IN THE DEEP

Late start to the ski blog this year, apologies ~ it's been a hectic world in the Kennedy house with a busy month of moving house, but we've managed to get in a few powder days... Steamboat's had a great first month, at this point we've clocked 150" total inches, nearly half of our seasonal average.

Today wasn't a full-on powder day, but it's worthy of posting - a glorious bluebird day after a fluff dusting late last night, and thanks to a chilly week, the snow we got about a week ago is holding up nicely.

We have Oregon guests in town, so despite a full agenda at the STARS office, we managed to sneak Craig out for a couple hours and get an afternoon of turns in. It seemed gray, flat and foggy from down below; the Gondy car dragged us through a layer of pea soup, and we were a little worried it was going to be a so-so day for these guys... but once we hit the top we were pleasantly surprised by the familiar crisp blue Colorado skies - nothing quite like that!




We toured most of the mountain today with Tash and David, from Sunnyside to the Chutes the terrain was carvy and the people were relatively spread out. Steamboat's at max-capacity right now, but thanks to that pea soup layer of fools-fog, the masses didn't seem to be up at the top with us. Instead, every building was packed with 'em, "elbow to asshole" as my mother would say, and that means good money for all the working locals!

Carvy indeed - and a nice layer of fresh stuff in the trees - good for soft landings, no matter what you land on. :)


Ok, here's the obligatory mono footage to keep us real -


And now to talk tech - I was super stoked to be demo-ing a Ride Barretta today from Powder Tools... a 151, 12cm shorter than my 10 year old, 20lb customized Burton Custom that most of you know as "the Captain." The Captain and I have been a good team for the past decade, but I'm well aware he's too big for me, he's being out-done by the new rocker technology, and at some point he's going to delaminate and need to be retired. He's still great for the deep days, but on an all-mountain carvy day like today, he's not. I have to muscle him into turns, and it's just downright ugly on the bumps and in the trees. I am pretty sure I'd be a better rider if I had better equipment... and I'm a good rider.

So how was the Barretta? Fucking awesome. Immediately down Rudy's I was squirreling thru the powder stashes, and all day I was smiling so big about this new tiny board that frankly, I didn't want to turn it in. The great thing about Powder Tools is that your demo-rental costs go towards a new board if you wind up buying. But I'm not done shopping...

When I turned the Barretta in, Vince told me I want to check out the Solomon Wonder. So I think I will. :)

I also scored a pair of new Solomon Boa boots at this year's Christy Sports "tent sale" that I'm also loving, that also are making me a better rider, so combined with a new board, the whole setup fit like a glove.

Ok, nuff tech talk... again, my apologies for missing this month's epic powder days (we've had a good half dozen, and I've skied the best of them, which is about four I think)... but we've got a whole season ahead of us!  See you in the Deep!!

Cheers and happy new year from the Kennedys and the Pilz-Bellis cru!

What a delivery. Following what I heard was the "worst day of the season," Mother Nature delivers a 8-10" powderday under bluebird skies. What a way to end the season, totaling 338". Not bad.

It started snowing mid morning on Thursday, so we went up for afternoon turns.  It snowed off and on through Friday morning (that day's highlights here), and then warmed up, brightened up, and clouded up again - in usual spring fashion. Saturday's continual cloud coverage eliminated the chance for soft spring snow, and high winds scraped whatever snow was left completely off. So sure enough, although we didn't venture up there yesterday, we heard from the majority that the conditions were abysmal. Glad we skipped. Instead we enjoyed the festivities - which are unparalleled in my opinion, although not that I've tested the rest (why leave?).

Steamboat throws a mean party. 11am Cardboard Classic. 2pm birthday party for Billy Kidd (70!).  3pm 3-7time Grammy Nominated (depending on who you ask around here) local favorite Missed the Boat bluegrass. And we ended it with dinner at Slopeside. Yum.


Then around 7:30 last night it came roaring back in with a vengeance - high winds blazing ahead of a dark, thick cloud front.  (God, I love weather.)  It began drizzling on our walk to the car, and by the time we got home it was a full blown rain/hail/slush storm, smacking the back door's glass with a wall of water first, then caking the door, deck, and dish (required scraping) with a heavy layer of slush.   The forecast called for a foot... we went to bed anxious.

We woke up with a spring in our step, called the report, and jumped out of bed. 9 new inches and 8 degrees at the summit.  Then we looked outside. Oh yeah! BLUE! As far as the eye could see.  Frankly I can't remember a closing day like it. And the locals came out in force.

The Gondy line? Full. The SSRC VIPs reopened First Tracks to appease the masses, and there was happiness all around.

We started out with five, our favorite monoskier and a fourpack of snowboarders, much to his chagrin. We loaded at 8:20 and enjoyed fast, silky turns down Rudy's, as the sun crested over the summit.



We snagged 2nd and 3rd chair at Four Points, only behind Straight Talk Reporter David Wittlinger and his subject Pickle.  From halfway up the lift we noticed Storm Peak wasn't running due to high winds up top... although Tornado Lane/Nelsons looked oh so untouched and smooth, the wind was whipping upward, creepily running like ghost waves over uneven surface.


So we headed over to Sunnyside right away - via Rainbow and Moonlight. From the top of Sundown we could see what the fuss was about. Howling with a knock-you-over kind of force. We beelined it down 3 to 1230 and ducked into the trees wherever we could.



Next we hit Sundial to Ramrod - best run of the day I think; although grabby it spots, the snow was heavy on the bottom but light on top, like Billy's 70th cake.  Then to Westside/Wristband, yes, the trees were powder-icious.

3rd run up Sundown the boys decide - against my better judgment I'll add - that they should at least do ONE run over on the other side. So we traverse across the Land of Hoth Storm Face and meadow, and down to test out Hurricane. GONG. Back to Four Points (yes, Storm STILL closed), Sunset, Moonlight Trees. Ahhh, much better. Again, glorious in the trees.

We did Sundial again, and then to Rolex/Land of the Little People. Uh huh. Then Morningside opened and Craig ached to do Kodak one more time, one last powder run to remember her by.

On the way down we scored last goods in the trees off Vagabond left (surely they have a name), and the trees under Thunderhead lift. By then it was time to party again, and down at the base the weather was downright springtime, with a nip in the air.

Yes, another day of ridiculousness - 1pm Pondskim, 2:30  Head forthe Hills (bluegrass) and 4:00 Leftover Salmon!  Lots of costumes, tutus, fagbags, wigs, and locals with kids, dogs, and beers in hand. Good times.



See you next year snow-covered heaven, until then, we'll put up the boots and boards and explore your lush hills on foot or on wheels.  Gotta love it -

Mt Werner crested over the 200" mark today with the new fallen snow, and after a week of straight stormin', the sunshine came out for a Groundhog Day visit.

The mountain's enormous terrain is in impeccable shape; from buttery smooth groomers to powder stashes in the trees, it's all guaranteed to give a serious attitude adjustment. Not that we need one, living in winter wonderland and gifted a week like this last one, but the smile coming down the hill is always larger than the one going up.

I got a bit of a late start and rode the Gondola with visitors from all over today - Cayman Islands, Cleveland (shout out to our ATAB homies!), Jackson Mississippi and even Rangely, and it always reminds me how grateful I am for living here. I headed straight for the Sunnyside stashes and hit Sundial first... knee deep and glorious!

"The Captain was here!" Look at that blue sky!

Then down to Ramrod, Southpeak, and Westside.  I love the days when we get it all - beaming sunshine, surfy groomers, and powdery gifts in the trees. Another Sundown lap took me to 12:30, where the stash is always, ALWAYS, predictable:


Wanting to get a bite in before my noon Imbolc ceremony with the Goddesses, and seeing the Sundown line was already like Macy's on Black Friday, up Elkhead I went, straight for Valley View. And good what a good call it was. O. M. G.

There's nothing quite like 30 miles an hour down this one. If my attitude wasn't already adjusted, I was ear to ear by the time I got to Lower VV. Both upper and lower Valley View were g-love-carvin' magic, gifted with left side corduroy just for me:

The continual hammering snow this week has been straight from heaven, and I hear there's more on the way. Phil saw his shadow in Steamboat today, so whether it's sooner or later, those storms are now sealed with the Groundhog Day guarantee.  I got three words for that: BRING IT ON.

See you In the Deep -

A great Bluebird day in the 'Boat and we got to share a few hours on the slopes with Butch, our southern buddy who just plain rips... and for us to say that, you know he's fast!


It was a spring day out there, and it's although a nice change from the cold we've had, the Almanac says nothing major until the 3rd week of March.  2 weeks of warm weather is going to wreck that good February snow.  Snow Dance time!

So the three of us spanked it down Rolex, Flintlock, 2O'clock, Face and Rainbow, as well as making some fast and wide GS turns on Sunshine Liftline and Tomahawk.  It sure was fun skiing with two monos again!




Here's praying for snow so we can see you In The Deep!  Just five more weeks of ski season, and it feels like it just began...

Just because we've had so few, because it was a gorgeous blue day, and because its Saturday, I decided I had no choice but to "Take 2!" on the powpow. I made it to the Gondy at 8:10 and was in the same spot of the singles line I was yesterday, about 25 people back: so far so good.  But I heard from the gate keepers that it was a record First Tracks (locals get 1 free Feb FT with their season pass) so I knew immediately I wasn't headed for the usual routine on Sunnyside... chomp chomp little Pacmen have already been tasting for an hour.

With that I decided I'd take a different approach and ski nothing that I had done yesterday to make my day more fun.  And away I went...

Up FourPoints and down a groomed Cyclone, catching powder in the leftside trees, lovely, soft, untracked, and vacant.  Down to Dropout, also groomed but just as soft, surfing in and out of powdermounds on the left. 

The Storm line was long, even on the backside, and I'd had it in mind that Morningside was likely still very nice and very untouched, so away I went, and it was so nice, and vacant, that I stuck around until 945 when the line grew too big for my liking.  In and out of trees and the glades on skiers right, back up to where Keith's aptly named Kodak for its picture perfect shots, I coulda stayed there all day, but had a great three runs to some Dave Matthews, The Who, and Zeppelin. 

From my last trip up MS lift I got a off the windblown top and down into Big Meadow, then taking CalfRoper all the way to Rainbow trees above Moonlight. Delightful in the trees, but still a little dangerous... I found a 2' wood ramrod in Wristband that would have gored me if I wasn't taking it slow in the tight grove.  But it made me chuckle, as I'd just skied Sundial to Ramrod before that.  Sundial won "nicest run of the day", and I'd have done it twice if Wristband hadn't taken my steam and dumped a foot of coldness down my pants... I was having trouble "committing" to my turns in there on the 162. Bugga, it was then quittin time.  And I think these new pants need a belt on powderdays...

NO complaints, all in all a fabulous Round 2 to the storm that laid a foot in the Yampa Valley. Winter has arrived!  And Craig's off work for the next 2 days so I'll be back at it tomorrow for some turns with the boys!  I might just have to miss the Carnival festivities... nothin' we ain't seen before.

-See you In The Deep! 

Steamboat's had a good dumping of snow in the past few days while we were in Denver and we came home yesterday with eyes on the prize for skiing this morning's leftovers - and glad we did.  It was a beautifully warm midday under "Giants-Blue" skies (watch out Patriots!); we got up at about 10:40 and made turns for about 2 hours with Pops, aka Wild Bill, who was ashamed today was his first day of the season. (Some Local!)

We rode the lifts up and made our first mid-mountain turns down Rudys to Storm - soft groomer for carving!  We got wind that Sundown Lift was closed, so we skirted from the top to Sunshine and down the lift line and what a glorious run that was - groovy-soft rollers, powder along the sides in the trees, and I punched a little into Pumphouse and was pleased I did, cotton-ball fresh. And then came the burn for Old Man Kennedy, this is why we call it "skiing into shape."  That long run reminded Wild Bill he shoulda been riding his trusty treadmill more often!

We rode up Sunshine and took Flintlock this time, where I trailed our monoskier all decked out in his #10 Manning jersey. Why not, he'll be wearing that for 2 more weeks mind you. And hopefully more... but this isn't the place to talk football.

Watch and learn...

Good news, more snow is on the horizon - it seems Steamboat is finally out of its doughnut-hole! Time to build that base! 

-See you In The Deep!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And Happy Opening Day!  We've got a great base building up already, and a storm on the way!

Took some turns with Miss Jennie from 9-11 today to warm up the legs and check out the conditions.

Surprise!  Four Points lift was open!  A patch of barely tracked soft snow beneath the top lift shack, soft groomer turns on Rainbow, and on the second lap, we wore ourselves out on Hurricane- mounded up piles of pow already.  A lap up BC took us to the Daze, minimal glazed patched there shoulda softened up for the pm crew who were loading their turkeys in the oven. 

Its a glorious thing when the season opens- 20 more weeks of love from ol' Steamboat!  Here's to a DEEP one!