Conditions Report
Report from February 14-15, 2025
Monarch Mountain, Colorado, received a reported seven inches of snow between Friday and Saturday.
The conditions on the mountain felt far deeper than this though, with soft turns on every lap and substantial snow falling throughout the day.
I was just starting to wonder why the drive up Monarch Pass felt so empty when I reached the back of the queue to park.
At first, I started kicking myself for sleeping in a bit, but the parking crew did a fantastic job this morning keeping the line moving and efficient.
We pulled into one of the last available parking spots at the base and set off to chase some powder.
The Panorama lift was the place to be on Saturday morning, providing deep fresh tracks and quick laps.
I have dramatically improved my rock-hucking abilities this season, and the small cliffs on Sheer-Rocko have become one of my favorite places on the mountain.
They have filled in very nicely, and both the approach to and runout from the rocks were full of powder.
Dire Straits, Zipper, and everything else off of Panorama also skied like a dream with pockets of powder that far exceeded the reported total.
The mountain was busy until it closed, with skiers and riders from all over eager to take advantage of the first big powder day in quite a while.
With the sun starting to peak through in the afternoon and no sign of diminishing crowds, we spent the rest of the day hiking and skiing Mirkwood Basin’s steep and deep terrain.
The bootpack was strongly set into the powder and all of Mirkwood’s runs were open, the conditions I have been dreaming of all season!
I hadn’t yet dropped directly into the bowl, but I will now be taking this spectacular line on most of my Mirkwood runs.
The cornice is huge at the moment, and the cliff band between the bowl and “Orcs” saw some wild sends this weekend.
The bowl was full of powder, far more than seven inches, and the run out back to the base area was peacefully pleasant as always.
This weekend was one of the best for Monarch and Colorado this season.
With even more snow beginning to fall on Sunday evening, this season is just getting started!
Check out the weather forecast and conditions report below.
Weather Forecast
Conditions Report
