Colorado Freeride finals Sunday at 10 at SM

The photo below of on an unidentified huckster is from today's Helly Hansen Colorado Freeride Championship and was taken at Snowmass by Jeremy Swanson, whose fine work can be found on the SkiCo's homepage. In the qualifying round for women skiers, we note that Emily Teague took the top score while Liz Norton took second. Sunday's final starts at 10 at Snowmass and can be seen from the deck at High Alpine.

"Pretty damn sweet"

Listen, the rebels burst through the door about 9 a.m. and took me hostage. Swear to god. They bound my hands and tied me to the bumper of the truck with a spare bow line I had in the garage. Seriously. And that's the only reason I didn't hike the bowl today or go make turns anywhere in the clear Colorado sunshine. Really. After the rebels left I managed to drag the truck about a block before passing out from the supreme effort I was making to reach the slopes before the lifts closed. Honest. After being released by a sympathetic passing neighbor, I crawled home for an ice tea. Then I heard from an experienced field scout, known for her understated manner and strong skiing, that it was "pretty damn sweet up there today." And that's when I knew I should have chewed through the ties that bound me.

Blue sky day with temps in high 30s. Perfect day to get the six new inches in the bowl.

A couple of days of sunshine expected with Sunday's temps to hit 50 in Aspen and 64 in Moab.

Empty Loge maze just after 10 am as Exhibition lift was down for 55 minutes. Sweet!

The weather turned cold and windy and snowy right about the time the lift shut down. The upper slopes were suddenly even more wonderfully empty than normal and the skiing was a tad surreal with lots of low clouds and swirling snow. "Ghostly," it felt. Once the lift was fixed, the SkiCo gave stranded passengers a $50 voucher for the cold inconvenience of it all. Meanwhile, the Bowl was filled today with lots of blowing snow and the up and down Inferno Race was pushed back until Sunday. So ... Saturday should be kind of bitchen'. While the groomers were quite nice this morning, the snow on a lot of slopes demanded plenty of adjectives to describe. "Dust on crust" was appropriate. But so were "glacial," "weird," "exotic," and "almost unskiable." It was a different case, to be sure, in certain shaded and treed areas so explorations on Saturday should still bear some tasty fruit.

There is a bowl in there somewhere. Clouds, snow and wind own Highland Bowl so far this morning, but the morning bombing is thundering and echoing across the hillside.

The wind must have loaded the upper zones with plenty for all

Ain't no sunshine...but some light snow falling just before the lifts open. The town of Aspen is waking up to more flakes.

Heading to Highlands to explore the hidden pockets of yesterday's snowfall...

Four inches today

It looked like winter for most of the day and Aspen Mountain picked up four inches of snow. At this point, every inch is an additional blessing and conditions Friday should be well worth the excursion. Heard from one intrepid slope reviewer today that he found quality conditions on the Long Face but he also said that there was some fairly weird snow in places. It is hunt and peck season with the spoils going to the creative. Onward to March!

Snow flurries sweep in

Snowing hard now in downtown Aspen. It is cold out, too. We take back, for the moment, everything about spring showing up. There is now talk of late afternoon laps to take advantage of the incoming fresh snow.

Not so springy

Cold with snow flurries so far this morning. Hey, maybe it is still Feb. A couple of inches fell early this morning and the trees at the base of the mountain were coated in white. Bring on the exotica.

Weather Service says MILD DAY AGAIN (Thursday) ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH TEMPS RUNNING NEARLY 15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AT GRAND JCT. Yep, it looks like "little spring" is staying with us through the weekend. Should produce some exotic conditions. Some of the snow at Highlands today felt like it a big wet dollop of snow landed on the area, which it did. Some snow was good, some was quite weird, depending on aspect, shading, etc. Bowl, natch, likely remains best bet, and hiking too far may not be necessary. So up you go. And stop thinking about Mexico.

Guest Appreciation Day at Highlands

Did you know you are appreciated at Aspen Highlands today? At least by Liz and Judy.

Tiki Man say go make turns. Then go Tiki Lounge.

When the sun hits Tiki Man in face, time to ponder mystery of life on big spinning blue ball. Tiki Man say look deep within for true meaning. Tiki Man say go play with gravity.

Warm and windy morn at Highlands with a spring sweetness in the air.

Snow is flying off the high peaks and swirling on the lower runs. Bring the windbreaker...

Looked like a fender-bender near Old Snowmass, but stacked up quite the global warming parade, which is always good for the snowpack

When the romance of ski country breaks down: accident bogs down highway.

It is true that most of America won't feel sorry for someone stuck in traffic on their way to Aspen for a few runs, but it still takes the sheen off the morning. Got to say though, the bus driver is making excellent use of the shoulder. Accident is apparently near Aspen Glen.

High of 46 on Feb 25

That's a high temp suitable for a nice late March day coming at the tail end of dear old Feb. And that equals a pleasant 63 degrees in the greater Moab area tomorrow. Spring winds sound like they are up tonight, swirling about in the midvalley. Lots of open country on the weather sat photo now and no mention of mas accumulations. Heard tales of actual corn snow down low today and good skiing if you played the sun right. Also heard the groomers were good. But, hey, skiers? Can't trust 'em. They are, after all, "enthusiasts." And there should be a fair bit of enthusiasm on Wednesday. Nice sunny day. Lots of recent snow. Sudden end-is-near feel to the season. How many days have you gotten so far? Not enough? No. Not nearly enough. And so here's to highs in the 40s all week.

Warm-weather cat preparing Wednesday's track at dusk on Tuesday at the bottom of Little Nell.

There are times when heavy machinery is just under appreciated. Think about how mashed out the snow surface would be tomorrow unless the tillers were out all night doing their thing. And yes, we owe much to the men and women behind the controls of the big yellow cats. Thanks for laying it down y'all. Should be another spring Feb. day tomorrow.

This is not the result of sloppy tree-skiing, but is a sign of a hungry elk. Just so ya know.

Isn't it cool that the same trees that allow for tree skiing are also groceries for large elk? What, you don't spend time in the trees thinking about stuff like that?

Words like "creamy" and "soft" and "pleasant" are being used to describe what has to be called a spring powder day in Feb.

Best conditions this morning were reportedly found in the shade and early reports from the Face of Bell were quite positive. Not, we regret to say, a day to be missed. Alas!

Heavy going

Early reports from the field indicate that the resulting 8 to 16 (in Highland Bowl) inches that fell on the upper portions of the local mountains is heavy and wet, as one would expect. One reporter said that injuries would not be unexpected due to heavy conditions of the snow, at least for skiers. There is much shame in the Aspen Journal newsroom at the moment for not being able to provide an eyewitness account yet. We hope to conduct extensive debriefings later in the day to bring you a better accounting of conditions.

Mix of rain and snow tonight

Raining still in Basalt and according to the handy-dandy Gondy Cam, still raining in the great metropolis that is Aspen, Colorado. National Weather guys are scratching their heads in Junction:

"INTERESTING DAY ACROSS WESTERN COLORADO AND EASTERN UTAH AS RAIN AND SNOW FALLING AT SOME UNUSUAL LOCATIONS. LAKE CITY SOUTH OF GUNNISON RECEIVED OVER A QUARTER INCH OF RAIN SO FAR...WHILE GUNNISON TO THE NORTH PICKED UP 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW. RAIN BEING REPORTED AT THE BASES OF SEVERAL SKI AREAS AND THE TOWN OF SILVERTON IN THE SAN JUANS HAS HAD A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW."

And they advise:

"THIS WARM AND MOIST SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER TO NEAR 8K BY MORNING...BUT BEST ACCUMULATIONS WILL REMAIN ABOVE 9K."

I'm thinking snowboard in the morning to cruise through the expected wierdness. But anytime you see the words "snow levels" it can't be all bad. At least there is snow. In some places.

Misty mountain breakdown

Not sure what is happening up on the hill so far today but can tell you it is gray, misty and raining in Glenwood Springs. Have heard several people tell me in the past week they feel like spring has come early and this winter will not be like last winter where it snowed hard through March. But nature gets last call on that score. But still, it is warm and wet today and could be an April day.

Lindsey Rules

Lindsey Vonn finished just off the podium in fourth place in both a slalom and a GS when she was in Aspen this winter, but her gritty performances were the first after a knee injury and we like to think the challenging races helped propel her into her record-breaking season. Aspen, proud home to women's World Cup skiing in the U.S., congratulates Vonn on now winning more World Cup races than any other woman skier. These photos of Vonn were taken at the finish line this winter in Aspen.

The Inferno race is next week and the ridge will be a far different scene.

You can see how the wind has been hammering the exposed side of the ridge, and righteously blowing snow into the bowl.

Smiles at the summit.

No matter what, it feels good to be on top.

Late afternoon bowl shadow.

The snow surface was good after the week's snowfall.

Video grab of flowing river

A brief moment of river contemplation on a Friday afternoon.

Cause you sure are fly

Aspen Image Watch: Chrysler nukes the luxury Aspen SUV, which if Aspen had a stock market, might just cause a brief sell-off due to the power of the looming metaphor. Also, there is an "Aspen is quite white" cultural melange showing up. The latest Simpsons episode features a sign that says "Welcome to Aspen. Population: White." Also, popular on You Tube is "A black person visits the very white Aspen, CO" and Jacka's song "Aspen." That tune, and video, is about a black coke dealer living large up on Red Mountain and "pushing more snow than skiers in Aspen."

Somewhere deep on a ridgeline marveling at the morning.

On the way up Lift Six a crow was using his beak to dig a hole in the snow as if he was looking something. He didn't look like he was hunting. More like he was digging a burrow. When the crows start acting up, what's next? Better ski an extra lap today, just in case.

Fresh coat of snow under blue skies

Cold crisp morning with four inches of baby powder. Still firm underneath though, but hey, no whining allowed. And would you believe it, the crowds are light.

Sticks in the snow

Gliding through the snow today, it made sense to stop and look around the aspen field. But then again, it usually does.

Lovely ridgeline

It is a valuable dump, as far as ridges go. Try and find a skier.

Further out still

Whoa now, eaaaasy, just one slip and you'll end up in the courtyard of the St. Egregious.

High on the West Side

Lonely out there on the ridge this morning, which is nice. Little toy town 30 or so steep turns away. Precious litle sunshine so far, but no flurries either.

Uphill view of snowy face

Misty quiet morning, the first handful of skiers gliding down to the catwalk through light snow. The snow had just a touch of stickiness to it. Can't find the reported ten inches, though. Skiing more like three or four.

Entrance to east side.

One track ahead...boot-high snow, clouds swirling, lots of wind-driven texture to the snow, some hard bumps ocassionaly underneath we suspect.

View down Bell

Okay, I'm starting to the the light...

Heading for snow

Very little snow in town overnight but the sign at the bottom claims ten inches on top. We'll let you know.

Snow cycle

Heard from a loyal reporter today that there was at least four fresh inches of snow in Highland Bowl this morning and that it was, as usual, skiing and riding very well. The reports from the Bowl lately, even when it hasn't been snowing, were that lots of wind-loaded snow was up there, making the turns really sweet. There is another several inches in the forecast for tonight, so Wednesday could bring joy to the local legions. We're in that wonderful stage of the season, when the days are getting longer, the crowds are light, if steady, and each day has the prospect of being one of the best before the season ends. Get on it..

More still water

Dark moody afternoon as the Roaring Fork naps its way through the blanketed preserve.

Northstar parking lot.

Quiet on the eastern front, a single skier sliding off onto the track upon my return. A passing car, a singing bird, a barking dog and a skier skating by the river.

Northstar calm

Changed modes and grabbed the toothpicks for even calmer cruising on the tracks east of town. A gray warm sky overhead hints of snow.

View of Sardy Field from top of Copper

How many ski town runways can you see from the slopes? But the lingering question here at the end of the weekend is how many people will be using the runway through mid-April?

Afternoon pass view

Looking for an escape route up and over the pass.

Pretty decent deck surfing'.

Warm springlike temps with good snow makes for a quality holiday atmosphere in the old mining town. Cold beer?

Copper Bowl Shuffle

Getting up late for some late Presidential laps.

Midvalley cross-country cruise

Felt like an early spring day. Warm and hazy with an automatic weapon being enthusiastically fired across the valley at the shooting range. Mostly mellow otherwise. The track was crunchy and scratchy but it is nice to have the tracks set at all.

Why it is called Aspen.

They say it is a mountain of detail, and this was one of the nicer details taken care of today. Wasn't about turns so much as about gliding through the serenity, which should count for something.

Fort End of Day

The snow squalled again late, on the first day of the year when the lifts ran until 4 p.m. There wasn't enough snow to make the surface soft but perhaps tomorrow will be a different story.

Out-of-bounds living.

The new edge of Ajax is open for those weathering the disturbance in style.

Shoes for the storm.

Snow now upon us know. Suddenly socked in. Heard people talk of ten inches or more today, but it seems unlikely from this POV.

Race training today.

Young racers were out today training and a downhill will be run next Saturday. A view of town, with blue course fencing.

The breakfast shack

There are some mornings when breakfast is the best call, as we wait for the snow that is expected.

Fresh tracks ahead

But no sweeping necessary here in the middle latitudes...

Swept Aside

Few acts are as painful in Colorado as brushing three to four inches off the Subaru, just so you can drive away in the opposite direction of a chairlift to a meeting, just in order to hold onto your teetering job. I mean, shouldn't you just go skiing? Yes, but you've still got to find a warm and dry place to sleep at night, you know? Haven't heard from the AJ field reporters today, and we don't really want to. It had to be nice, with three to four inches of fairy dust over the pack. More snow is in the forecast for tonight. And tomorrow. So it should be a good weekend and my priorities have been realigned, so research on the snow surface-gravity interface will now be underway through Monday.

Riding through winter

No new snow so far today but clouds are still swirling.

On-mountain production studio.

There are worse locations to file from.

Aspen grove-ing

Fresh snow in the woods but a tad crunchy under foot.
tags:AJ

Highlands from Sundeck

You can hear the bombing across the valley.
tags:AJ

Over the river and to the snow.

En route to several fresh inches.
tags:AJ

Snow returns

It has been snowing fairly steadily now throughout the afternoon, which bodes well for the morning laps. We haven't gotten as much out of this little storm as resorts to the south. In the last 48 hours, we've gotten four inches, while Purgatory got 28 (!) and Telluride 18. Steamboat, to our northeast, also did well, with 16 in the last 48 hours. Okay everybody, turn off those heated driveways! Wednesday is expected to be sunny and then more snow is in the forecast for Thursday. If you're coming out for Prez weekend, it should be good skiing. And if today was any indication, the mountain should be fairly quiet. This is, we kind of hate to tell you really, a good year to come visit. Good snow, cheap prices, lots of flights, etc. But really, there are also lots of other good Colorado resorts! Honest. Check 'em out. And stuff.

Bonnie's through the fog

View from bucket on the third lap of the morning.
tags:AJ

Almost soft along the edges

Quiet, empty and treed on the lower west side.
tags:AJ

Three new today, two yesterday. Softening...

Quiet Ajax morning, light snow falling from low gray skies. Lone skier coming in off darkside traverse...
tags:AJ

Monday eve snowfall

A quiet snowfall comes down on Aspen town Monday at dusk.
tags:AJ