For 40 days the flood kept coming on the earth …. They rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered. The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than 20 feet. – Genesis 7:17-20
Forty days. Forty righteous powder days, complements of more than 300 heavenly inches of year-to-date snowfall. That’s 25 feet to you and me, arguably qualifying Powder Tour 2006 as nothing less than biblical.
Some might go so far as to say we are building a religion, gathering in mildewed gloves and ratty polypro like sacrificial pagan powder pigs at the mountaintop, worshipping at the altar of Ullr while valley dwellers in search of signs of the apocalypse scratch their long johns, rub their bunions and wonder what they did wrong to incur such a snowy wrath.
Colorado Ski Country USA, the marketing group responsible for promoting such statistics, places the state’s current powder day tally somewhere around 54. Since I’m only at 40 so far, it feels like I’m losing the battle. But keep in mind that these are strictly “powder” days, days when the snow is fresh and deep enough to merit inclusion. By most measures, ski season already can be considered a success.
And with year-to-date snowfall tallies rivaling anything in recorded history, much of Colorado is on the kind of cold streak capable of warming the hearts of the crustiest of curmudgeonly ski bums still clinging to the “good old days.” Yes, it’s that good, and getting better. Remember, February and March are the snowy months.
But if you’re like me and remembering days gone by isn’t necessarily your strong suit, consider jotting down a few notes this winter. It’s already a long season, and the powder daze has a way of running together. Think of it as a Powder Diary, a place to reminisce the bliss of recreational powder snow riding at its finest. My first installment follows, and although some dates have been blurred by goggle fog, I still consider it gospel.
And so it is written …
Nov. 10: The first cold snow arrives, seemingly all at once, as if delivered by intelligent design. This time, there’s enough to ski and it does not melt.
Nov. 20ish: Thanksgiving week. Thanks and praises offered to the minister of cloud seeding for providing us with bountiful snowfall that allows first tracks down the Minturn Mile backcountry route on Vail’s opening day. It’s the earliest Minturn Mile run in personal history.
Dec. 2: As the snow grows deeper, time arrives to step and ski the East Vail Chutes; also earliest ever.
Dec. 10: U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix in Breckenridge coincides with 8 inches of fresh snow, offering a long-awaited excuse to pick up new fat skis at Avalanche Sports and test drive the new Imperial Express chair lift.
Dec. 20ish: Pre-Christmas powder frenzy shows ski areas in northern Colorado alternating between the first- and second-most year-to-date snowfall in recorded history.
Dec. 25: Christmas is for kids, so I go snowboarding.
Dec. 30: Season pass restrictions are in full swing at Vail, offering an excellent reason to go to Steamboat and ski even deeper powder for the New Year’s extravaganza.
Jan. 5: Snow is too deep. Buy bigger skis.
Jan. 10ish: The longest drought of the season grips the Colorado Rockies, lasting nearly six tortuous days. Hike to Commando Bowl for knee-deep fresh tracks.
Jan. 15: World Cup freestyle skiing competition coincides with approximately 3 feet of fresh snow. Toby Dawson and Michelle Roark of Colorado win moguls races, but can’t compete with Utah powder tour that finishes with another 16 inches of snow in Steamboat during Cowboy Downhill.
Jan. 20-22: Rest weekend during the U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix at Mountain Creek, N.J. A chance to see how the other half lives and admire their dedication to riding the man-made ribbon of death. Clearly unintelligent design.
Jan. 27-31: X Games in Aspen. Daily snowfall helps me “discover the power of four.”
Jan. 30: Adam Aron quits as CEO of Vail. Inside sources cite “too much snow” as a contributing factor (record snowfall practically guarantees a profit in the ski industry, pushing stock to an all-time high).
Feb. 2: Step on skis and discover the new sensation of face shots “on demand” as several areas report reaching the 300-inch mark.
Feb. 5: More face shots discovered in the former “Super Bowl” in Vail (now known as Earl’s Bowl). Fresh tracks discovered on Main Street turn Minturn apartment into ski-in property, where I watch the Super Bowl on TV.
Feb. 6: Ski out of apartment and board plane to Turin, Italy, to chase Euro-pow. Weeping.
Staff writer Scott Willoughby can be reached at 303-820-1993 or swilloughby@denverpost.com.
