Hunting Powder at Vail
Dec 10, 2006 · 10:09 AM · permalink
Not so long ago, Vail was known as the domain of ostentatious, fur-booted blue-bloods and nouveau riche. But when Vail Resorts introduced the Colorado Pass around 2000, it threw wide the gates to the ski bums and powder hounds. Vail is still a mecca for the Jet Set, but on a Saturday after a week-long snow drought, it’s also a mecca for powder seekers—if you just know where to look.
So yesterday I wentured to Vail with my two compatriots, Shana and Jason. Our mission: find powder stashes. The best reason to love Vail is that, as the largest ski resort in United States (almost 5,300 acres), all it takes is an intrepid spirit and plenty of energy to get off the beaten path and find some snow of your own.
We started out like everyone else, by skiing in the crud in Vail’s back bowls—specifically under Teacup Express and Orient Express. Soon we made our way to Blue Sky Basin where we expected to find some fresher snow. Cloud 9 was fairly decent with some nice stashes in the trees, but was pretty tracked up. But after lunch we proceeded up Pete’s Express and, by leaving the ski area boundries, found glades full of beautiful, untracked snow among the nicely-spaced trees. Discretion prevents me from revealing the specific location, but it’s not hard to find with a little trial and error.
After two runs through our private paradise, we were all sufficiently tired and decided to call it a day. On the way out, Jason and I decided to drop down through some trees in Pete’s Bowl that lead into a watershed below a couple of catwalks. We’ve skied it before and, though getting out is not that easy, it was worth it to get 30-odd turns in thigh-deep snow.
On our way out, we heard other skiers grousing about the lousy conditions in Blue Sky Basin. No doubt, anyone who skied on-piste yesterday would have come away with rock-scarred skies and abused knees. But with a little sweat, we found excellent conditions and got far away from the crowds. And that’s the moral of this story: don’t ski where everyone else is. Trudge, side step, and skate, but get away from the suckers and find your own snow.
On a trip to Jackson Hole, we had similar circumstances: great location, not much snow. One night it snowed 8” and we hired an instructor for a private lesson the next day. When he asked what we wanted to work on, we said “just take us to the powder”. He took us through more powder than we could have found in a week, just because he knew the mountain so well. Hiring a private guide for the day was the absolute best money we could have spent on that trip.
If you don’t know where the powder stashes are and you’re only in town for a week of skiing, consider packing your lunch, skipping apres ski and sleeping on someone’s floor if that means you can afford to hire a guide. It could turn an ok vacation into an epic experience.
Excellent summary, Shana.
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