Later in the season...

[Odd Job]

How soft is the snow? Would I find it much more worthwhile to get on softboots than hard gear?

My softboot setup is currently, sub standard (230lbs, but 25.5mp foot, no softboot board fits me properly, I'm OCD on setup).

Trying to budget myself for gear for mid season :)

I cannot wait to ride Jan 5 :)

[ExcelsiorTheFathead]

Every kind of condition will exist between now and the end of the season, including days that are frozen hard in the morning but slurpee soft by mid afternoon. Near the end it will be too warm to freeze overnight, and it might be mushy right from open. Whether or not one switches to soft gear is totally a personal choice.

[Odd Job]

Would the end of the season be may? :D

Every kind of condition will exist between now and the end of the season, including days that are frozen hard in the morning but slurpee soft by mid afternoon. Near the end it will be too warm to freeze overnight, and it might be mushy right from open. Whether or not one switches to soft gear is totally a personal choice.

[ExcelsiorTheFathead]

Here's some info I cut from http://www.coloradoski.com/page/resort-season-dates. Some of these places have hard fixed close dates, others are flexible depending on the situation. I think that in general A-Basin is the last to close, with Loveland in next place. Vail Resorts (Keystone, Breck, Vail, Beav) aren't in this list, but have schedules similar to Copper.

Note that A-Basin closed last season on May 6. It was not a big snow year.

Opening and Closing Dates:

[TABLE]

<tbody>[TR]

[TD]Arapahoe Basin[/TD]

[TD]October 17, 2012 - Early June, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Aspen Highlands[/TD]

[TD]December 14, 2012 – April 21, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Aspen Mountain[/TD]

[TD]November 22, 2012 – April 14, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Buttermilk[/TD]

[TD]December 15, 2012 – April 7, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Copper Mountain[/TD]

[TD=align: left]November 2, 2012 – April 14, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Crested Butte[/TD]

[TD]November 21, 2012 – April 7, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Eldora[/TD]

[TD] November 16, 2012 – April 14, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Howelsen Hill[/TD]

[TD] December 1, 2012 – March 17, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Loveland[/TD]

[TD]October 23 2012 – Early May, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Monarch Mountain[/TD]

[TD]December 14, 2012 – April 14, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Powderhorn[/TD]

[TD] December 15, 2012 – March 31, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Purgatory at DMR[/TD]

[TD]November 23, 2012 – March 31, 2013 (Friday - Sunday only at this time)[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Silverton Mountain[/TD]

[TD] December 15, 2012 – April 14, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Ski Cooper[/TD]

[TD] December 21, 2012 – April 7, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Ski Granby Ranch[/TD]

[TD] December 12, 2012 – March 31, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Snowmass[/TD]

[TD] November 22, 2012 – April 14, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Steamboat[/TD]

[TD]November 21, 2012 – April 14, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Sunlight[/TD]

[TD]December 14, 2012 – March 31, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Telluride[/TD]

[TD]November 22, 2012 – April 7, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Winter Park[/TD]

[TD]November 14, 2012 – April 21, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Wolf Creek[/TD]

[TD]November 14, 2012 – April 7, 2013[/TD]

[/TR]

</tbody>[/TABLE]

Sorted By Opening Day:

[TABLE]

<tbody>[TR]

[TD]October 17, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Arapahoe Basin[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]October 23, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Loveland[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]November 2, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Copper Mountain[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]November 14, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Winter Park, Wolf Creek[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]November 16, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Eldora[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]November 21, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Steamboat, Crested Butte[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]November 22, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Telluride, Aspen Mtn., Snowmass[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]November 23, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Purgatory[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]December 1, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Howelsen[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]December 12, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Ski Granby Ranch[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]December 14, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Sunlight, Aspen Highlands, Monarch[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]December 15, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Buttermilk, Silverton, Powderhorn[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]December 21, 2012[/TD]

[TD] Ski Cooper[/TD]

[/TR]

</tbody>[/TABLE]

From a Denver Post article of March 29, 2011, here were the projected closing dates for the 2010-11 season which was a big snow year. (too bad I wasn't here to enjoy it.)

Buttermilk Sunday (April 3, 2011)

Crested Butte Sunday

Powderhorn Sunday

Purgatory Sunday

Ski Cooper Sunday

SolVista Sunday

Telluride Sunday

Aspen Mountain April 10

Keystone April 10

Monarch April 10

Snowmass April 10

Steamboat April 10

Sunlight April 10

Wolf Creek April 10

Beaver Creek April 17

Eldora April 17

Silverton April 17

Aspen Highlands April 24

Breckenridge April 24

Copper Mountain April 24

Vail April 24

Winter Park April 24

Echo Mountain May 1

Loveland May 8

Arapahoe Basin June 5

Howelsen Hill Closed

A-Basin stayed open until July 4, 2011. I think it was a reduced schedule at the final few weeks with operations only on Fri/Sat/Sun.

Edited December 17, 2012 by ExcelsiorTheFathead