Karl Kelman's A-Basin Ski Pictures
A-Basin, May 18, 2008:Carvin' Marvin Looking Down Turbo
Nick on the Steeps
Carvin Marvin on Pali
13 Cornices Sign and Nick
Mollusks slides off Cornice
Mollusk on Pallavicini Face
Nicks Jumps off Cornice
Geoff's Commentary:
Arapahoe Basin
May 18, 2008
The Mollusk, Carvin' Marvin and I had another outstanding spring day at A-Basin, with warm
temperatures, soft snow, mostly clear skies and even a few bikinis (not on us). Today was the
last day for the Pali lift and associated terrain. There's still plenty of snow for a couple
more weeks of skiing in that area, but management is still gun-shy on account of the '05 Slurpy
Slide that killed one skier on Pali when the run was open. The East Wall was completely closed
because yesterday's warm temperatures (and today's) were causing widespread sloughing.
While the chutes at the top of the wall were well covered and very tempting, I guess I'd
rather not have a rock drop on my head.
We made do with a few West Wall runs in the morning that featured a few cornice drops,
or in the Mollusk's case, a few cornice slithers. "I have to keep one tentacle on the
snow at all times!" he insisted. We ran a couple laps in the new Montezuma Bowl, but the
double diamonds there were all closed. Pity, they looked like they had plenty of snow.
Too much? Avalanche danger? I don't know.
After lunch, the north facing Pali snow had softened and we hit the Pali lift for about
10 runs covering a good part that terrain. By mid-afternoon, the snow got pretty sloppy
making for flying slush through the bumps. There's an old saying, "When the slush is flying
into your face, you know you're having fun." We had a ton.
Jackson Hole 2006
Colorado 2007
Loveland
Arapahoe Basin
End of the ski pics