Off to a Good Start

What better way to kick off the season than to debut a new outfit. Looking good, Fry.

Our season has begun.

Not wanting to wait another month for the lifts start running here, Christy, Kathy, Joey, and I headed up to Montezuma Basin yesterday. It’s a haul to get up there, but when the snow is good, it’s definitely worth the effort. For anyone considering heading up that way, the road isn’t too slick or snowy for driving, yet. There’s weather in the forecast next week though, and it won’t take much before the road is impassable to cars, so get up there while you can.

Here are some pics.

First ones here, today at least. Some older tracks can be seen but were all filled in.

Joey heads into the new season full speed ahead, as usual.

Christy, cleaning out the cobwebs.

BD Zealots don’t have a lot of sidecut. Maybe that explains why Joey makes fewer turns than everyone else.

And the girls, all smiles, with some pretty good looking October tracks behind. Bring on the winter!

Scott Martin

October 30, 2011 at 5:43 PM

Thanks for sharing and I didn’t realize there was an attempt to turn it into an organized ski area in the late 60s early 70s.

ted

October 30, 2011 at 6:09 PM

In late summer, when the snowpack is leanest, some remnants of an old tow-rope style lift appear. I heard it was in use for off-season race training but can’t confirm that.

tony

October 30, 2011 at 8:22 PM

Ted, how high up on the road were you able to park? Thanks in advance.

October 30, 2011 at 8:57 PM

We parked by the Toklat Chalet, below the Pearl Pass switchbacks. It was pretty snowy from the creek crossing up to there.

We should have driven further though, we thought the Pearl Pass switchbacks were going to be a problem, but in hindsight, we could have gotten the truck all the way up to the last tight switchback. Beyond that, it doesn’t matter what you’re driving, the snow is banked in too deep.

So you can get pretty high, at least until it snows again. Have fun.

Kathy Fry

October 31, 2011 at 6:57 AM

Such FUN! Thanks for inviting me!!!

Alex

October 31, 2011 at 7:34 AM

Thanks Ted et al for the shots.

For some cool photo’s of the ‘Ski Area’ in operation, check out Mary Eshbaugh Hayes’ site:

http://www.mehphotography.com/images_skiing/large_skiing/07_montezuma_4.htm

Very cool ski history up in upper Castle Creek.

Pray for snow.

Jen

October 31, 2011 at 7:49 AM

Love that final photo! Looking good, ladies!

October 31, 2011 at 7:52 AM

Alex,
Awesome photo. Thanks.

Any idea when those were taken? The photo labeled “Montezuma Basin _3” shows a pair of skis I bet someone could date.

I think it’s one of the metal posts you can see in the pic at the base of the “lift” that pokes out in late summer some years. I’d hate to unknowingly ski into it.

Thanks for passing along MEH’s website, I hadn’t seen that.

Rod Nash/ Arlene Edwards

October 31, 2011 at 11:28 AM

A sign of ski season ; like the Warren Miller films. Eager to see you both in January. Rod and Arlene.

Liz Mahon

October 31, 2011 at 1:12 PM

Ted, loved the old pics. When I first started skiing, late 60’s,
we only had rope-tows, T-bars & palma lifts. The palma lifts were
the worst-we always fell off.
It brings me back.

October 31, 2011 at 1:19 PM

You’re not that old, mom. When I started it was all surface lifts too. Back in Okemo in ’77, the “poma” lifts, I believe named after the company produced, were the only option, and at 4 years old, I struggled to get all the way to the top without falling off. Funny.

November 1, 2011 at 7:04 AM

Looking forward to it. I’ll let Shean know you’ll be at Highlands.

November 1, 2011 at 9:12 AM

A link. Looks like it was heaving with eager skiers.

http://www.coloradoskihistory.com/lost/montezuma.html

November 1, 2011 at 4:10 PM

Good find, Scott. Thanks.

mtnrunner2

November 2, 2011 at 9:30 AM

Ha! You skied right down the Castle/Conundrum saddle descent I avoided on foot this summer because of the nasty scree. I remember pondering what it would be like to ski it instead, and I have to say it looks like a lot more fun that way 🙂 Great photos as always.

November 2, 2011 at 10:29 AM

Yeah, it gets pretty nasty in late summer. But nasty or not, it’s always more fun to descend on skis, IMO.

November 2, 2011 at 11:47 AM

Ted, I was wondering how the north coulior of Castle looked when you were up there? I’m guessing it never melted out this summer, but I never made it up there to check it out.

November 2, 2011 at 3:12 PM

I’d say it looked just “OK.”
Having skied that a few times in the early season, it was thinner than I’d prefer, but with today’s snow, might be good to go now, in an early season way if you know what I mean.