IN THE DEEP: storm warning

Showing posts with label storm warning. Show all posts

24" in 24...

... they made a Pirate Theater about this day a decade ago... and we haven't heard those exact words since. We've gotten a 28" day, some 18" days, and a lot of days in between, but either my memory fails me, or those exact words haven't made the morning report more than a few times in Steamboat history, and what music to our ears it was.

We had all been waiting, patiently, for weeks, and today was the pot at the end of the frozen rainbow. These are the days we live for - the Phat Tuesdays, the 2 foot dumps, the bluebird powder days - especially after a three week hiatus.

The odd thing was, the 24" were at midmountain. The mountain's top side report was only 9". So with debating ideas of where to head first, we headed to the Gondola at 8:10. Low and behold, the troops loaded us early, and we didn't have a choice - head with the First Trackers on Sundown or wait 20 minutes at any of the other lifts. And what a choice it was.

First run down Keith's Ridge to One O'clock to untouched 1:30 trees had us "oh my god"ing by the time we got back to Sundown. Knee and thigh deep champagne billowing over Craig's head made for some amazing video, that is when the snow didn't completely block the entire lens. The conditions were perfect: blue sky, late rising sun glittering through the trees,

Second run (above) we tried Three O'clock to One to 12:30 and same again; breaking trail into 1230 was worth it. And the "oh my god"s, "unbelievable"s, and more must have had the lift operators just jonesing for a breaking. Thank you lifties, thank you snow gods, thank you Steamboat!

Third run we had first tracks again down Sundial, breaking trail out to Tomahawk, over to Ramrod, and up the SouthPeak lift to the deepest spot we found on the mountain: Westside. Alicia said it was her best run down Westside ever (and she grew up here), and by far the deepest run of the day. We did Craig's Ridge down the right side, in and out of Wristband in snow up to my waist.

By then it was 9:15, and the Sundown line was growing, so we headed over to Storm Face and Mustache, down Hurricane and headed for a couple lower mountain laps up Thunderhead, and found some of the deep on Mother Nature, Oops, and hero bumps with 2+ feet on them on Vertigo.

All in all, best day on the mountain yet. And there's still snow on the horizon. We are blessed up here, no questions about it.

See you In the Deep!

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Posted by Andy Kennedy Tuesday, January 29, 2013 0 comments

One week and counting...

The final stretch of the countdown has begun... next Wednesday we'll all be taking the lifts again to get our vertical on Mt Werner!

It's been snowing for two days here, (currently smack in between 3 consecutive Winter Storm Warnings!) and on top of the snow that's lingered from last week, it's building an amazing base for next Wednesday's opening of Steamboat! The heavy stuff, and a lot of it. Steamboat is reporting over 60" already! We're certainly jealous of those locals who get to hike it first, the stories have been epic already. It's going to be a great opening!

With Craig on the mountain four days a week at his new Program Director position for STARS, you should see a lot more of our monoskier, bobbing in and out of the snow.

We'll be posting more videos this year as well as photos, so stay tuned for a big fat season of In The Deep!

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Posted by Andy Kennedy Wednesday, November 17, 2010 0 comments

Rumors....

If small towns churn rumors like coffee beans in the grinder, Steamboat is the Rumor Mill...

Word is they're opening a few extra runs this weekend, but no more lifts: The bottom of Valley View (exit stage right off Christie) and See Me (next to See Ya). Now, that's unconfirmed, but the runs have been tilled by the grooming crew, meaning they are at least fixin' to do somethin' with them! And NOT a rumor: To entice the skiers Steamboat's offering Ski Free tickets till Christmas if you book lodging; an unheard-of deal and a sign of the times.

It's unseasonably warm today, but the skies are blackening, there's something dark red on the satellite moving across the CO-UT border as I type, and there's snow on the forecast until Thursday night. One can only hope at this point, 'cuz my snow dance seems futile; Mother Nature has a mind of her own.

At least we'll be in ridiculously good shape by the time Steamboat opens full steam, but I'm a little bored with this "ski conditioning" by now for sure.

Dreaming of Face Shots- Craig's one and only cover shot; SNS0307.

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Posted by Andy Kennedy Tuesday, December 2, 2008 0 comments

Permanently Awaiting the Next Storm...

It's early November and many locals are saying they "aren't ready for this snow...."

It comes every year at Halloween, you know it does, and it breaks for the Sun's vitaminD charge in between storms. It doesn't get booger-freeze cold (as best a description as I've ever had for it, that's where you inhale through your nostrils and they stick together) until mid or late December, and only stays that way for 4-6 weeks when the Sun has gone to Mexico for Winter Solstice. So why the denial for some? I don't understand.

This is when Craig and I enter the short, 4-month-mode of Permanently Awaiting the Next Storm, and if we're lucky, the wait is never long. Like holding your breath while diving for shells or touching sea turtles in your snorkel gear, or better fitting, like holding your breath between face shots of Pow', we like -and need- the break between storms. Don't gasp at me like that, we do. It's a recharge for the legs, or the arms and tummy for Craig, and we do need a day or three to get some work done.

We're not fair-weather skiers. Blue bird days are for the Texans in jeans, the grandpas and grandmas, the New York ladies in fur-necked Prada, and only a select few locals who strive for 100+days on the mountain. They aren't picky. We are. We don't need the views, although nice, we've seen 'em. We don't need to see the run before us, we know every turn, every tree, every stash. We don't need clear goggles, we bring an extra pair.

So when it's early November and storming like this, we're chomping at the bit. Awing at our new skis, bringing down the rig and tuning it, getting out our ski gear and washing it, staring at the mountain and counting....

And luckily this time, according to Weather Channel's Mike Bettis, we won't have wait too long.

(NOTE: Too bad the Broncos aren't playing at home this Sunday, it's always good for ski areas' bookings when they play in the snow... )

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Posted by Andy Kennedy Thursday, November 6, 2008 0 comments

WINTER STORM WARNING, Steamboat Springs CO

That's right folks, our first winter storm warning is in effect. We've been hearing about this "Tuesday snow" for days, and since the Sunday and Monday rain forecast was wrong, we had our doubts. But I held hope, both for a change in weather and a change in government on this powerful election day. We awoke to darkness, the skies are Halloween-esque, gloomy and filled with a variety of stratus clouds- a combination of cirrostratus, altostratus and nimbostratus (mostly the latter). The temperature dropped at about 1pm yesterday but the wind didn't pick up until early today, as it typically does about 8 hours before we get hit.

Yesterday Craig and I questioned the start date of snowmaking, remembering it was always one of these first two weeks of November, depending on temperature. It has to stay cold, we reminded each other... and subsequently I had a dream that we were looking at Concentration and saw the snow guns blasting...

I got a text from a friend in southern VA expressing his jealousy about an hour ago when he saw the warning and I couldn't help but smile. Tonight folks we will have officially entered WINTER.