A literal powderhound. Photo by Jason Lombard, Wolf Creek
By R. Scott Rappold
When your motto is the most snow in Colorado and you have the numbers to back it up you dont want to extend the season unless you can offer the deep powder skiers and snowboarders expect.
Well, powderhounds, get thee to Wolf Creek Ski Area this weekend because the southern Colorado resort is reopening for what is expected to be a major snowstorm. Were talking 2 to 3 feet of snow.
Great news for skiers and boarders looking for a few more after season powder turns! Wolf Creek will be open Saturday, April 16th, and Sunday, April 17th! announced Wolf Creek Thursday. The area closed April 2 with the caveat it could reopen if new snow fell, which it did not the following weekend.
But with this storm bearing down on Colorado, the window is there, and Wolf Creek will be open at 9 a.m. Saturday, as will 100 percent of the terrain. Lift tickets will be $43 for adults, $26 for seniors and $24 for children. The rental shop will be open, as will the on-mountain lodge, with limited food offerings. Visit WolfCreekSki.com for more details.
Jason Lombard, Wolf Creek
Now about the storm. As of Thursday morning, ski meteorologist Joel Gratz of OpenSnow.com predicted some 30 inches through the weekend at Wolf Creek. Similar totals are expected in the foothills westof Denver, near Winter Park and the backcountry areas around Rocky Mountain National Park, with lesser amounts at other resorts that have not yet shut for the season.
Said Gratz, During most of this 96 hour window, the wind direction will be from the south, southeast, and east. This direction is favorable for the southern mountains and also areas near and east of the divide. This wind direction is NOT favorable for all other areas, so to get snow at mountains that arent in the south or east of the divide, well need to rely on waves of energy and lift to overwhelm the bad wind direction.
For those who cant make the trek to Wolf Creek this weekend, Arapahoe Basin, Aspen Mountain, Copper Mountain, Loveland and Winter Park are still open.
So ignore the calendar this weekend, put away the bike and hiking boots, because winter is not done with Colorado.
