News

Chasing Early Season Powder to Wolf Creek Ski Area

Ski season is back!

I rolled in to work on Saturday, November 7 with no particular ambitions or plans beyond cranking through the task list in my Google calendar. I’d probably go home after work, light a fire in the wood stove, and repeat the wicked-good cheese sauce I’d cooked up the night before.

An early season storm brought February conditions to southern Colorado. | PHOTO: Keagan French SKIER: Matt McDonald

A strong winter storm was descending on southwestern Colorado, and forecasts said Wolf Creek Ski Area would receive the brunt of the hellfire. I was loosely considering chasing the goods but felt my motivation stagnating—for no particular reason other than, like a campfire, motivation needs to be fed.

Then Andrew, a Powder7 bootfitter said “good morning.” One of us mentioned how cool it would be to chase the storm to Wolf Creek. The other one said, “I was thinking that too!” The fire flared.

Eleven hours later, I was jamming ski clothes into a Patagonia Black Hole duffel and slicing a pepperoni pizza from Safeway. “Don’t forget your boots,” I repeated to myself. By midnight, my Tacoma was parked next to Andrew’s Ram 200 miles south in Del Norte. A couple other buddies rallied to fill out our convoy and were already asleep in the backs of their vehicles. The next morning, we were airing off boulders and arcing creamy pow turns in 16 inches of fresh snow.

Our first ski trip of the 2020-2021 season confirmed something most skiers already know but sometimes forget: Always go.

The early-season storm delivered the goods to Wolf Creek. | PHOTO: Matt McDonald SKIER: Andrew Nielsen

Of course, you can’t talk skiing, or much else, in 2020 without addressing the elephant in the lift line: COVID-19. With the public health crisis spiking again and numbers in Colorado looking ominous, an extra layer of planning preceded our trip.

Like skiing itself, going anywhere or doing anything these days can’t be completely risk-free. But we made a few choices to mitigate our risk and at least keep it in line with, say, going to a brewery. We divvied up by household for the drive. For the luxury (non-truck) night in Pagosa Springs, we booked an apartment-style AirBnb with separate sleeping spaces for each household (four people) in our crew (two bedrooms and a couch). An open floor plan gave us enough space to chill and drink beers without being on top of each other like we would have been in a hotel room. We passed on a cramped restaurant in favor of more spacious dining rooms at Pagosa Brewing & Grill (Editor’s Note: We don’t claim to be public health experts, just skiers trying to be healthy and responsible while continuing to ski).

Distancing was relatively easy in the ticket pick-up line, but more challenging in lift lines. Our pro tip: Make sure you and your crew are dialed, and do what mountain staff asks.

Following a frenetic Sunday, things calmed down for Monday. Well, except the weather. We arrived at the mountain to a foot of light, fluffy fresh, and around 10 more inches fell throughout the day. People distanced better. Lifties reminded people to pull their buffs over their noses. Wind shellacked Wolf Creek’s tree stashes and summit ridge.

We mined fluffy goodness all morning, scoring first tracks off the Alberta chair around noon. When the bootpack above the lift opened, we pounced like wolves on a hapless hare. Fighting to keep our noses flesh-colored against blasting wind, we lapped untouched pines three times. We admitted burning thighs and early-season stamina. Then we hiked three more times. It was just. that. good.

skiing wolf creek
On the ridge: “Wiggle the fingers you want to keep.” In the gully: “Slash a turn over here!” | PHOTO: Keagan French SKIER: Matt McDonald

By 3:15 p.m., we’d eaten enough of our fill to call it a day. After a frigid parking lot aprés, plus some hoots, hollers, and (distanced) hell-yeahs with strangers, we hit the road to chase the storm back to the Front Range. More resort openings on tap. Another storm brewing. Perfectly exhausted legs and wind-burned faces. Things felt normal for maybe the first time in a while. Powder skiing does that.

powder skiing wolf creek
Here’s to staying healthy and skiing more powder days! | PHOTO: Matt McDonald SKIER: Andrew Nielsen

Elsewhere in Ski Country

Out East: Pow Turns and “Stick Season”

Our friends over at Ski the East know a thing or three about early season “stick season.” Fall snow storms have teased ski season from the Adirondacks to Maine, and resorts should start opening in the next two weeks.

Of course, far be it from New England die-hards to wait for chairlifts to spin…

White Blankets in the Rockies

More than 50 inches of snow has fallen on Jackson Hole, Wyoming, so some of the finest big-mountain skiing on the continent is starting to tease us. Opening Day is scheduled for Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, Alta has already seen one storm drop more than 30 inches of snow. Because Alta is magical.

Coming Soon to the PNW

The snow capital of the Lower 48, Mount Baker, will be seeing its characteristic Snowmageddon soon enough. Until then, locals are reliving favorite days and hawk-eyeing the forecast.

Around Tahoe, temps are dropping. Skiers are frenetically researching the historical implications of La Niña on snowfall. And Thanksgiving openings are lining up.

And in the Midwest…

Cascade Mountain saw snow in October!

Same for Granite Peak, Wisconsin’s largest ski resort. Things have turned wet and fall-ish since, but a Thanksgiving opening is still in the works.

Want to salivate over mid-season powder? See highlights from our staff’s trip to Steamboat Powdercats last January. They still have dates available for this season!

Comments

Similar Posts