bigwavedave Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Went out around noon for a couple of hours. Temps were up to 45°. The ice base was softened enough to get an edge. I put a 3° edge bevel on the Rev for extra grip. All the traffic was making shaved ice piles, so there might be enough ice crystals to make a decent "surface groom" now without any new snow. Rode the "renovator" (the Rev with boiler plate).That smoothed out the ice and slush piles George was there. You know, the 93 year old former Olympian and inspiration to all us younger old guys. I end up on the chair with him a few times each season, so he knows he's met me before, but can't quite place it. When I re-introduce myself his standard line is, "do I owe you money?". I rode up the chair with him today and decided to turn his line around on him before he had a chance to use it, "hey, don't you owe me some money?". That got a good laugh. Went over to the park later where the ice base was barely perceptible under a few inches of slushy snow. Tried some FastStick polymer wax for above freezing temps. Seemed to have really good glide. Fits in your pocket and can be rubbed on at the hill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 Tuesday, March 3 A couple of inches of soft groom, but the rock hard base kept rearing it's ugly head whenever an edge was pressured very hard......limited to big open turns in the few places that the surface could be trusted. I've got a bad feeling about conditions for the remainder of the season . Oh yeah Jane was killing it on her Coiler and also put us all to shame with her carefully selected color palette! Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 6, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2020 Thursday, March 5 Similar conditions to those on Tuesday (see above) at the open, with the added benefit of flat light, then show showers, then snow showers and fog. To add insult to injury, the wind picked up out of the northeast just after noon and the big fat, sticky, snow flakes slowed things down further......towards the middle of the afternoon the base started to soften enough to set an edge on a few runs so a few turns were had! Russ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 11, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 Tuesday, March 10 Today’s posse: rwmaron, Jane, khoward, bigwavedave. Less than ideal conditions, but the sun was shining and I got to hang out with the cool crew for a couple of hours ! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 11, 2020 Report Share Posted March 11, 2020 Went out a little before noon when it was getting warm & slushy. Ran into Ken right away. Did a few runs on the express side, then over to the park for some real slush slarving. Generally, it felt softer everywhere today. It was warmer. ...or maybe it was the new board.... Rode the new 165 Contra AT. Seemed better at surfing on top of the snow-cone slush instead of slicing through to that rough ice base like the carving board yesterday. Ken said he was getting a rough ride contacting the ice base a lot today on his Nirvana. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 13, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2020 Thursday, March 12 Rain/snow mix at open, then all rain, then light rain and fog at midday, then light rain and patchy fog in the afternoon... Surfy carving was had by dodging the hard (dirty) spots, though if you were smart enough to stay home you didn’t miss much. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 16, 2020 Report Share Posted March 16, 2020 Spirit just announced hill only open next 2 weekends. No weekdays. Saturday, 3/28 last day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2020 Make that Saturday, 3/28 last day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 19, 2020 Report Share Posted March 19, 2020 Spirit closed for season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurch Posted March 19, 2020 Report Share Posted March 19, 2020 (edited) 41 minutes ago, bigwavedave said: Spirit closed for season. Dammit I was hoping you & Russ would hold the fort and get me through this carvepocalypse! Thanks for a season of stoke Dave. Edited March 19, 2020 by Lurch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 19, 2020 Report Share Posted March 19, 2020 18 minutes ago, Lurch said: Dammit I was hoping you & Russ would hold the fort and get me through this carvepocalypse! Thanks for a season of stoke Dave. It ain't over yet inda U.P. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 26, 2020 Report Share Posted March 26, 2020 Just took a walk around the bottom of the Spirit. Nice soft slushy snow several inches deep. The ice base is either gone, or has gone soft. Their were some folks in the parking lot putting skins on their skis. Thinking I might go hike up tomorrow around mid-day. @rwmaron ? @khoward ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted March 27, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 Sorry, but I’ve put the boards away and been biking almost every day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 27, 2020 Report Share Posted March 27, 2020 On 3/26/2020 at 7:27 PM, rwmaron said: Sorry, but I’ve put the boards away and been biking almost every day! Jeez, who's gonna pick me up at the bottom and give me a lift back to the top?....Oh, and thanks for putting those boards away. Have you seen the forecast for this weekend? ...So, I had to walk up, don't need no split-board, you just walk uphill. It was so fun, I had to do it twice. Slush carving at it's best. Best conditions Spirit has had in over a month! There's still about 2 feet of snow on the hill. No bare spots. They could've still been operating! When I was leaving there was about 10 skinners starting up the hill. It's such a different vibe when there is no activity on the hill. So quietTracks of the 165 Contra AT. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 30, 2020 Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 Some new snow and the river is opening up. Otters, Goldeneyes and swans seen on the river today. 1st tracks of a couple of runs today. Eagles soaring overhead as I was hiking up. A good omen, better than seeing vultures circling overhead. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted March 31, 2020 Report Share Posted March 31, 2020 Hiking up different trails each day and finding untracked snow.Still 1½ feet of slush and ice, but with some thin or bare spots. 4-6" slush on top. Home for lunch, but going back up for one more---there's rain forecast for the next few days. Hiked up JugglerJoe for one more run this afternoon. Much of the snow is gone in the woods and I could see that snow on the trail was 4-6 feet thick in some places. I think it will be around for awhile. Saw several tele-skiers, a few nordic skiers and a boarder. 4pipe seems to be getting the most traffic. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted April 4, 2020 Report Share Posted April 4, 2020 One run and done today. Never seen so many people on the hill post season. The word has gotten out! Maybe 10-20 on the 4-pipe side plus a snowmobile ripping up and down the trails There was a dusting of new snow after the rain yesterday. Conditions are deteriorating. Some deep crevasses and holes appearing where water is flowing under the snow, along with more thin and bare spots. I should have a rock board for any future excursions. Getting pretty soft today! Ice is out of the river. More wildlife sighted; Hooded Mergansers, Whistler Swans, beaver, mink and tracks of the Spirit Black Bear out of hibernation and playing in the snow on the hill. Might have to take the Shellback out for a row on the river tomorrow... 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted April 6, 2020 Report Share Posted April 6, 2020 Just drove by the bottom entrance to Spirit and they have closed the gates to the parking lot. Looked like it was padlocked. There were a couple of cars parked at the entrance, maybe hikers or maybe a guard. There was a cop car watching all the activity on my final day there a couple of days ago. I suspected they might shut it down. There were even more cars in the parking lot the next day when I drove by. Once the word gets out it spreads like a virus. btw, I never got within 30' of anyone and that was in the parking lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted August 11, 2020 Report Share Posted August 11, 2020 saw this https://www.startribune.com/spirit-mountain-director-resigns-as-duluth-ski-hill-faces-uncertain-future/572071072/ what infrastructure are the talking about? the water? or that chair lift that always feels like the seat is tilted forward and I have to wrap my arms around the frame? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted August 11, 2020 Report Share Posted August 11, 2020 1 hour ago, bobble said: saw this https://www.startribune.com/spirit-mountain-director-resigns-as-duluth-ski-hill-faces-uncertain-future/572071072/ what infrastructure are the talking about? the water? or that chair lift that always feels like the seat is tilted forward and I have to wrap my arms around the frame? Hi Bob. I have no idea what's going on with Spirit. I'm hoping we hear from @rwmaron or @khoward who have connections to people in-the-know. Maybe we'll be hiking up the hill to make turns? Any word from Buck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted August 11, 2020 Report Share Posted August 11, 2020 1 hour ago, bigwavedave said: Hi Bob. I have no idea what's going on with Spirit. I'm hoping we hear from @rwmaron or @khoward who have connections to people in-the-know. Maybe we'll be hiking up the hill to make turns? Any word from Buck? buck is building what appears to be an additional deck in front of the bar facing south. not sure why but they were posting on Instagram about it. maybe they want to encourage people to stay outdoors due to covid? otherwise... no news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted August 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2020 Here’s what I know: - Our in-person patrol refresher has been cancelled (replaced by the national on-line version); - Patrol CPR training is scheduled for small groups starting 8/24; - Chair evac training planned but not yet scheduled; My sense is that current plans are to open in late November as usual. I’m not aware of any hard science that indicates increased risk of virus transmission during outdoor activities, but standing in a ticket or rental shop line or sharing a chairlift is another matter. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted August 14, 2020 Report Share Posted August 14, 2020 12 hours ago, rwmaron said: Here’s what I know: - Our in-person patrol refresher has been cancelled (replaced by the national on-line version); - Patrol CPR training is scheduled for small groups starting 8/24; - Chair evac training planned but not yet scheduled; My sense is that current plans are to open in late November as usual. I’m not aware of any hard science that indicates increased risk of virus transmission during outdoor activities, but standing in a ticket or rental shop line or sharing a chairlift is another matter. Russ or standing in the lift line? if social distancing rules are applied, the lines will be too much. anytime i come to spirit, the line at the bottom of four pipe cuts across the run. will they make the multiple queues wider so people aren't standing side by side? I want to believe that outdoor risk is low but that all depends... one of the factors is sunlight. on sunny days (strong UV), I would think it would be lower than overcast days. i don't know how buck will handle COVID. i just assume that i'll be majestically screwed over by the ski teams in a new diabolical way under the guise of COVID response. maybe if hills opened at 6AM to spread out the number of people? i'd be down for that. so help me god, if I smell any cough drops on the chair! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigwavedave Posted September 30, 2020 Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 I heard that the city council unanimously voted to provide funding for Spirit Mt to operate this winter. Duluth has a local tax to fund things that attract tourists who will then hopefully spend money at other local businesses. Also, the mountain is owned by the city. No word on operating hours yet. It appears GR and Big Snow (Indianhead) also have plans to open with limits on use of indoor facilities and social distancing around the lifts. Most of us already wear masks in the winter here anyway. Last spring, I optimistically bought passes for both Big Snow and Spirit during the end-of-season pass sales. Yup, I even asked Mark Miller at Thirst to build me another board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmaron Posted September 30, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2020 What I‘ve heard about the operating hours: - Closed Monday and Tuesday - 10am to 8pm Wednesday thru Saturday - 10am to 6pm Sunday Subject to change, of course! p.s. No snow cross this year!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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