Snowpack has been over 100% for most of the season so far so I was not disappointed for early January conditions.
My first day (but not Rachel’s) was the day after New Years Day and I got over to Winter Park early. The main free lot was already full by 8:30 and since it was my first day I treated myself to the paid lot so I could take the cabriolet in.
As it was a weekday after the long winter holiday season had concluded, I had the place largely to myself. Most folks I met on lifts were vacationers from around the country and locals that were having a nice quiet weekday of skiing. I never really waited in a lift line.
It also really helped that it was snowing all day on New Year’s Day, so a lot of trees and terrain was nicely filled in. Moguls were fluffy and groomers were soft. Plus the weather was still a little cloudy and snowy on-and-off throughout the day.
I spent some time playing in Eagle Wind since it had only been open for a week or so and found plenty of fun runs. I ran out of stamina before I ran out of fresh or fun tracks over there. One of my favorite things to do is to finish by popping up over Vasqeuz Ridge and taking a big deep snowy run down to the bottom of Mary Jane and I grabbed a deep track that far around the bowl.
By 10:30 I was ready to take a well-deserved break (well, technically 10:25 so I could make it for happy hour at Lunch Rock) after riding the new Sunnyside six-chair lift. This new lift is a fantastic improvement and really helped keep the line down to nearly nothing all day.
Not bad for a first day. It may have been one of the best I have this entire season…