We don’t know much more than we did last week at this point. We did have about 10” of that finer Sierra snow yesterday, but it was not quite enough density to make a difference at the 6600’ elevation.
Hope still remain high for this next series of systems, if it comes in as predicted over the next few days, it could be the game changer. Still too early in the week to predict.
Over the weekend, the snowcat was able to climb down and more importantly back up the Grizzly Access Road, but it was very thin and they felt the rocks through the tracks almost the whole way down, making it a slow and tedious ride back out.. This last storm helped a little but not enough to make another pass.
We will wait out this next system and then try it again. As a reminder we do have performance clause with the USFS to be able to evacuate the stranded people at Griz bottom in a reasonable amount of time should the lift decide not to operate. The depth of snow coverage on the road is the critical factor; we need enough to make several down and outs, not just once in and out.
Once again we play the waiting game. (HINT: while Cottage Springs is slight lower, it always a good gauge, if the forest floor looks covered, with no stumps, rocks, willows, mud or water/stream courses showing - the lower mtn is probably getting close)
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20 Responses to Lower Mtn. Update #2 (03/27/12)
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Hi Brian, Thanks for the clarification, you keep an eye on the big meadow and i keep an eye on cottage springs (top of the triple lane) – have a great summer, Jim
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Your elevation comparisons are a little off, Cottage springs is around 5900 feet and as you stated Griz bottom is 6600, a much closer comparison would be Big Meadow. As you have noticed there is a huge snow difference between those two places.
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Yes BVMT goes through a nightly closing proceedure often refered to as “sweep”. Please keep in mind that term “sweep” is often misunderstood – it is a course review of the most popular areas on the mountain. While it is both a visual as well as verbal procedure it in itself is not conclusive. Sweep does necessarily mean covering an area in its entirity, nor should if be concieved as covering wide expanses or being comprehensive in its nature nor should it be viewed as a widely distrubuted thorough screening process that is fool proof. We do the best we can to clear the 1000′s of acres on the mountain of the end of the day and assist the just one more run group down the mtn. We promote and highly recommend you not ski alone and we encourage you to stay clear of “off piste” terrain if you are alone. At very least please tell someone “at home” what time you will be back and where you went!
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This is to Eric
When I need quick information, I make a phone call, I don’t post on a blog.
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How did that Ceres rider think he was going to get out?
This brings to mind a question I have had all season I don’t have a ski buddy. I try to stay on the most skied slopes but sometimes I am the only one there and wonder how long it would be before someone came by to help if I were injured.
The question: Does BV do a sweep of all the open runs at the end of the day?
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Rob – sometime around 1:30ish a male rider from Ceres, in his late 20′s ducked the rope between West Ridge and Anticipation with the car keys in his pocket and no cell phone. He made a couple of turns, stopped and decided it would be too hard to walk back out so he just kept going. His mates reported him missing around 4:30p and the perimiter search began. Patrol noticed the lone track crossing under the closure and one of the mechanics discovered things not quite right with the bottom of Griz lift, the line phone beeper was active and all the stops appeared to be engaged. Around 5:30p we dispatched a snowcat to retrieve him, he was back a the day lodge around 6:30p and the local law enforcement sited him and we are sending him the bill. There is regular dial up phone at the bottom however for what ever reason it was not working at that time, that has since been recitified.
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Sorry i guess i missed this request! Just as we have for the last 7yrs we always close on the weekend (sunday) following Easter Sunday. For this season that would be April 15th. Last year we closed May 1st as Easter was just about as late as it could be or in other years it could be in early April when Easter comes in March. There have been a couple of occasions when we have gone one weekend past but thats very rare. So April 15th it is. In 2013 Easter falls on March 31st so we will be open at least until April 7th 2013, pending conditions of course.
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Eric Alef – As far as I know closing date is 4/15 unless BV decides to extend the season
PS: I’m not an employee, so don’t treat this as an “official statement”
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Hi guys-
Why no response to my March 28th question regarding an estimated closing date for the season? Not a great way to treat a customer who’s been ‘Skiing Bear’ since ’75….or anyone else, for that matter.
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Thank you, Tom and Bob,
You have given me something to aspire to.Dawna
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Great weekend. Ok Saturday was a little icy, windy but with the poor visibility who could tell. We had a great time in the saloon with the other guests while warming up.
Today was phenomenal! Grooming the flat at the top of bear boogie and corral ridge is really great for the snowboarders so we can get to more runs and spread out. The riding was spectacular today.
Thanks for another great weekend.
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Can you tell us the story of the snowboarder that took a ride down the grizz last Sunday?
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Dawna- The Grizzly and snow valley bowls are spectacular in the diversity of terrain and its beauty. On a cold powder day it can not be beat! If you know where to go you can have “fresh tracks” all day long. Someday head down snow valley, right down the main track, (it is easy) and see why so many people love these bowls. Also, for an advanced skier that wants to push themselves at all, the upper mountain has very little to offer.
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Its over friends.
The lower mountain is done. Do the math. It’s April soon. It is time to book a river trip in Alaska, where the snow is and the runoff will be large enough to move trains. Your runoff in the sierra will be over soon. Spend your operations money on padding next years budget.
Jim, it’s time to plan your summer days. -
It’s your blog Jim, I don’t want to hi-jack it but for Dawna I’ll add my 2 cents.
Grizzly bowl represents almost 40% of the skiable terrain at Bear Valley. It is where all the expert terrain exists – except for the few of the face runs that are about 60 seconds long. It allows a top to bottom run of all 1900 vertical feet – maybe 1.5 – 2 miles long??
Why the effort so late in the season? At this point it’s a matter of pride and principle – not to be the first year that Grizzly never opened. I don’t know about the economics, but they’ve really only sent Patrol down there to evaluate the situation. Should we receive enough snow in the next week to get it open, it would probably be just 1/2 the bowl – Grizzly bowl, not Snow Valley. Costs would simply be a couple of patrols to rope off the open/closed area and a couple of liftys. Grizzly gets some fantastic spring skiing with the freeze/thaw cycle. Skiing down in Grizzly bowl in April between 12:00 and 1;30/2:00PM is about as good as it gets. Yes, it’s an effort and I applaud the GM for even considering the option but man what a treat it would be after all the luck we’ve had this year. I personally have no expectations of it opening but again, man what a treat it would be!
Bob Rynd
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Hi Dawna – lets see if anybody wants to help me with this one?
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Nope Gus we have not forgotten about the village side & Yep Gus, you are almost correct, there is just about enough snow on Lunch Run. As you have experienced we were able to fill in the “ditch” at the bottom last week. We just needed a little more snow at the “Humps Dump” area (to establish the climbing rd) and to cover the the large “dounies” at the break over. That definately could happen this weekend! Of course all pending the 24 to 36 hours of precip with a 8000′ freeze level and how long the temps linger there.
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Thanks for the update Mr. G…
Any idea how late the season may last? I’m trying to get down there this year (from Seattle), but I may have to wait till late April (27-30th, +/-). Since I’ll have to buy a plane tickets, I’d like to see what your thoughts are on this. Thanks a lot…we can’t wait to be in our cabin in Camp Connell! (and skiing on Mt.Reba, of course)
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OK, I understand the Griz problem, but how about grooming Lunch Run before the end of the season? It’s 500 feet higher than Griz and seems to have plenty of snow.
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I am not an expert skier but I have to know. BV seems to be going to a lot of expense and time to open Girzzly for what I see would be a short time.
What is so unique and desireable about Grizzly?