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Alpine cheese cake

Brent Gardner-Smith
Aspen Times Staff Writer

Details are such sticky things, you know. Yesterday, we declared the season over on April 13. ‘Twas, and ’tis, false.

Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk close on Sunday, April 6. Snowmass closes Sunday, April 13. Aspen Mountain closes on Sunday, April 20.

It’s a staggered close. Kind of like what you see around the downtown bars at 2 a.m.



But this season is not going down without a punch. Snowmass reported 11 inches of fresh and a new base depth (or height) of 81 inches, which is most respectable.

Word from one field tester on Tuesday in Snowmass was that Elk Camp didn’t get groomed out until about 11:30 a.m., making for some extra smooth and delightful corduroy. Reports from Long Shot were that it was great on top but wet, weird and wild down below (which, as you know, is just how some people like it).




And one permanently disgruntled local decided to spend the day playing on Ajax, where he found a snowpack “like cheesecake” with a delicate crust sometimes perceptible underneath.

He told tales of romping with near impunity through the bumps, with the snowpack aiding and abetting his every move, as long as he stayed smooth and stable.

But then again, there was also the rookie who rolled back in slightly dazed and described a scene full of carnage, face plants and bloated mash potatoes clumped all over the playing field. He even described seeing a bloody face in Copper after a man became overly intimate with the edge of his ski. Ah, the perils of the thrill.

And more snow may be on the ground this morning. The weather folks were calling for another 1 to 2 inches last night (while some forecasters seemed to be calling for a bigger bundle of flakes).

Today should be windy and cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers and highs in the lower 30s to lower 40s.

Tonight should be breezy and cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers.

An 11-inch dump is fairly respectable for Aspen/Snowmass, but alas, we were put to shame Monday/Tuesday by a number of other Colorado resorts.

Loveland reported 34 inches of fresh snow on Tuesday morning, while Winter Park logged 29 inches and A Basin 28 inches. Winter Park now has a 96-inch base at midmountain, something not seen since last century.

Closer to home, Vail got 14 completely undeserved inches, Keystone got 16 and Monarch got 18 inches.

Well, all we can do is keep praying. For snow. For peace. And for the safety of loved ones who are far afield.