There’s not all that many days left to go skiing at Alpine Meadows this season. Word on the street is that a decision on a closing date will be announced tomorrow (Wednesday). I think that a closing date of May 9th seems much more likely than anything beyond.
The snow seems to disappear right before our eyes. A rock that was just exposed yesterday might be a foot out of the snow today. You can see in today’s photo how rapidly the bare earth is expanding on Kangaroo Ridge, and in the distance on The Face. The grooming team, or what’s left of them, has been doing what they can to shore up thin spots. There’s not that much snow available to move around anymore.
Conditions continue to be variable, with the best conditions being between 9AM and 10:30AM. Sure things might be better at 8AM, but changing the schedule when there may only be 5 more days in the season hardly seems worthwhile. Get there early for best results.
We continue to have fun each day with D7, D8, North Peril, Pygmy Forest and Palisades. We also did some exploration around Sympathy Face and Rolls & Knolls and found some fun lines where the sun cups aren’t man-eaters yet. It’s that flat runout to Summit that chases me off the mountain each day. Tomorrow I’ll be experimenting with yet another wax or wax combo to see if I can overcome that mid-morning stickiness.
Last Day For The Cheapest Ikon Pass Price?
Prices for next year’s Ikon Pass are supposed to increase tomorrow. I still hear about people waiting for a better price, hoping that the 20% price reduction on the Epic Pass will be matched by Alterra. I wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen. Personally, I am happy to trade for a longer season, rather than the discounted pass price. Some people have also suggested that the current prices will be extended until a later date. While that has happened some years, it seems that they’re selling plenty of passes these days and don’t need to extend the lower price.
Several people have asked me about locker prices for next season. They are supposed to be out in the next few days. I know I will be renewing. After having a seasonal locker for about 15 years, it’s hard to imagine going back to not having one.