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December 07, 2005
Aspen / Snowmass Mountain Update
SNOWMASS
What more can be said about one of the deepest season starts at Snowmass? Happily, the ropes on terrain keep dropping. Campground, the run AND the chair will open. Slot will be groomed from the top of Sam's Knob all the way down. Alpine Springs and High Alpine chairs will open up all the runs on the middle of Snowmass. Selected runs in the Wall will open (yes, the Wall and it is only December 10th). Adams Avenue will open to provide a link back to Fanny Hill. High Alpine restaurant will open on Saturday as well.
The Upper Scooper terrain park has five hits: a double barrel, a step down and three wide fun boxes. All of these hits are in the beginner and intermediate ability range, perfect for touching the first metal of the season. Plus, you can run laps using the mid-station on the Village Express.
As mentioned previously, the snowmakers and groomers deserve our worship...with the help of Mother Nature, they continue to work tirelessly to create nothing short of perfect conditions.
BUTTERMILK
Look for a soft opening this Friday with close to 90% of the terrain primed for your enjoyment. All chairs will be in operation: Summit, West Buttermilk Express, Tiehack and Panda Peak.
S3 park will return to the bottom of West with a double line of hits including a new fat rainbow box, some fun boxes, several rails and two small jumps. Look for Gretchen Bleiler in the mini pipe on Panda Peak. West is buffed and will provide the best beginner terrain in the state...guaranteed. Get ready--Buttermilk's Superpipe is scheduled to be cut December 16.
ASPEN HIGHLANDS
Ron Chauner's crew has protected the powder on Highlands like the national treasure it is. This Saturday, Aspen Highlands will open with Exhibition, Cloud 9, Loge and Deep Temerity lifts. All mid-mountain terrain will open, most of Steeplechase, Oly Bowl, No Name and Deception. Several runs in Deep T will also challenge expert skiers: Kesslers, Sodbuster, Garmisch, I-70 and St. Moritz. Highland Bowl will NOT be open...as far as I know.
That said, Merry Go Round, Cloud 9 and the Soup Bowl will all open. Hordes of powder crazed locals (that's you) will be lined up early, and with good reason. Conditions are nothing short of amazing but that's no reason to avoid common sense. Stay aware and in control and most of all have fun.
ASPEN MOUNTAIN
Aspen Mountain continues to push terrain opening and prepare a World Cup course. Kudos to all crew and volunteers - everything looks great! The Dumps opened yesterday with incredible turns in Bear Paw and beyond. Slalom Hill opened today and by Saturday you'll see wide open access to Upper Magnifico, Corkscrew, the Dumps wall to wall and the Goat Road back from the World Cup Course. All lifts are running, however the Shadow Mountain Chair is for race crew only. Uphill traffic is prohibited while the World Cup races are being held.
If you're into numbers, four mountains, three feet of new snow and 2,718 acres of terrain = some of the best conditions on the planet!
See you on the four mountains!
Posted by at December 7, 2005 11:16 AM
