IN THE DEEP

The 40 day mark has arrived, as locals watch the battle between Fall and Winter pan out.

Since 2008, October is usually the month when our posts begin for In The Deep, depending on when the snow starts to fly. This past weekend wasn't the first dusting we got in Colorado, but it's the first one that's stuck in the 'Boat. In 2006, that happened as early as we can remember in 16 years, on September 9th. But the weather has been reasonably stable with an Indian Summer this year, that is until October arrived.

Last Friday the 8th, Mt. Werner got its first dusting, which proceeded to accumulate through the weekend.(photo courtesy of Steamboat PR)

Per the norm, the subsequent 4 days of rain, hail, and snow subsided into a week of sunny fall warmth, temporarily retaining the last of our yellow and orange leaves.

Here begins the battle between Fall and Winter, with just six short weeks until the mountain opens. We know who wins this battle, it's just a matter of when.

And we're all chomping at the bit, as usual, but with excited anticipation this year for some new trails that are a result of the logging of dead pine trees from the Pine Beetle Epidemic that has been sweeping Colorado for the past decade, with much the devastation happening in the last three years. The biggest opening of trees we've all been looking at all summer is between See Me, VooDoo and Vogue, and will likely be one of our first stops on the way down on November 25th. Other improvements can be found here.

-See you in the deep! (The locals all think this is going to be a big one!)

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.

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.