Loveland, CO 04/04/15

With a 4:30 pm flight to NJ, I headed back up to Loveland on Saturday and skied until 1 pm with EMSC from the First Tracks Online forum; he's a transplanted NYer who grew up in Horseheads and called Greek Peak his home hill (he knows it as well as any of the NYSBers here). It was easy to score half-price tix from locals in the parking lot who were trying to avoid eating four-pack purchases from early season.

We spent a good portion of the day lapping Chair 9, the only lift that accesses the ridgeline, from which it was easy to score nice windsift left over from Thursday's snowfall. It was great to have someone else taking the photos for a change -- all shots below by EMSC:



Conditions on the upper mountain were really nice and only occasionally would we hit the refrozen coral underneath. Further down, there was a bit more scratch:









With the recent snow burned off, you could see that due to this season's below-average YTD (257 inches), the upper mountain has some thin/exposed spots. Still, not bad at all for early April and they're expecting a couple rounds of snow, possibly substantial, in the next week:

Even on a good year , the wind just scourers the upper mt.
Nice 2 days...

By the way square up those shoulders!!!!!!

JasonWx wrote

By the way square up those shoulders!!!!!

I'll square up my shoulders the day you unclamp your knees, Stein.

Jamesdeluxe wrote

  with EMSC from the First Tracks Online forum; he's a transplanted NYer who grew up in Horseheads and called Greek Peak his home hill (he knows it as well as any of the NYSBers here).  
 

Odd how we on the East Coast often hear about Loveland at the very beginning of the season, when they're usually one of the first ski areas to open, but not much afterward. After seeing these photos and their stats (1,800 acres, 420 inches per year, not even an hour from Denver), I wonder why more people (me too) don't check it out. But they're up against the Vail octopus, so I guess that's the reason.

For the most part people are like sheep..How many cars drive past Pico , just to get in the conga line going to kton?

Everyone wants to go to the sexy resorts , and bypass Loveland and Winter Park... They are just as sexy, they just don't put on as much make up...

JasonWx wrote

Everyone want to go to the sexy resorts and bypass Loveland and Winter Park... They are just as sexy, they just don't put on as much make up...

In additional to the perceived lack of sexiness, I'd also assume that many people bypass Loveland because they don't want to spend additional money beyond their multi-resort passes.

If I lived there, I'd probably get the Rocky Mountain Superpass (Winter Park, Copper, Steamboat) and supplement it with a couple Loveland four-packs.

JasonWx wrote

For the most part people are like sheep..How many cars drive past Pico , just to get in the conga line going to kton?

Everyone wants to go to the sexy resorts , and bypass Loveland and Winter Park... They are just as sexy, they just don't put on as much make up...

Thanks for mentioning Pico. I am with you there. We prefer to hit the road less traveled especially when the road is better!  This place does look amazing.

Ahhh. Greekus Peakus. The ultimate in grease dripping lifts.

EMSC wrote

Ahhh. Greekus Peakus. The ultimate in grease dripping lifts.

LMAO ---- U really do know Greek Peak

Chicks dig grease baby

Been a couple years since my last trip back to the Peak, but it was pretty good conditions wise and just before the new ownership bought it out.

Last day of that trip and having to poach the good stuff:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=10467

Oh Wait, this is a thread about Loveland ;)

Hold on just one cotton pickin second.....here is one of the pixs you posted





That is the farm in my backyard!!!

This is what it looked like this winter. It was a top 2 or 3 winter of all times around here





I'm thinking we may know some of the same peeps

Do you know the Greek Peak man-myth-legend, Boo??

Oh, and please refrain from posting TR's regarding POW at Greek....we don't get any. If peeps think we do everyone will want to start skiing here and I hate waiting in line


p.s.  upper atlas to Ronnies Run (literally, not the new glade)...my fav run on the hill

Almost certain that we do. I see your hanging out just a mile or so from the Peak, eh.

The Richardson brothers are a tiny bit older than I am although it seemed much older back when I was a kid - my two older brothers raced against Grant and Boo growing up (I was in GPSC for a long, long time). Then Boo's life has taken many, uh, interesting, shall we say turns since those days when their dad was the ski school director. I don't think I've seen him in about a decade. What's he up to lately?

Fav GP runs: Olympian, Olympian glade (OB), What used to be known as Rough Rider glade (now the glade the new owners cut next to Trojan), the last pitch directly under the triple (short but fun), and some hidden glades off the triple (way OB to a car strategically parked).

EMSC wrote

  I see your hanging out just a mile or so from the Peak, eh.

 

10-4!! Good spot.

EMSC wrote

 

The Richardson brothers are a tiny bit older than I am although it seemed much older back when I was a kid - my two older brothers raced against Grant and Boo growing up (I was in GPSC for a long, long time). Then Boo's life has taken many, uh, interesting, shall we say turns since those days when their dad was the ski school director. I don't think I've seen him in about a decade. What's he up to lately?

 

I'm just a tiny bit older that the Richardson boys .....I haven't seen Grant in as long as you haven't seen Boo. Boo on the other hand is part of our Sunday crew so I see him on a weekly basis, in fact had a couple beers with him last night. Ever since he came out of racing he's been running heavy equipment for pipeline crews, primarily in PA.  THE DUDE STILL RIPS on a pair of boards, and is as crazy as ever.

He bought a place just down the road from his parents place so he's only .5 miles from the hill

EMSC wrote

 

Fav GP runs: Olympian, Olympian glade (OB), What used to be known as Rough Rider glade (now the glade the new owners cut next to Trojan), the last pitch directly under the triple (short but fun), and some hidden glades off the triple (way OB to a car strategically parked).

Agree with all of that......I'd add the power line as well, or the old electra. Next time you plan on skiing back here shoot me a PM. There may or may not be a couple of outlaw glades that could be new to you

campgottagopee wrote

Next time you plan on skiing back here shoot me a PM. There may or may not be a couple of outlaw glades that could be new to you

Will do. It's pretty infrequent at the moment as I have a little guy, etc...