2009/2010 Ski Area Snowfall Log
for the Silver Valley
|
I moved to Wallace in January 1993 because it was a
charming village halfway between TWO ski areas, a dozen
miles in either direction on Interstate 90 in northern
Idaho's
Silver Valley.
This page will
log the snowfall
statistics for both
Silver Mountain,
a gondola ride away from Kellogg,
and
Lookout Pass,
at the Montana border. Click on the
animated color bars to move between the top and bottom of
the data. Greg Marsh |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| PRINTABLE Ten Day Weather Forecasts for both Ski Areas | |||
| 2001/2002 Snowfall Log | 2002/2003 Snowfall Log | 2003/2004 Snowfall Log | 2004/2005 Snowfall Log |
| 2005/2006 Snowfall Log | 2006/2007 Snowfall Log | 2007/2008 Snowfall Log | 2008/2009 Snowfall Log |
|
Silver Mountain The Lodge, elevation 5650 feet, is at "Mid Mountain," while Kellogg Peak, top of Chair 2, has an elevation of 6200 feet. See trailmap for orientation and today's Snow Report for operation confirmation. |
Lookout Pass The Lodge is at base of Runt Mountain. The chair runs from an elevation of 4800 feet to the top of Runt at 5650 feet. See trailmap for orientation and today's Snow Report for operation confirmation. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 96 |
Days Open in 2009/2010 season as of April 17, 2010 |
111 | ||||||
|
The early morning temperatures listed below were
recorded between 5 and 7 AM at the Silver Mountain Lodge and/or at the Lookout Pass Lodge . A (temperature) means it was recorded/reported after 7 AM. A (new snowfall) number records new snow when a resort is closed. |
||||||||
| Date | 24 hr New |
at Lodge |
at Summit |
temp °F |
Date | 24 hr New |
at Lodge |
at Summit |
|---|
|
|
|
/ 25° |
Friday Nov 13 |
0" | 10" | 19" | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
/ 24° |
Saturday Nov 14 |
3" | 10" | 21" | |||
|
|
/ 20° |
Sunday Nov 15 |
trace | 10" | 21" | |||
| 12 trails on front side open; 9 groomed | ||||||||
|
|
/ 27° |
Friday Nov 20 |
1" | 12" | 23" | |||
|
|
/ 28° |
Saturday Nov 21 |
4" | 15" | 27" | |||
|
|
/ 22° |
Sunday Nov 22 |
1" | 15" | 27" | |||
| 16 trails on front side open; 12 groomed; currently snowing | ||||||||
|
|
/ 32° |
Thanksgiving Nov 26 |
0" | 23" | 38" | |||
| Fourteen inches of snow fell since Sunday, so all three chair lifts were running today to service 27 trails. Nineteen of these had been groomed. The snow report said "Good coverage on the Idaho side. Thin coverage and some obstacles on the Montana side & North side." For my nine runs, I chose to get back into skiing shape by going fast on blemish-free trails, rather than pursuing baby-treetop-hoppin' adventures on more challenging slopes. On the Idaho (front) side, Black Bear to Gold, Silver or Copper was obstacle free and smooth sailing. I stayed to the right on Rainbow Ridge while on the Montana (St. Regis Lake Basin) side because elsewhere it was too crusty for my discriminating palate. By afternoon, however, the skier packed mush facing south was perfect... for April. Skiing slush in the mid-40's will be heavenly then; now it is just plain odd. | ||||||||
|
Friday Nov 27 |
2" | 14" | 24" | 30° / 33° |
Friday Nov 27 |
1" | 23" | 37" |
| 5 trails open, 4 groomed | ||||||||
|
Saturday Nov 28 |
0" | 14" | 24" | 23° / 25° |
Saturday Nov 28 |
2" | 23" | 38" |
|
Sunday Nov 29 |
0" | 14" | 24" | 28° / 30° |
Sunday Nov 29 |
trace | 23" | 38" |
|
|
/ 29° |
Monday Nov 30 |
0" | 22" | 38" | |||
|
|
/ 12° |
Thursday Dec 3 |
0" | 23" | 38" | |||
| 20 trails on Idaho side open; 14 groomed | ||||||||
|
Friday Dec 4 |
0" | 12" | 20" | 22° / 16° |
Friday Dec 4 |
0" | 23" | 38" |
| 7 trails open, 0 groomed | ||||||||
|
Saturday Dec 5 |
1" | 13" | 21" | 14° / 15° |
Saturday Dec 5 |
1" | 23" | 38" |
|
Sunday Dec 6 |
0" | 12" | 20" | 5° / 7° |
Sunday Dec 6 |
trace | 23" | 38" |
|
|
/ -5° |
CLOSED Monday by extreme cold |
0" | 23" | 38" | |||
|
|
/ 10° |
Thursday Dec 10 |
trace | 23" | 38" | |||
| 24 trails on Idaho & Montana sides open; 17 groomed | ||||||||
|
Friday Dec 11 |
0" | 12" | 20" | 14° / 14° |
Friday Dec 11 |
trace | 23" | 38" |
| 10 trails open, 3 groomed | ||||||||
|
Saturday Dec 12 |
0" | 12" | 20" | 21° / 25° |
Saturday Dec 12 |
0" | 23" | 38" |
|
Sunday Dec 13 |
1" | 13" | 22" | 20° / 22° |
Sunday Dec 13 |
trace | 23" | 38" |
|
Monday Dec 14 |
4" | 13" | 27 | 18° / 19° |
Monday Dec 14 |
6" | 25" | 44" |
| Six inches of cold snow fell since yesterday, making for delightful first tracks for Jim and me after we loaded the fourth chair at 9:00 AM. We headed home two hours later, invigorated and ready to work on various projects. My seven runs covered the gamut from well-groomed corduroy to ungroomed powder. Black Bear to Silver was the best of both these worlds. The untracked powder on Cloud 9 powder was perfect until the very bottom... where the prudent skier was ready for occasional hard objects to be revealed at the last moment. Rainbow Ridge was free of such surprises naturally, but the snow under the west edge trees was still a little crusty. At 10:30, I asked the Montana lift operator how many folks he had seen so far: "about thirty" was his answer. I was curious since I had just skied over a mile without seeing anyone else. | ||||||||
|
Thursday Dec 17 |
6" | 24" | 33" | 31° / 32° |
Thursday Dec 17 |
8" | 31" | 52" |
| all but chair 5 open; 20 trails open (27%), 2 groomed; 11" fell in last 48 hours | all lifts open; terrain 90% open; 20 groomed trails; 17" fell since Sunday night | |||||||
|
Friday Dec 18 |
0" | 15" | 40" | 34° / 28° |
Friday Dec 18 |
trace | 31" | 52" |
|
Saturday Dec 19 |
0" | 15" | 40" | 34° / 33° |
Saturday Dec 19 |
trace | 31" | 52" |
|
Sunday Dec 20 |
1" | 15" | 40" | 37° / 34° |
Sunday Dec 20 |
1" | 31" | 52" |
|
Monday Dec 21 |
2" | 15" | 43" | 30° / 33° |
Monday Dec 21 |
2" | 32" | 54" |
|
Tuesday Dec 22 |
4" | 15" | 43" | 23° / 26° |
Tuesday Dec 22 |
6" | 35" | 60" |
|
Wednesday Dec 23 |
1" | 15" | 43" | 14° / 20° |
Wednesday Dec 23 |
trace | 35" | 60" |
|
Thursday Dec 24 |
0" | 15" | 43" | 18° / 16° |
Thursday Dec 24 |
trace | 35" | 60" |
|
Christmas Dec 25 |
0" | 15" | 43" | (27°) / 19° |
Christmas Dec 25 |
0" | 35" | 60" |
| Christmas was a fun time at Lookout as usual. Altho the 14°F summit temperature at 1 PM caused me to only make six runs, two at a time, the delicious Christmas Buffet and camaraderie made for a great day. I found Keystone and Cloud 9 groomed and in good condition: very "firm" yet manageable with only a few predictable obstacles near their bottoms. I was discouraged from trying the two open runs on Chair 3 because of the excess stumpage reported near the chair. There will be plenty of time for the North Side after our next snowstorm... When will that be? Check out the ten day forecast for both ski areas presented side-by-side at http://wallace-id.com/snowfall.html#tenday. | ||||||||
|
Saturday Dec 26 |
0" | 15" | 43" | (25°) / 15° |
Saturday Dec 26 |
0" | 35" | 60" |
|
Sunday Dec 27 |
0" | 15" | 43" | (25°) / 15° |
Sunday Dec 27 |
0" | 35" | 60" |
|
Monday Dec 28 |
0" | 15" | 43" | 20° / 13° |
Monday Dec 28 |
0" | 35" | 60" |
| all lifts open; 45 trails open, 20 groomed | 90% of all trails open, 25 groomed | |||||||
|
Tuesday Dec 29 |
0" | 15" | 43" | 28° / 23° |
Tuesday Dec 29 |
0.5" | 35" | 60" |
|
Wednesday Dec 30 |
0" | 15" | 43" | (23°) / 20° |
Wednesday Dec 30 |
trace | 35" | 60" |
|
Thursday Dec 31 |
8" | 21" | 43" | (25°) / (27°) |
Thursday Dec 31 |
4" | 37" | 64" |
| The first significant snowfall in eight days got Jim and me on the hill for first tracks on four inches of fluff covering a firmly packed and well-groomed base. On the groomed runs, this made for hero powder, while in the trees, it made for fun but uncertain surfaces. Careful navigation was also required at the bottom of Cloud 9 and Keystone, but in general, the snow conditions were ideal. Light snowfall mixed with sun breaks to make my nine runs by noon totally enjoyable. Chair 3 on the North Side was closed, but that was OK because the bottom of those expert runs need more of a base; their day will come, however. In spite of the reduced lift capacity, and a full parking lot, lines were negligible. | ||||||||
|
New Year 2010 |
1" | 20" | 45" | 30° / 29° | New Year 2010 |
4" | 38" | 67" |
| Jim, Del and I celebrated the New Year by making first tracks under moderate snowfall on the cusp of rainfall. The snow was heavier than yesterday, yet quite manageable. Chair 3 opened briefly and I made two runs down Marmot, which is quickly gaining sufficient base; I only discovered one "non-snow-item" (stump?) under my skis. Naturally, care was exercised along with my thigh muscles. Chair 3 seems to be having minor "maintenance issues," but should be fully operational soon. I also explored the deep snow building up in the Lucky Friday and Last Chance Glades... carefully. I only made five runs because it started to rain at the bottom of the Montana Side about 10:30. I don't ski in the rain; that sport is reserved for those without season passes, or for those used to skiing Back East during the usual January thaw. | ||||||||
|
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|
Saturday Jan 2 |
12" | 27" | 52" | 28° / 31° |
Saturday Jan 2 |
10" | 40" | 72" |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49 trails open (64%); 17 groomed trails | 85% of trails open; 25 groomed trails | |||||||
|
Sunday Jan 3 |
6" | 29" | 54" | 30° / 30° | Sunday Jan 3 |
3" | 42" | 73" |
|
Monday Jan 4 |
0" | 23" | 56" | 27° / 20° | Monday Jan 4 |
1" | 42" | 73" |
|
|
/ 13° |
Wednesday Jan 6 |
7" | 47" | 79" | |||
Seven inches of relatively light powder snow fell since closing on Monday,
making today truly "Power Wednesday." The sunshine and temperatures warming into
the mid-twenties combined to make for a perfectly wonderful day as shown on
the new 2009/2010 Lookout Photos page. Most of my
fourteen runs were made beneath Montana Side trees,
but several high-speed cruises were made on the
well packed powder found everywhere on both the Montana and Idaho Sides.
There was also a lot of terrain left ungroomed for us powder hounds.
Chair 3 is still down while a
bearing is replaced, but should be operational by the weekend.
|
||||||||
|
Thursday Jan 7 |
6" | 29" | 62" | 15° / 5° | Thursday Jan 7 |
0" | 47" | 79" |
|
Friday Jan 8 |
0" | 29" | 62" | 19° / 4° | Friday Jan 8 |
0" | 47" | 79" |
|
Saturday Jan 9 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 24° / 20° | Saturday Jan 9 |
0.5" | 47" | 79" |
|
Sunday Jan 10 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 32° / 30° | Sunday Jan 10 |
1" | 47" | 79" |
| 63 trails open (88%), 26 groomed | Chair 3 running, 100% of all trails open, 25 groomed | |||||||
| Monday Jan 11 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 30° / 31° | Monday Jan 11 |
0" | 47" | 79" |
|
|
/ 32° |
Wednesday Jan 13 |
1" | 46" | 78" | |||
|
Thursday Jan 14 |
2" | 25" | 54" | 28° / 31° | Thursday Jan 14 |
2" | 47" | 79" |
|
Friday Jan 15 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 30° / 31° | Friday Jan 15 |
2" | 45" | 79" |
|
Saturday Jan 16 |
3" | 25" | 54" | 32° / 33° | Saturday Jan 16 |
4" | 46" | 80" |
|
Sunday Jan 17 |
1" | 25" | 54" | 30° / 32° |
Sunday Jan 17 |
2" | 47" | 81" |
|
MLK Day Jan 18 |
1" | 25" | 54" | 32° / 32° | MLK Day Jan 18 |
1" | 47" | 81" |
|
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|
|
/ 28° | Wednesday Jan 20 |
0.5" | 47" | 81" | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today began the same way as it did two Wednesday's ago when I was the last person in the first lift line of the day. However, in contrast to January 6 (see photos), when three bus loads of kids on a field trip from Superior, Montana, were ahead of me, today there were just two Silver Mountain employees ahead of me... several chairs ahead of me, in fact. When my chair entered the fog bank at the base of the Idaho Face, I turned and saw no one on the lift behind me. A possible reason emerged when I unloaded at the top and noticed that the lift was not scheduled to open for another five minutes; Phil had seen that his staff and ski patrol were ready to go at 8:45, so he opened then rather than wait on protocol. What a great resort! As the day warmed from 31 to 39°F, I made fourteen runs down groomed trails by 1:00, but the fog on the top half of the mountain outlasted me, making each descent from the clouds into the sunshine sublime. And a little spooky with ghost town ambiance. During my eleven runs down Rainbow Ridge, Cloud 9 and Keystone (Chair 2) and Marmot (Chair 3), I was overtaken by one skier on Rainbow and I saw another skier below me on Marmot. The rest of the time I had the mile long, hundred foot wide, perfectly groomed trails to myself. Where else in America? | ||||||||
|
Thursday Jan 21 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 30° / 26° | Thursday Jan 21 |
0" | 47" | 81" |
|
CLOSED Jan 22 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 30° / 22° | Friday Jan 22 |
0" | 47" | 81" |
| "[Thursday] morning we experienced the unforeseen failure of a sealed bearing inside the lower 'bullwheel' of our gondola. This incident has taken the gondola out of service. The replacement part has been ordered and our lift maintenance team is working tirelessly to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, the replacement process is lengthy and we WILL NOT be operating this weekend. We will know more after the haul cable tension is relieved and the components are disassembled and thoroughly inspected." | ||||||||
|
|
/ 25° | Saturday Jan 23 |
0.5" | 47" | 81" | |||
|
|
/ 24° | Sunday Jan 24 |
0.5" | 47" | 81" | |||
|
|
/ 28° | Monday Jan 25 |
1" | 47" | 81" | |||
|
|
(2") | / |
|
(3") | ||||
|
|
/ 28° | Wednesday Jan 27 |
trace | 48" | 83" | |||
| "THE GONDOLA IS FIXED! We will resume our normal schedule on Powder Thursday followed by the HOTTEST apres ski party in the NW at Siver Rapids indoor waterpark." | It was another warm and foggy Wednesday at Lookout with machine groomed packed powder on 25 trails and about three inches of light powder everywhere else. I made 15 runs by 1:00 PM (12 by 12), staying mostly on perfectly packed corduroy with occasional forays into the manageable powder beneath the mellow trees west of Rainbow Ridge. Marmot was groomed and in good condition; my best time starting from the top of Black Bear was 2 minutes, 52 seconds. The other four trails off Chair 3 were open but not groomed, and I left them for another day. The deep yet uncertain powder in the Last Chance Glades was a little difficult for me today... nothing that a foot of new snow won't fix, however. | |||||||
|
Thursday Jan 28 |
1" | 25" | 54" | 28° / 25° | Thursday Jan 28 |
0" | 48" | 83" |
|
Friday Jan 29 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 30° / 27° | Friday Jan 29 |
0" | 46" | 81" |
|
Saturday Jan 30 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 33° / 30° | Saturday Jan 30 |
trace | 45" | 80" |
|
Sunday Jan 31 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 27° / 29° | Sunday Jan 31 |
0.5" | 45" | 80" |
|
Monday Feb 1 |
4" | 25" | 54" | 28° / 26° | Monday Feb 1 |
2" | 45" | 81" |
|
|
(2") | / |
|
(1") | ||||
|
|
(2") | / 27° | Wednesday Feb 3 |
2" | 46" | 83" | ||
| The need for exercise drove Jim and me to the resort, only to be pleasantly surprised by the conditions, which were pretty close to perfect... for anywhere else but Lookout Pass. No lift lines, no wind, no ice, "silent" corduroy on the groomed runs, consistent powder surface under the trees, wool gloves warm... anywhere else, today would have been worth an expensive lift ticket. But we are spoiled; we expect dry champagne powder over our boot tops and get melancholy when there is just a couple of inches of the new stuff. I made sixteen runs by 2:09 PM on a good sampling of terrain covered in light fog at the summit, dissolving to show sunny skies at lower elevations. The trunks of the trees west of Rainbow Ridge were covered with inch long hoar frost needles pointing east, which is where the moisture is currently coming from. Jim had to leave to sell real estate before noon, but I stayed and caught a ride home with a fellow named Dan, his wife and father. Dan came up to me in the Loft and said "You're Greg Marsh, right?" He reminded me that we had skied together last spring. Dan and Kathy are season pass holders WHO LIVE IN FREMONT CALIFORNIA! The Dad lives in Spokane, so they fly up from the Bay Area on a regular basis rather than drive four hours to congested and over-priced Lake Tahoe. They save money, get family time and ski on better snow! | ||||||||
|
Thursday Feb 4 |
2" | 25" | 54" | 28° / 27° | Thursday Feb 4 |
trace | 46" | 83" |
|
Friday Feb 5 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 29° / 29° | Friday Feb 5 |
trace | 46" | 83" |
|
Saturday Feb 6 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 30° / 30° | Saturday Feb 6 |
2" | 47" | 84" |
|
Sunday Feb 7 |
3" | 25" | 54" | 28° / 28° | Sunday Feb 7 |
trace | 47" | 84" |
|
Monday Feb 8 |
0" | 25" | 54" | 25° / 28° | Monday Feb 8 |
trace | 47" | 84" |
| Jim and I made six quick runs beginning at 11 AM. I love to ski the most when it reminds me of dancing: carefree action wthout conscious concern. That was not for me today. I never saw any real ice, yet sometimes I felt like I was sliding on a strangely slick and very hard surface where every turn had to be extremely intentional. [Due, in part, to my badly-in-need-of-base-work ski bottoms.] The flat light helped to enhance my uneasy feeling. Toward the bottom of Keystone and Rainbow Ridge on the Montana Side, an army of frozen chicken heads rose to challenge my passage. In other words, play became work. The machine groomed packed powder on Silver, Gold, and other Idaho Side trails was very manageable and fun, however. I was told later that Marmot was "good" today, but Jim and I settled for a cup of coffee in the Loft instead of trying it. We were both shameless lightweights today. | ||||||||
|
|
/ 26° | Wednesday Feb 10 |
trace | 46" | 83" | |||
|
Thursday Feb 11 |
2" | 25" | 54" | 27° / 29° | Thursday Feb 11 |
1" | 47" | 84" |
|
Friday Feb 12 |
2" | 27" | 54" | 30° / 32° | Friday Feb 12 |
3" | 50" | 87" |
| Last Monday's hardpack made today's wet snowfall very much appreciated. I made six fun runs as the weather rotated between light snow, fog, light rain and bright sunshine at random every quarter hour. I found the fresh corduroy on Keystone soft, the mush under the mellow Rainbow trees merciful, and the skier packed powder on Marmot easy, endless and exhausting. On my first trip down the latter run, I actually had to stop and rest midway. On my second Black Bear/Marmot run, my non-stop time was 3:51, a full minute and many, many heart beats longer than normal. Last summer, the resort removed several trees and ground the stumps to widen Marmot's approach to Chair 3, an effort that has made everyone happy. Thanks Phil. | ||||||||
|
Saturday Feb 13 |
4" | 39" | 55" | 28° / 31° | Saturday Feb 13 |
5" | 52" | 90" |
|
Sunday Feb 14 |
0" | 42" | 60" | 33°
/ 30° |
Sunday Feb 14 |
trace | 51" | 89" |
|
Pres. Day Feb 15 |
2" | 42" | 60" | 30°
/ 33° |
Pres. Day Feb 15 |
1" | 51" | 89" |
|
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|
Tuesday Feb 16 |
1" | 46" | 60" | 32° / | |
(1") | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Wednesday Feb 17 |
2" | 46" | 60" | 28° / 29° | Wednesday Feb 17 |
1" | 51" | 89" |
|
Thursday Feb 18 |
1" | 46" | 60" | 24° / 24° | Thursday Feb 18 |
0" | 51" | 89" |
|
Friday Feb 19 |
0" | 46" | 60" | 21° / 19° | Friday Feb 19 |
0" | 50" | 88" |
|
Saturday Feb 20 |
0" | 46" | 60" | 18° / 19° | Saturday Feb 20 |
trace | 49" | 87" |
|
Sunday Feb 21 |
0" | 46" | 60" | 23° / 15° | Sunday Feb 21 |
0" | 48" | 85" |
|
Monday Feb 22 |
0" | 46" | 60" | 21° / 19° | Monday Feb 22 |
0" | 48" | 83" |
|
|
/ 30° | Wednesday Feb 24 |
trace | 48" | 83" | |||
|
Thursday Feb 25 |
4" | 46" | 60" | 30° / 31° |
Thursday Feb 25 |
4" | 52" | 85" |
|
Friday Feb 26 |
2" | 48" | 61" | 31° / 27° |
Friday Feb 26 |
2" | 53" | 87" |
| Unlike last year on this day, when we had to navigate thru 27" of fresh powder, today's fresh powder was quite manageable. I made thirteen runs as the day warmed from a foggy 30° to a sunny 44°. The groomed runs on all three aspects of Runt Mountain were always good no matter the temperature. The fresh snow under the Montana Side trees was playful midway thru its crusty to mushy transition. Black Bear/Marmot was partially groomed and my overall favorite. My best of three times was 2:36. On all three runs, I was the only person on Marmot and the only person in lift line when I got to Chair 3. Another day in paradise. | ||||||||
|
Saturday Feb 27 |
1" | 48" | 61" | 32° / 32° | Saturday Feb 27 |
trace | 53" | 87" |
|
Sunday Feb 28 |
0" | 48" | 61" | 30° / 29° | Sunday Feb 28 |
0" | 51" | 85" |
|
Monday Mar 1 |
0" | 48" | 61" | 30° / 23° | Monday Mar 1 |
0" | 49" | 82" |
| Jim, Del and I left Wallace at 11:00, made ten fast runs on perfect spring snow under blue skies, and were back in town by 2:30. Runt Mountain was one big delicious snow cone. The Idaho Side was 100% white: NO dark spots. Early runs on Black Bear/Silver, facing northeast, were cream cheese smooth as were late runs on the Montana Side, facing south. However, the slight crispy nature of the snow on colder runs was no big deal; it was all good! Naturally, the lower steep sections of the runs on the Montana Side were showing dirt and stumps in places, but given the obedient soft snow around them, problems were easy to avoid... given quick enough turns. Avoiding heat exhaustion on the Whitetail steeps was my main concern. Chair 3 was not operating today for good reason: to save the snow near the bottom for this Friday when they have the KREM TV/Tom Sherry Food Drive. SKI FREE when you bring 3 or more cans of food! | ||||||||
|
Thursday Mar 4 |
1" | 48" | 61" | 30° / 33° |
Thursday Mar 4 |
1" | 46" | 78" |
|
Friday Mar 5 |
0" | 46" | 58" | 28° / 31° | Friday Mar 5 |
0" | 45" | 77" |
|
Saturday Mar 6 |
0" | 46" | 58" | 28° / 25° | Saturday Mar 6 |
0" | 42" | 75" |
| Last year on this day, I made 21 runs on an "EPIC POWDER DAY." But today, instead of knee-deep dry powder, there was soft, fast and forgivable snow under bright sunshine. Del and I rode/skied from 1:30 to 3:30, and made eight delightful runs, mostly on the Montana Side. Obviously there were "spring challenges" on the steeps leading to the runout to Chair 2, but above that point, the coverage was perfect. Marmot was still mostly "firm" in mid-afternoon, except towards the bottom where soft snow made navigation to the lift easy. Silver was starting to refreeze on our last run on a short, yet very fun day. | ||||||||
|
Sunday Mar 7 |
0" | 46" | 58" | 32° / 26° | Sunday Mar 7 |
0" | 42" | 75" |
|
We had so much fun yesterday that Del and I returned for more of the same today.
We arrived a little later and unloaded at the top of Runt Mountain for the first
time at 2:11, so we only made seven runs. But they were wonderful! Q: When you are able to ski at top speed on easy snow under blue skies with temperatures approaching 50°, who cares if you have to slow down and pick your way around a few stumps and dirt patches a hundred feet from the bottom! A: Evidently a few folks because we encountered lots of UNTRACKED corduroy on Keystone... and noticed that in spite of the full parking lot, we were always able to load Chair 2 immediately. On Keystone and Whitetail steeps, it is best to stay to the right; on Cloud 9 steeps, stay to the left. Stay calm and focussed and you'll be fine. Bonanza at 3:30 was starting chill and so did we. |
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|
Monday Mar 8 |
0" | 46" | 58" | 34° / 33° | Monday Mar 8 |
1" | 42" | 75" |
|
|
(4") | / | |
(4") | ||||
|
|
(0") | / |
|
(1") | ||||
|
Thursday Mar 11 |
3" | 47" | 60" | 21° / 17° |
Thursday Mar 11 |
0" | 44" | 77" |
| Today was the reverse of last Sunday. Jim, Del and I overreacted to the five inches of new snow that fell since Monday by rushing to the mountain for "first tracks" ... the phrase "dumb locals" soon came to mind. We should have known better. Keystone was naturally an unhealthy blend of wind blown powder covering frozen ski crud. "Dust on Crust." Not exactly carefree... especially on the steeps. We all made it down OK, but were happy to stay on the Idaho Side for the rest of our short day. Grooming was good there and the snow consistent under 24° cloudy skies, but we headed back to Wallace at 11:00 after seven runs anyway, satisfied by the fresh air and exercise, ready to get back to our various projects. | ||||||||
|
Friday Mar 12 |
2" | 47" | 60" | 28° / 33° | Friday Mar 12 |
1" | 45" | 78" |
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Saturday Mar 13 |
3" | 47" | 60" | 23° / 28° | Saturday Mar 13 |
3" | 48" | 80" |
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Sunday Mar 14 |
0" | 47" | 60" | 21° / 20° |
Sunday Mar 14 |
0" | 48" | 80" |
Finally a full day of skiing: eighteen runs from 9:30 to 2:30 with a 35 minute
tranquility break spent basking in the hot Montana sun on upper Keystone,
waiting for the "snowcone zone" to reach me. I had stopped at 11:15 (Daylight
Savings Time), figuring that I would listen for softening snow as skiers and riders
passed me. At 11:23 two snowboarders went by. Too noisy. At 11:38, two moms and
five kids skied by. Still too noisy. At 11:50, I decided no one else was coming,
so I headed down. Luckily, the snow on the thinning steeps was starting to soften
by then. Rainbow Ridge became my favorite trail for the day, however.
Smooth snow covering the entire 1.25 mile run, with only minor thin spots toward the
bottom, made for fast and easy fun, as well as good exercise, at all temperatures.
As you can see from
2009/2010 Lookout Photos, it was also a good day for photography
with a new camera.
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Monday Mar 15 |
0" | 47" | 60" | 30° / 29° | Monday Mar 15 |
0" | 47" | 79" |
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Thursday Mar 18 |
0" | 47" | 56" | 24° / 26° |
Thursday Mar 18 |
0" | 40" | 68" |
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Friday Mar 19 |
0" | 47" | 56" | 19° / 20° |
Friday Mar 19 |
0" | 40" | 68" |
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Del and I joined friends Craig and Bruce from Missoula for a fun day in the sun. Starting at 11:45, we made fifteen fast runs by 4:00 PM. Eleven of them were on the Montana side facing the majestic Saint Regis and Copper Lake Basins. The four of us, two skiers and two boarders, literally had this playground to ourselves. Keystone was our favorite: maximum speed, minimum turns for the first 900 feet of vertical drop, followed by 200 feet of minimum speed, maximum turns through the emerging garden. None of us had a problem on this obstacle cource, but it seemed an effective psychological barrier to others. After a while, the Chair 2 operator started to keep track of the number of people he seated between our arrivals. Five, two, two... Bruce had recently skied at Beaver Creek in Colorado where a lift ticket costs $98. He got a deal, however: 3 days for only $265. In contrast, today he would have had to pay full price, $31, because he is not over 40 years old. Craig is 43, so normally his Friday "(late)Boomer" lift ticket would only cost $20. However, management reduced ALL adult tickets to $20 thru Monday, even tho 90% of the terrain is open with 21 groomed trails. Next season's adult pass will cost $199 if you buy it before May 2... but I will only pay $109 because I am 62. What are YOU going to pay to ski or board next season? Save money and have a better time: vacation in the Silver Valley next winter! |
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Saturday Mar 20 |
0" | 45" | 56" | 28° / 21° | Saturday Mar 20 |
0" | 40" | 68" |
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Sunday Mar 21 |
0" | 45" | 56" | 36° / 36° | Sunday Mar 21 |
0" | 40" | 68" |
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Monday Mar 22 |
5" | 47" | 60" | 26° / 31° | Monday Mar 22 |
4" | 42" | 71" |
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Thursday Mar 25 |
0" | 49" | 60" | 30° / (40°) |
Thursday Mar 25 |
0" | 40" | 68" |
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Friday Mar 26 |
4" | 49" | 60" | 30° / 30° | Friday Mar 26 |
3" | 40" | 69" |
| Del and I joined Larry (President of the Friends of the Coeur d'Alene Trails) and two other telemarkers, Woody and Ken, for a final (?) spring fling about noon. While 3" of new snow was but a shadow of the 15" of fresh snow present last year on this day, we had a great time nevertheless. As locals, we knew where to find the driest fresh powder beneath the trees and how to avoid problem areas where earth was beginning to reveal itself. We only made seven runs, but we flew like birds of different feather down all of them. There was hardly any crowd... in spite of the fact that today and this weekend anyone can SKI AT LOOKOUT PASS FOR FREE!! Buying your lunch and having a drink or two in the Loft would be a good way to show your appreciation to management. Projected season closing is April 4. | ||||||||
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Saturday Mar 27 |
2" | 49" | 60" | 27° / 27° | Saturday Mar 27 |
trace | 40" | 69" |
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Sunday Mar 28 |
0" | 49" | 60" | (38°) / 29° | Sunday Mar 28 |
0" | 40" | 68" |
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Monday Mar 29 |
3" | 49" | 60" | 33° / | CLOSED by rain |
(5") | ||
| "We will operate in the Chair 2 basin only for Monday, 3/29. Lift tickets prices reduced to $39." Will be open every day until closing on April 4. | "CLOSED TODAY. OPEN THURSDAY THRU SUNDAY. April 1st thru the 4th. SKI OR RIDE FOR FREE, Thursday thru Sunday. That's right - FREE LIFT TICKETS! Lots of SNOW IN THE FORECAST this week." | |||||||
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Tuesday Mar 30 |
2" | 49" | 60" | 25° / | |
(3") | ||
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Wednesday Mar 31 |
2" | 54" | 66" | 23° / 26° |
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(4") | ||
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Thursday Apr 1 |
2" | 53" | 66" | 26° / 27° |
Thursday Apr 1 |
1" | 45" | 77" |
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Friday Apr 2 |
1" | 53" | 66" | 27° / 23° | Friday Apr 2 |
1" | 45" | 77" |
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Saturday Apr 3 |
5" | 54" | 66" | 26° / 25° | Saturday Apr 3 |
4" | 46" | 79" |
| For Del, Jim and me, today was a recap of the entire season. The dry powder we found on the eight runs made by 11 AM was as good as that found any time during this lackluster season. It did not compare with the "boot-high uniformly dry powder" described on April 2, 2009, but on both of my last days, the Montana side trees were most delightful. After a food and coffee break, we noticed the snow surface transitioning to slush and so we ended our season at 1:30 PM, after our twelth run. We were happy to see lots of people in the Loft and food court taking advantage of the FREE SKIING AND RIDING offered by the resort in celebration of spring. Thank you, Lookout Associates, LLC, for another wonderful season. | ||||||||
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Sunday Apr 4 |
1" | 54" | 66" | 24° / 20° |
Sunday Apr 4 |
4" | 48" | 82" |
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Saturday Apr 10 |
12" | 58" | 70" | 23° / |
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66 trails open on Silver Saturday #1 20 groomed trails plus Champagne Powder 5 lifts, calm wind, blue sky, 39° high |
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Saturday Apr 17 |
0" | 58" | 70" | (43°) / | |
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64 trails open on Silver Saturday #2 (23 groomed) Leadman Triathlon 2010 is April 24: a 1 mile ski/ride, 7-11 mile mountain bike ride and 4 mile run that is open to all. April 24 will also be called "Silver Saturday #3" as the mountain will be open until 1:00 PM for skiing and riding on limited terrain. |
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97 70" April 10 |
Days open in 2009/2010 Season Maximum snow depth at summit |
111 90" Feb 13 |
|---|---|---|
This Snow Water Equivalent Graph dated May 21, 2010,
shows the odd late spring snowfall that followed the ski season.
As the crew boss in the county's Wildland Urban Interface Fire Mitgation program,
I found myself lighting forest burn piles during snow storms in early May. 
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92 118" |
Days Open in 2008/2009 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
93 144" |
|---|---|---|
|
128 178" |
Days Open in 2007/2008 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
98 197" |
|
132 117" |
Days Open in 2006/2007 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
106 163" |
|
118 139" |
Days Open in 2005/2006 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
111 168" |
|
97 80" |
Days Open in 2004/2005 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
83 85" |
|
136 85" |
Days Open in 2003/2004 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
104 119" |
|
101 111" |
Days Open in 2002/2003 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
69 130" |
|
90 209" |
Days Open in 2001/2002 season Maximum snow depth at summit |
80 225" |
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