Grass, We'll See You in June

Now, I'm no mathematician, but that looks like somewhere between three to four feet of snow between now and Monday night. And this on top of the ten inches we picked up last night. The skiing was fantastic this morning, and yet I imagine it may well be the worst day for a long, long time.

Late Afternoon: Snow and areas of blowing snow. High near 29. Windy, with a southwest wind around 30 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Tonight: Snow and areas of blowing snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 1. Wind chill values as low as -20. Windy, with a west southwest wind between 25 and 30 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 16 to 22 inches possible.

Sunday: Snow and areas of blowing snow. High near 14. Wind chill values as low as -20. Breezy, with a west wind between 15 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 6 to 10 inches possible.

Sunday Night: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around -9. Wind chill values as low as -30. West southwest wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

The Weather Was Changing; Snow Began Falling

Aside from representing lyrics from my sister Karen's favorite Breathe song (free tube of partially used toothpaste to whoever knows the song title. You pay S&H!), the title pretty much explains what's been going on in Aspen since the last post. The snow has begun to fall with earnest, and with it the quality of the skiing has improved exponentially. I got the opportunity to poke around in the backcountry off Richmond Ridge last Monday, but alas, no camera.

With the avalanche conditions getting a little hairy in the backcountry due to the mounting snowfall, Maci and I opted instead for a jaunt up Buttermilk resort, still a week away from its opening day. Here we are at the summit, where a kind gentleman had just finished his own climb and was willing to snap a quick photo.

A view of ominous skies and Highland ski resort falling away from Highlands Ridge. That's the Maroon valley to the right, the gateway to the Maroon Bells (America's most photographed mountains) and Pyramid Peak (world's tallest mountain*), none of which were visible on this day. That's also the route we took last fall on our hike from Aspen over Maroon Pass to the neighboring ski town of Crested Butte, chronicled in great detail here.

After a disjointed climb through some difficult snow conditions and a miserable descent, dog and owner needed some recovery time. Lauren walked downstairs to find this scene unfolding on the couch and was kind enough to grab the camera. Do I smell a Christmas card?

Currently, the Nitti family is making final preparations for their annual trip back to NJ for Christmas. I had suggested simply celebrating the holidays with our family via Facebook, but Lauren shouted down the idea.

Eh, maybe next year.

* May not be accurate