The nozzle towers on Aspen Mountain have producing some very high-quality surfaces for our sliding pleasure and this two-to-three inches should add a touch of softness to the proceedings. We like that. Yes, it was a good day in Aspen, as Klaus Obermeyer turned 90, it snowed, and a bright full moon came over the hill. We’re good. And hey, Klaus, Happy 90th Birthday!

Sudden biting cold front has dropped a short inch on familiar terrain. Mid-winter attire now appropriate.