# Going to Wolf Creek



## baldylox (Dec 27, 2007)

It's early season....hit or miss. They might get dumped on and they might close the mountain for a few weeks.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

You might get a storm or two that will open up a lot more of the mountain. It's tough early season down there in La Nina years though. They can be well behind in snowfall until sometime in February and then the nukes usually go off and they end up with the most snowfall at an area in Colorado yet again. So in other words, your chances of rock skipping are high.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

I have been going to wolf creek in southern colorado the past 4 years in december, 5 for spring break. I will be down there Dec 18- Jan 2 this year. I have never had an issue with not having enough snow. 2008 was a "la nina" also.... no issues with lack of snow. In fact, I left town a day early so I wouldnt get trapped by a HUGE snowstorm that year. They got about 40" in that storm..... (Yes, I am knocking on wood....)


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## JRosco (Sep 27, 2010)

How long will you be there? I decided to drive home(NM)for Thanksgiving rather than flying just so I can stop off at WC for a while. Im heading down about noon on the 23rd and crashing out in South Fork, and will be at the lift bright and early on the 24th.


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## ElChupocabra (Nov 11, 2008)

JRosco said:


> How long will you be there? I decided to drive home(NM)for Thanksgiving rather than flying just so I can stop off at WC for a while. Im heading down about noon on the 23rd and crashing out in South Fork, and will be at the lift bright and early on the 24th.


how long is the drive from denver to Wolf Creek? to Monarch?


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## JRosco (Sep 27, 2010)

It all depends on weather and traffic, but it could be done in about 4hrs from Denver to WC, to Monarch its probably about the same, maybe 3hrs.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

3 Hours to Monarch, and if I remember correctly it's closer to 5 hours to the Wolf Creek Ski area than to 4 hours. 

La Nina seasons still favor Wolf Creek later in the season than earlier overall. That is all that I am saying.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

it is about 5 hours to west side pagosa springs and 4+ to wolf creek. If you make it under 4 hours you are going to have to drive 90 mph the whole way. we did it driving 80 in just over 4 hours to pagosa....hillclimz is right though, 5 hours at the posted speed limit to WC from DIA.


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

Update:

there is going to be "heavy snow tomight and tuesday"

ohhhhh yeeeaaaah :laugh:


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

watching the webcam right now and it's snowin' wild SON!


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Barely snowing is wild? Okay...


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> Barely snowing is wild? Okay...


It was WiiiiLLLD man.


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

still snowin'
:thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## kysnowboarder (Oct 28, 2009)

MistahTaki said:


> still snowin'
> :thumbsup::thumbsup:


What is it doing now? JK, After I booked my trip to telluride last year I watch the snow reports everyday for a month and a half, they had two good snows in that time. One shortly after I booked my trip. I was worried as I watched the base get smaller each day, but then the week before I left the extended forecast started mentioning the possibility of significant snow event around the time I would be getting there. It started the day before I left and when the event ended the night of the 2nd day of snowboarding the place had gotten 3 feet of snow over the 3 day period...It was awesome. I told one of my buddies that I do mountain bike trips with that the weather just made up for all of the trips it had screwed us out of the previous year!


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

kysnowboarder said:


> What is it doing now? JK, After I booked my trip to telluride last year I watch the snow reports everyday for a month and a half, they had two good snows in that time. One shortly after I booked my trip. I was worried as I watched the base get smaller each day, but then the week before I left the extended forecast started mentioning the possibility of significant snow event around the time I would be getting there. It started the day before I left and when the event ended the night of the 2nd day of snowboarding the place had gotten 3 feet of snow over the 3 day period...It was awesome. I told one of my buddies that I do mountain bike trips with that the weather just made up for all of the trips it had screwed us out of the previous year!


What is it doing now??..it stopped and the forecast up to friday says there's only 10% chance of snow.  I just hope that it snows before i get there. i dont want to board on rocks. the base is only 20" too.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

They opened half their property yesterday.... The good thing about up there is that it stays cold so there isnt much melt.

on that cold note, make sure your ready for sub zero temperatures. It is regularly minus 10 F(-10 F) in the morning up at wolf creek. I have started out as low as -20 the last week of december and first week of jan.


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## Dookayy (Oct 19, 2010)

Going there last week of December, whooo!


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

Dookayy said:


> Going there last week of December, whooo!


nice, i bet it will be better then. it looks like there is going to be heavy wind and it's not going to snow. we will see


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## JRosco (Sep 27, 2010)

The tables have turned this season for WC! They have the base summit county resorts have, and summit county, specifically Breck, has the numbers WC has. Its still early though and Im sure they will come back with a bang. I think Im gonna pass on my Thanksgiving trip and save that till a good powder day comes.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Probably a good call. La Nina seasons are just not great on the front end for Wolf Creek most years. Though they should get their December "dump". Generally speaking they track less snow than the Summit County, Northern spots. Until sometime in February that is. Once the southerly flow kicks in they get hammered and end up with the "most snow in Colorado" yet again. So expect a banner March down there.


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

I wonder at what wind speed they close the lifts. Forecast says that there wind between 25-30 mph and wind gust of 50 mph.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Usually has to be a bit higher than 50mph gusts to close the lifts. Might stop them for a few seconds but they'll keep running. 50mph is just a walk in the park for Colorado areas...


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

Really? wow. I wonder if it would even be fun riding in that kind of winds. Last time i rode in heavy wind it kept pushing me back and forth.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

20-30 mph winds are annoying buy you can ride in them. Below treeline, probably not an issue at all. 50mph gusts are just that, gusts. Short lived. After it gets much above that, you start to have problems. I want to say 80mph is the definite shut down range, but it's probably less than that.


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

ok, thanks, good info. Now lets just pray that it snows alot on saturday night, there is a 40% chance of snow.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

They got about 20" in the last 48 hours up at wolf creek. There will be fresh pow for you. The temps will remain cold and there isn't too much traffic up there right now.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Hopefully none of you are there today. Evidently a ski patroller was buried and killed this morning. Sounds like he was skinning up the mountain before they opened. Mountain is closed during the recovery. 

+++ vibes to all involved.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

That's a shame.....


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

News media outlets have finally picked up on this.

9NEWS.com | Denver | Colorado's Online News Leader | Wolf Creek Ski Area closed due to death of staff member

My condolences to this person's friends and family.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Damn. First of the year. Hopefully not the first of many.


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

killclimbz said:


> Hopefully none of you are there today. Evidently a ski patroller was buried and killed this morning. Sounds like he was skinning up the mountain before they opened. Mountain is closed during the recovery.
> 
> +++ vibes to all involved.


I ended up not going because the guy that was going to drive had a party instead. "no new snow" haha. anyways i'm going later in the season when they have more snow.

and RIP to that guy.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

Damn, it's now come to light that it was the Director of the Ski Patrol. He's got two kids as well. Ugh.

Wolf Creek Ski Patrol Director Dies in Avalanche in Colorado :: First Tracks!! Online Ski Magazine :: The ski and snowboard world at your keyboard


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Wow, it was the Ski Patrol Director who got killed. This just keeps getting worse. Absolutely horrible.


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

linvillegorge said:


> Damn, it's now come to light that it was the Director of the Ski Patrol.
> 
> Wolf Creek Ski Patrol Director Dies in Avalanche in Colorado :: First Tracks!! Online Ski Magazine :: The ski and snowboard world at your keyboard


Beat me to it. Yeah, this is just awful.


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

News like this is just extremely sobering. I mean, there may not be another person on the planet that knew that mountain as well as he did, so if he can get caught and killed on his own mountain, it can absolutely happen to anyone, anywhere.


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

So...... I AM OFFICIALLY GOING TO WOLFCREEK THIS SUNDAY. HOORAH!


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## pontiuspylate (Oct 7, 2010)

Have they reopened the mountain?


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

pontiuspylate said:


> Have they reopened the mountain?


they only closed for that day. you're from abq right? sucks that ski santa fe's opening date was postponed, they were suppose to open today.


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

so i went to wolf creek. it was really nice. there was plenty of snow. the weather was nice until it got to around 12 and it started snowing so hard you couldnt see anything. so we just left after only going on 3 lifts. i want to go back later in the season when all the stupid rocks are buried


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## JRosco (Sep 27, 2010)

I was at WC on Tuesday when they re-opened the mountain, got first chair and cut freshies all day, it was glorious!! It's sad that Scott Kay had to lose his life making the mountain safe for the rest of us! Cheers to ski patrol!! :thumbsup:


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## pontiuspylate (Oct 7, 2010)

MistahTaki said:


> they only closed for that day. you're from abq right? sucks that ski santa fe's opening date was postponed, they were suppose to open today.


Yea. I usually don't hit Sandia or Santa Fe until after the new year.


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## Triggers (Nov 29, 2010)

Heading to Wolf Creek on the 12th!


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

Triggers said:


> Heading to Wolf Creek on the 12th!


cool, seems like it's not snowing any more.


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## Triggers (Nov 29, 2010)

MistahTaki said:


> cool, seems like it's not snowing any more.


Yea.. I've noticed  

Hopefully it picks back up before / during the time we're there.


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## MistahTaki (Apr 24, 2010)

Hopefully, but i have a feeling its not going to snow anymore.


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