I'm afraid to ask, but, has anyone been to VP lately? Any snow?
Safe riding.
Chaos
Safe riding.
Chaos
Vail Pass
- Thread starter Chaos
- Start date
I was up there last Monday for a charity ride deal. I know it hasn't snowed that much since then and Ptarmingan Pass looked the worst I've ever seen it before May. Looks like the late spring riding will be non-existant.
GM,
Let us know what happens. I am suppose to go up for a group ride on Saturday if conditions are right.
Safe riding.
Chaos
Let us know what happens. I am suppose to go up for a group ride on Saturday if conditions are right.
Safe riding.
Chaos
Last edited:
I was in Vail skiing all weekend. Saturday morning was pretty much 4" of new on crust and crap. Sunday was completely different, easily had over a 12-16" of fresh in the back bowls in the morning, with heavy snow fall all day. Started bombing snow around mid day on Saturday and was still bombing at 3pm yesterday when I left. The pass should have done pretty well out of this storm.
I was out at VP yesterday and the conditions weren't that good. There was maybe 12-18" ontop of the crust and if you break through the crust, it's bad. Lots of stumps and rocks uncovered and no base whatsoever. Not worth it imo until lots more snow falls.
Thanks folks, time for plan B...
Chaos
Chaos
We found some snow, but it was not as good as it should be. We went in the trees and found some 4 foot deep stuff, not the best but ill take it, no stumps or rocks found us. 
Lots of windblown snow in open areas but get into the trees and have some fun!!
Remember avy danger in HIGH up there.
Grant
Lots of windblown snow in open areas but get into the trees and have some fun!! Remember avy danger in HIGH up there.
Grant
You have to remember that this year has not been the best for snowfall, and yes Rabbit Ears and Vail Pass, which are usually awesome year long are not as good. But even when someone says it sucks, they may have been in a bad spot, i would go back, we found alot of good snow and given that rabbit ears is usually packed, vail pass is an excellent place to go during the week, you can and will find snow if you venture a little ways!
No...it sucks. You might find powder stashes but the base is non-existant.
Thanks G/Bug,
I will launch from the Camp Hale P-lot this Saturday and try to get to Mangos in Red Cliff late that afternoon. Should I anticipate issues? This is my first ride this year,since lower back surgery, so I'm not looking for a lot, just some relaxed riding to enjoy the view and to return without a busted/beat sled. How are the trails?
Thanks in advance. Safe riding.
Chaos
I will launch from the Camp Hale P-lot this Saturday and try to get to Mangos in Red Cliff late that afternoon. Should I anticipate issues? This is my first ride this year,since lower back surgery, so I'm not looking for a lot, just some relaxed riding to enjoy the view and to return without a busted/beat sled. How are the trails?
Thanks in advance. Safe riding.
Chaos
Just got back from VP, great day of riding, seemed like 3 ft of fresh in areas, did not hit anything. I recomend.
Surf,
Thank you for the feed back. Much appreciated. Glad you had a good ride.
Stay safe and safe riding.
Chaos
Thank you for the feed back. Much appreciated. Glad you had a good ride.
Stay safe and safe riding.
Chaos
Rode up there yesterday. Definately snowed a couple feet up there. Enough to make some pow turns on the sleds, and even got stuck once. Still not a super deep base, but its getting better. Rode some good snowboard runs.
Avalanche conditions are pretty high overall this year. We remotely triggered a small slough slide by dropping a cornice onto a slope, by shrine bowl. We were gonna jump the cornice as we have in years past, but decided to test it first. Im glad we did, cuz it broke. I wouldnt recommend doing much highmarking or cornice jumping right now.
Going back up there tommorow, to shred some more pow. Vail Pass sucks, but its getting hammered with snow, more than summit. Snowing pretty good in silverthorne right now.
Avalanche conditions are pretty high overall this year. We remotely triggered a small slough slide by dropping a cornice onto a slope, by shrine bowl. We were gonna jump the cornice as we have in years past, but decided to test it first. Im glad we did, cuz it broke. I wouldnt recommend doing much highmarking or cornice jumping right now.
Going back up there tommorow, to shred some more pow. Vail Pass sucks, but its getting hammered with snow, more than summit. Snowing pretty good in silverthorne right now.
J-Fly,
Can't believe my thanks to you is the first you have gotten after 400 plus posts.
Great information and I appreciate same. Hopefully the new storm heading east out of California will dump a little more.
Either way, I'm riding VP this weekend, good or bad. Everyone save me a parking spot at Camp Hale...
Stay safe and safe riding.
Chaos
Can't believe my thanks to you is the first you have gotten after 400 plus posts.
Great information and I appreciate same. Hopefully the new storm heading east out of California will dump a little more.
Either way, I'm riding VP this weekend, good or bad. Everyone save me a parking spot at Camp Hale...
Stay safe and safe riding.
Chaos
Seemed pretty deep to me:
Didn't hit a thing all weekend. A good 30" of new at the higher elevations that were just west of the pass. I heard Ptarmigan got about half that. Still crappy over there. Stuck a ski pole down and didn't hit ground. I would say a good 5' base in some parts, a few miles up and back of the lot.
Didn't hit a thing all weekend. A good 30" of new at the higher elevations that were just west of the pass. I heard Ptarmigan got about half that. Still crappy over there. Stuck a ski pole down and didn't hit ground. I would say a good 5' base in some parts, a few miles up and back of the lot.
Wks,
Great photos and great motivation for this weekend. Glad you had good conditions.
Safe riding.
Chaos
Great photos and great motivation for this weekend. Glad you had good conditions.
Safe riding.
Chaos
M
mannix
ACCOUNT CLOSED
I was at VP on Sunday, too.
There WAS more snow last year at this time.
That said, what WAS there seemed pretty good to me. I've seen better, the lower elevation stuff still had a nasty sugary base.....
....just like last year at this time.
Not the BEST I've ever seen, but the only thing that sucked was getting freaking cold and windblasted above treeline.
.02c!
Iain
There WAS more snow last year at this time.
That said, what WAS there seemed pretty good to me. I've seen better, the lower elevation stuff still had a nasty sugary base.....
....just like last year at this time.
Not the BEST I've ever seen, but the only thing that sucked was getting freaking cold and windblasted above treeline.
.02c!
Iain
