Stevens Pass Reports 2010-2011

Sultan Guy · October 25, 2010

First big snow of the season!

ExcelsiorTheFathead · November 3, 2010

I've heard lifties and old-timers refer to some of the lifts at Stevens by a single number, as if they have some kind of internal numbering system. Anybody know how this works?

Keenan · November 5, 2010

Same with Crystal. All of the lifts were numbered years before they gave them names. Learn the numbers, impress the ski patrol.

slopestar · November 8, 2010

Same with Crystal. All of the lifts were numbered years before they gave them names. Learn the numbers, impress the ski patrol.

Yes but Some of the chairs at crystal have been removed. Only one chair you need to remember there anyway and its called chair 6

Sultan Guy · November 8, 2010

Last winter I went one day to Loup Loup, a tiny non profit ski area over in the Methow Valley. They really only have one lift which is a super slow fixed quad. Supposedly they purchased it from Crystal. The lifties hang weights on the side of the chair when less then 3 people get on to keep it from tilting.

slopestar · November 8, 2010

Last winter I went one day to Loup Loup, a tiny non profit ski area over in the Methow Valley. They really only have one lift which is a super slow fixed quad. Supposedly they purchased it from Crystal. The lifties hang weights on the side of the chair when less then 3 people get on to keep it from tilting.

That would be chair 5 or what was chair 5...Used to start at the base of rainier express or REX as it is known, and offload at at the top of chair 9. it was a fairly short chair and slow as molasses in winter...

ExcelsiorTheFathead · November 27, 2010

The Stevens website has an announcement of Dec 1 for opening day. Based on my experiences from last year's opening day I think that I will skip it, but I am sure to be up there most good weather weekdays once things get going.

See you guys up there.

mike g. · November 29, 2010

i might be up there on 6th. Just got to watch the weather.. Let all the other people get up there first and pack it down. then the won't be anybad spots. Was going to snoqualmie, but the coverage isn't that good. not worth my time, board. or my health. I need at least 48 inches to slide on my ass. for a cushion :confused:

Keenan · November 29, 2010

I need at least 48 inches to slide on my ass. for a cushion

Mike, what have you been eating?

Sultan Guy · November 30, 2010

Mike, what have you been eating?

:lol: That is funny!

I will be at Stevens this Sunday the 5th. First time out this season so will most likely only stay about 3 hours although....have been doing lots of cool gym workouts from my post on that subject so might be stronger then I think. :nono:

ExcelsiorTheFathead · December 3, 2010

I'm here to testify to the correctness of Mike G's ass, which is the all-knowing, all-seeing oracle of snow. I got up there first thing at open and spent almost the whole morning riding my 4WD on Daisy just trying to get a feel for things again. Once I got re-acclimated to some speed and pulling turns I went over to Hogs to check that out.

Snow coverage is about average to low for early season, I guess. The green runs off of Daisy are covered and well groomed, but on Hogs everything is pretty bumpy in the sense that the curvature of the underlying terrain is still very visible beneath the thin snow cover. A couple of carved turns are possible in some areas, but it is hard to get any rhythm going when you have to deal with the undulating terrain. Since the backside isn’t open yet, everyone is out on the front, and some of the narrowly groomed areas are a bit of a bottleneck.

Blue Trail is ungroomed and has lots of visible plant life. Rock n’ Blue is groomed but undulating. The lower section where it dumps out to Easy Street is really thin. Hog Heaven/Hog Wild are groomed but undulating and thin. I didn’t go over to Skyline or Brooks today, but may try them tomorrow. Big Chief opened during the day today. It looks ok from below, but the groomed area is pretty narrow.

If anyone is planning on going up there this weekend (Andy?) it might be a good idea to bring a rock board or something at least as wide as an ATV/Incline. My guess is that it will be crowded with lots of people packed into the front side runs, and that plus the overall snow conditions don’t make for good carving. My 4WD got a minor scratch in the base, probably from riding one of the Hogs runs.

It seemed like attendance today was way down from opening day, thank goodness. What’s the attraction of opening day anyhoo? Too many people crammed into too few barely-covered runs. I’ll be waiting for the back side to open. There should be at least 48” of snow by then, the front side will fill into a more even surface and people will have more space to spread out.

I ran into Teague, one of the Hogs lifties from last season. He is working “security” now, patrolling the premises and telling people to fire up the doobie in the trees.

Keenan · December 3, 2010

I'm here to testify to the correctness of Mike G's ass, which is the all-knowing, all-seeing oracle of snow.

I have nothing to add to this post except that Mike G's ass will certainly be the new forecaster on The Weather Channel.

ExcelsiorTheFathead · December 4, 2010

A nice day today with sunbreaks. Another day of grooming has made things better. Trails are wider and a little flatter and more even. Except for the presence of too many people, things aren’t too bad. Tye Mill was running today, but Big Chief wasn’t. The grooming on Showcase below the Big Chief chair is now wider, so maybe they are planning to run it on the weekend?

Marmot Meadows, the steep bit under the Skyline chair is unusable, but the Skyline run itself and the Barrier Ridge seem to be fine. People are running the Lower Terminal chute to get from the top of Skyline to the terrain park. I think that there may be some rocks there, but the park types could probably care less.

As long as you stay on the groomed, I don’t think that there is much in the way of exposed rocks. Some places have grass or treetops poking out. For the busy weekend I’d say that the best carving run is from the Brooks chair. Most of the Brooks traffic is for the park, so even on a crowded day the Broadway run is sparsely used. The terrain is a bunch of little rolling hills, but the grooming is good and one can pick a line to carve through them. Once it meets up with Skyline you have to be more careful because of the people bombing down the hill.

I rode my new-to-me Donek MFC 163 today for the first time. A nice ride, but pretty hooky if I turned too hard while going too slow. A guy yelled down to me from the Brooks chair: “Hey, is that Art?” I’m pretty sure that it was Bill, a guy that we sometimes saw last season riding some really old hard gear. Other things heard from the lift: “Monoskis Suck!” and “Go Uniski!”

snowboardbill · December 10, 2010

Yes Art that was me ( Bill ) on the Brooks Chair , I was on my old soft boot gear ( rock board ) but am thinking of bringing up my New to me Freecarv II for this weekend. I am scheduled to work both Saturday and Sunday but there are not many classes going out so might have some time to ride.

Sultan Guy · December 10, 2010

Major dump up there last night and today.

I will be there Saturday instead of Sunday my usual day.

Big rain in the forecast for Sunday :(

However this will pack all the powder down and make a great base for the season.

ExcelsiorTheFathead · December 10, 2010

I was last up on Monday 12/6. Grooming was decent and I had a good morning on my new-to-me Coiler 176 VSR which has incredible grip. Everything was great until I hit a rock at the bottom end of Rock 'n Blue. I should take more of my own advice and keep the good boards at home until the coverage is better. It should be much better now, but the forecast rain could mess it up for awhile. I have found that the new Deeluxe Speed Red liners that I put in my UPZs were still too tight, so I took them down to Sturdavents for some work. I won't get the boots back until tomorrow.

mike g. · December 11, 2010

sorry so late for the report, art. but the ass sad no for the 6th. Not enough snow. watching the weather might make it this monday, still on a rock board.

it's supposed to rain. but keeping a cheak on it. :freak3:

mike

wow, art sounds like someone was shopping this summer. Let me know when your ready and I'll let you ride my 184. I would let you ride the new board but I don't have it yet. Still why down on the list.

Sultan Guy · December 12, 2010

Great grooming this morning after all that new snow!

Was super crowded on the main runs but the terrain park was empty all morning. The far left of the terrain park is rarely used and all rocks/grass are now well covered. I left at noon before the rain!

Once I sort out my work schedule I will be up 1-2 weekday mornings most likely starting in January.

ten7 · December 16, 2010

Ah, I'm not the only one who rides through the terrain park not for the features, I see! I too am quite fond of the far left run.

Sultan Guy · December 17, 2010

Was up yesterday for opening night! Cold with great snow.

Very few people resulted in empty runs for me. Did 3.5 hours and my legs were beat.

Night carving con and pro...

Snow is chewed up from full day of use.

Pro

Empty slopes allow for all over mountain carving with no fear of being hit.

Lighting is excellent, better then many days with the flat light here.

My new metal Axxess really helps deal with the chewed up snow significantly better then my old Prior 4WD.

Long live Metal for night riding!

Sultan Guy · December 20, 2010

Great snow for carving today and yesterday. Cold, no ice.

Today I used the new Donek Metal FC 179. I am in love with that board!

Big variety of arcs with the 12-14 meter sidecut. Perfect for Stevens.

I will be up Christmas Eve morning and then not again until January.

ExcelsiorTheFathead · December 22, 2010

Monster crowded today. Pretty rough to make turns when the runs are littered with people either not moving at all or moving in huge herds. I think that between now and new year's I'll just ride my Incline and freeride around the mountain to get away from everyone.

C5 Golfer · December 30, 2010

Hey Sultan Guy... check ride board for Crystal Mt.. I think you liked it last year ...

Lets ride it again

ExcelsiorTheFathead · January 2, 2011

I haven't been up since my last post. From watching the webcam, the crowds have been awful. Looking forward to getting going again.

Sultan Guy · January 3, 2011

Very small crowd yesterday (Sunday the 2nd).

Snow was cold and fast. A bit hard packed in places. NateW and I took a few runs together.

Stevens Pass Reports 2010-2011

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Posted Images

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Link to comment

Share on other sites

Join the conversation

Announcements

Recently Browsing