Epic pass good at big sky in January!!!! - Snowboarding Forum

Argo · 01-05-2012, 01:17 AM

Big sky resort Is accepting the epic pass for the month of January. road trip.....

Epic Pass? Ski Free In January || Big Sky Resort, Montana

I may head up for the last weekend of Jan, there or jhole

Milo303 · 01-05-2012, 05:06 AM

Ya I'd rather hit the hole.... I'm done buying the epic pass after this seaaon

Argo · 01-05-2012, 10:58 AM

I'm gonna give vail and epic at least one mor season, if it's another crap season next year and I don't get any good pow days through may I'm gonna be discouraged and head to the pnw or AK for a year to try it out... No one single real pow day this year except opening day in wolf creek in oct. Maybe I'll just get a place in pagosa but work 3 days in vail or sante fe. The lack of snow has everyone crazy!

BurtonAvenger · 01-05-2012, 12:45 PM

It's a bad season everywhere shit happens. I'm just pissed my arms in an immobilizer and I can't go to Big Sky.

BoardWalk · 01-05-2012, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurtonAvenger

It's a bad season everywhere shit happens. I'm just pissed my arms in an immobilizer and I can't go to Big Sky.

That's got to put a damper on the love life too.

BurtonAvenger · 01-05-2012, 01:29 PM

Nah three chicks hit me up since it happened, if anything it's helped.

snowvols · 01-05-2012, 02:10 PM

Am I the only one who still thinks it is early? Snow will start falling soon.

**killclimbz** · 01-05-2012, 02:21 PM

It may not be early to be worried about the season at all. This year is tracking along to be one of the worst on record.

Tony Crocker has a bit of a historical analysis up at Firsttracks.

Here is his breakdown.

Quote:

California:
At Tahoe this year is second worst to 1976-77. Mammoth has a bit more snow than Tahoe now but had less in the other 3 seasons. All 3 of the above seasons were worse than now at Mammoth and another 3 (1989-90, 1990-91 and 1999-2000) were similar to now. 5th percentile Christmas at Tahoe and 10th percentile at Mammoth

Utah:
1976-77 and 1980-81 were much worse than this year and 1986-87 was about the same. 10th percentile Christmas.

I-70 Colorado:
1976-77 was worse than this year and 1980-81 about the same. 5th percentile Christmas.

Southwest (San Juans and NM):
As we know, these areas are doing OK (Durango and Telluride) or even above average (Wolf Creek and NM) this season. However these areas have had very severe droughts (worse than I-70 this year) through New Year's in 1976-77, 1980-81, 1989-90 and 1999-2000.

U.S. Northern Rockies:
In Jackson 1976-77, 1979-80, 1986-87 and 2009-10 were worse than this year and 1997-98 was about the same. It's snowing there now, so maybe a 15th percentile Christmas. For those with weather paranoia about Christmas, Targhee is remarkable. 1976-77 with 78 inches and 1986-87 with 76 inches are the only seasons with less than 110 inches snowfall before New Years. 130 inches so far this season, not sure if a bit inflated by including October.

For the areas farther north I have no November data for those earlier seasons. But current percents of normal snowfall are slightly worse than at Jackson, so 15th percentile seems right for everywhere but Schweitzer, which was on the November storm track between the Pacific Northwest and Canada.

Pacific Northwest:
At Bachelor 1976-77 had only 10 inches before New Year's; second worst season was 49 inches in 1989-90. 5 other seasons were below the ~80 inches this year, but 1980-81 and 1986-87 had more. Washington State and Whistler had no snow the first 3 weeks of December but had a good November, ~3 feet this week and all areas are now above average. At Mt. Rainier (season average 633 inches) the 41 inches in 1976-77 was the only season with less than 97 inches (1989-90) before New Year's. Whistler has no early season data for 1976-77 but has continuous data since 1980-81. 77 inches in 1989-90 and 82 inches in 2004-05 are the only pre-New Year's totals under 100 inches.

The Rest of Western Canada:
The lowest pre-New Year's total at Mt. Fidelity in Glacier National Park (season average 483) is 113 inches! Lift serviced snow reliability is less impressive. At Fernie the worst starts in 25 years of data were 54 inches in 2000-01 and 59 inches in 1985-86 with 6 other seasons under 100 inches. At Sunshine the Nov+Dec average is only 90 inches, so interesting that the worst seasons are 47 inches in 2000-01 and 49 inches in 1985-86. This year the areas near the U.S. border are slightly below average while those farther north are above average.

Conclusions:
1976-77 was in a class by itself as a Western skiing disaster. All regions except interior western Canada were severely impacted. Furthermore the season stayed bad in California and Colorado all year and in the other regions until mid-February.

1980-81 was worse than this year because the Southwest was bad too and Colorado and Utah were somewhat worse then, offsetting the Northern Rockies being better.

1986-87 is a very close analogy to this season in terms of which regions are bad and to what degree. I-70 Colorado was somewhat better in 1986-87 than now but the Southwest was below average then vs. average+ now.

The Pacific Northwest and especially western Canada tend to be independent of these widespread western droughts. These regions can have bad years too, but they are not that likely to be the same seasons that California and/or the U.S. Rockies are in trouble. The northern regions also tend to get a higher proportion of their snow early season vs California, Utah and Colorado.

Overall 2011-12 is tied for 3rd worst Christmas in the West of the past 45 years. Eastern snowfall is completely independent of western long term. I'd guess the eastern Christmas is 25th percentile judging that 2001-02 and 2006-07 were at least as bad. Put the East and West together and it is indeed a horror show.

Argo · 01-05-2012, 02:57 PM

Good write up on it.... I can't wait for the snow to start up.... hope it comes with a vengeance

eddoggydog · 01-05-2012, 06:12 PM

Id like to plan a trip to Big Sky....anyone know how I should go about this? what is the closest airport? or do I fly to the small one right next to the resort. Going from Newark nj, if anyone is interested.

01-05-2012, 01:17 AM	#1 (permalink)
Argo -LIFETIME MEMBER- Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Vail, CO Posts: 1,951	Epic pass good at big sky in January!!!! Big sky resort Is accepting the epic pass for the month of January. road trip..... Epic Pass? Ski Free In January \|\| Big Sky Resort, Montana I may head up for the last weekend of Jan, there or jhole

01-05-2012, 12:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
BurtonAvenger Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mountains Posts: 8,037	It's a bad season everywhere shit happens. I'm just pissed my arms in an immobilizer and I can't go to Big Sky. __________________ Angry Snowboarder Because someone has to call it how they see it!

01-05-2012, 01:29 PM	#6 (permalink)
BurtonAvenger Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mountains Posts: 8,037	Nah three chicks hit me up since it happened, if anything it's helped. __________________ Angry Snowboarder Because someone has to call it how they see it!

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01-05-2012, 10:58 AM	#3 (permalink)
Argo -LIFETIME MEMBER- Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Vail, CO Posts: 1,951	I'm gonna give vail and epic at least one mor season, if it's another crap season next year and I don't get any good pow days through may I'm gonna be discouraged and head to the pnw or AK for a year to try it out... No one single real pow day this year except opening day in wolf creek in oct. Maybe I'll just get a place in pagosa but work 3 days in vail or sante fe. The lack of snow has everyone crazy!

01-05-2012, 02:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
snowvols Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: SLC, UT Posts: 1,388	Am I the only one who still thinks it is early? Snow will start falling soon.

01-05-2012, 02:57 PM	#9 (permalink)
Argo -LIFETIME MEMBER- Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Vail, CO Posts: 1,951	Good write up on it.... I can't wait for the snow to start up.... hope it comes with a vengeance

01-05-2012, 06:12 PM	#10 (permalink)
eddoggydog Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 31	Id like to plan a trip to Big Sky....anyone know how I should go about this? what is the closest airport? or do I fly to the small one right next to the resort. Going from Newark nj, if anyone is interested.