So much snow and so much work

I can attest to the great snow at Snowmass. I'm up here working at the Winter Sports Clinic for disabled vets. Vets are learning to ski downhill and cross country, climb, scuba dive, fly fish, play sled hockey and, of course, curl. That's what I'm doing. We've had about 30 vets come through the curling clinic in 2 days, plus all of their aides.

I got caught in the aftermath of that pileup Monday afternoon. It took hours upon hours to drive the loop through Leadville and Minturn to get past that crash. I left the Highlands Ranch area about 3 p.m. and arrived in Snowmass about 10:15. Ugh.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to ride yesterday. But I hope to get up for some turns later in the week.

(The photo is the view from our room in the village.) Come on up and ride!

Avalanche danger

The storm that is expected to bring up to a foot of snow in the high country through Sunday also may increase the likelihood of avalanches.

Officials said danger could increase as cold air moving in mixes with the warm air we've had in recent days. A slide on Highway 40 at Berthoud Pass closed the road for about an hour today.

Check the snow report in The Gazette's sports section or at Colorado Ski Country.

Monarch finally getting the white stuff

Doesn't look like the dumping at Silverton, but check out the webcams here: www.skimonarch.com/webcams.asp.

(I'll hyperlink if I get into the office today. Can't do it from home on my Mac.)

Monarch relies on Mother Nature, and has had to delay opening. Same with Ski Cooper. Leadville is reporting 32 degrees and mist, with a couple of inches possible today and tonight. We'll keep checking in to see if these Gems look like they can open anytime soon.

Send us slope reports

I'm just getting over a bout of viral pneumonia - nasty stuff - so I won't be headed up with my board till at least next weekend.

But that shouldn't stop you. If you get up to the powder today, tomorrow, Monday instead of work... send us a report. Add a comment to a post here or e-mail me at dena.rosenberry@gazette.com or add a post to our other winter web site: snowrideguide.com

We talking inches or feet?

Well, I left Monument to head south at midnight and an arctic wind made me believe I'd wake up to a frosty, if not wintry white, Manitou Springs.

Barely a frost.

But what's happening elsewhere? Weather reports still say the high country will see snow all day. Almost every report reported snow overnight with snow continuing to fall. Hmm, something tells me I may not see Dave till Wednesday...

Larry Walrod, lead forecaster for the National Weather Service in Pueblo, told The Gazette: "As time went on with this system, it looked more and more like it was going to pound the mountains and less and less like it would hit the Eastern Plains."

Parts of the San Juan range above 10,000 feet have seen as much as three feet of snow and that total could rise to four feet by the time the storm ebbs Sunday, Walrod said. Western Chaffee and Lake counties have gotten a 1- to 2-foot dump around the Continental Divide, and Leadville has seen about 8 inches, he added.

Here's what ski areas and ski towns are reporting"

Silverton through Telluride: up to 9 inches today with 100% chance of snow today and 80% tonight.

Wolf Creek is reporting 4 inches in 24 hours. Aspen Mountain, 5. Snowmass: 10. Weather reports show another 5 inches or so falling in Aspen today and another 2-4 tonight.

Crested Butte, where it's been bare, got 9. Remember, free skiing at CB through Dec. 15.

Closer to us, Breck and A-Basin are reporting 1 inch. Copper, 4. Keystone, where more terrain and the terrain park are opening today, got 1 inch. The area is expecting 2-4 inches today and another 1-3 tonight. But be ready for blowing snow today.

Loveland's reporting 2.

For a full report, check: www.coloradoski.com/SnowReport

For city by city weather forecasts: www.crh.noaa.gov/gjt/

Vail opening, with fingers crossed for snow

(The photo shows snowguns shooting away this morning, ahead of the predicted snowstorm.)

Vail is set to open its 45th season Wednesday with skiing and riding on Born Free, served by the Born Free Express Lift (Chair 8).

Lift tickets on opening day are $59, $49 for seniors and $39 for kids 12 and younger.

The goal is to have the upgraded Little Eagle Lift (Chair 15) open for beginners by this weekend, and then to expand as snow falls.

What else is new? The Highline Lift (Chair 10) and Sourdough Lift (Chair 14) were replaced this summer with new high speed quads. Both will cut time to Two Elk Restaurant, China Bowl and Blue Sky Basin.

Improvements and expansions to the Golden Peak Children’s Center and Small World Nursery and the Mountain Plaza should make registering kids, renting gear and getting lift tickets easier than ever.

All we need is snow.

I was thinking the same thing

Here's the peak from Manitou Springs High School. No wonder that predawn jog was so chilly. Probably 50 people on the Incline already.

Farmers' predicts snow

We got the Farmers' Alamanc on Friday, and its crack team is predicting heavy snows Thanksgiving week and Christmas week and again Presidents' Day weekend. They predict more snow, but I see nothing about snow in to March and April, just lots of showers.

Let us hope they'ev simply overlooked all the fun whiteness our resorts will get this season.