Monday 12/19:
Even though it has been a few days since the last storm in Sun Valley, which occurred on Thursday and Friday, there are still plenty of stashes for those willing to venture into the woods. The temps have remained cold which kept the snow nice and light as when it came down, but there isn’t much of a base underneath. According to the resort they’re rocking a 32 inch base at the bottom with 42 inches at the top. However, the base they have built is made up of some very low density snow and it remains easy to break through to earth, rock, and other objects lying underneath.
That being said, the upper bowls off of Mount Baldy are holding good snow and packing in fairly well thanks to some high winds and skier traffic, which makes them a solid go to for venturing off-piste. Otherwise, Sun Valley’s snowmaking and grooming staff having been working extra hard to keep what few on-piste runs they currently have in tip-top shape! Unfortunately, a few locals have stated that the resort is still quite short staffed as evident by large piles of snow building up from the snow making that hasn’t been plowed over and groomed just yet due to lack of manpower.
Tuesday 12/20
A small storm system rolled into town this morning bringing with it an increase in temperature. Only about one inch accrued before lifts spun at 9 in the morning with the precipitation coming down almost like rime as people began to make their way up the mountain. Shortly after opening, the odd precipitation turned to snow and it became a complete winter wonderland!
The snow remained fantastic, as it had been the day before, and the team at Sun Valley did a superb job of refreshing the groomed runs. Everything was skiing fast and fun with just the right amount of softness to really rail some turns. Venturing off-piste remained somewhat prudent, but certain wind effected aspects were skiing very well with boot-top blower powder conditions and minimal breaking through the snowpack. By the end of the day only a few inches of snow had amounted, which was just enough to keep the groomers skiing tremendously and a nice vibe on the mountain.
With another small storm cycle coming in before the weekend, Christmas vacationers should be able to enjoy loads more of terrain and great conditions. Currently, most everything is open with a few exceptions of steeper tree runs and a few trails still building bases through snowmaking. The grooming staff will be hard at work to get three or four more runs plowed out and groomed that have already gotten decent piles of man-made snow on them. Temperatures will stay cold, which should keep the snow and snowmaking just right for the holiday weekend!
