Snowbowl--
- Thread starter iSkiAz
- Start date
Upgrayedd
Member
I live in Phoenix and ride Snowbowl and Sunrise when I am not in Oregon (I have a Fusion pass and fly up there a couple of times a month in the winter). Here is the real deal - The snow in Arizona is fucking awesome - when it is there. It is super light and dry. Problem is, there is not very much and it tends to be difficult to pack down. For about a week last winter, Sunrise had the best snow in the Country.
Sunrise is run by the White Mountain Apache tribe, and the idea of customer service is totally alien to them. For example, last year I saw on the website that they were planning to open Cyclone Circle for the first time in two years. I called the resort on Tuesday to ask if the lift was really going to open on Friday, like the website said. They assured me it would. I called back on Wednesday and Thursday and they continued to assure me it would be open. I took the day off work, arrived at 8:30 before the lifts opened and asked again at the ticket window if Cyclone would be open. Yes, they told me. Well, what "Cyclone will open on Friday" means to the White Mountain Apaches is "The lift hasn't run for two years so on Friday at noon we are sending the maintenance guys out to see if they can get it started". It was not all a loss, I poached the best turns I had all year - Thigh deep sugar snow that couldn't be packed into a snowball.
Snowbowl is being fucked by the White Mountain Apaches who have continued to file suit to prevent them from snowmaking with treated water on their sacred mountain (which is ironic because they do the exact same thing with untreated water at Sunrise - also a sacred mountain). What it has going for it is a dedicated park crew. They groom the take offs and landings of the jibs constantly during the day - Sunrise fired their park crew two weeks before they closed the park last season - sketchy doesn't even begin to cover it.
Anyway - Snowbowl's park is fairly small but well kept - they have a nice set of boxes (the 24' battleship box is pretty baller) and beginner rails and usually a couple of small tables. The park itself is not too busy, but the lifts get really crowded on weekends. It is ok during the week.
With any luck it will rain again this weekend and they will open fairly soon. I have been skiing for 20 years and just started riding in the park last year - I progressed a lot last year and am looking to step it up even more this year.
There aren't many newschool skiers in Phoenix, so let me know if you are looking for people to ride with.
Sunrise is run by the White Mountain Apache tribe, and the idea of customer service is totally alien to them. For example, last year I saw on the website that they were planning to open Cyclone Circle for the first time in two years. I called the resort on Tuesday to ask if the lift was really going to open on Friday, like the website said. They assured me it would. I called back on Wednesday and Thursday and they continued to assure me it would be open. I took the day off work, arrived at 8:30 before the lifts opened and asked again at the ticket window if Cyclone would be open. Yes, they told me. Well, what "Cyclone will open on Friday" means to the White Mountain Apaches is "The lift hasn't run for two years so on Friday at noon we are sending the maintenance guys out to see if they can get it started". It was not all a loss, I poached the best turns I had all year - Thigh deep sugar snow that couldn't be packed into a snowball.
Snowbowl is being fucked by the White Mountain Apaches who have continued to file suit to prevent them from snowmaking with treated water on their sacred mountain (which is ironic because they do the exact same thing with untreated water at Sunrise - also a sacred mountain). What it has going for it is a dedicated park crew. They groom the take offs and landings of the jibs constantly during the day - Sunrise fired their park crew two weeks before they closed the park last season - sketchy doesn't even begin to cover it.
Anyway - Snowbowl's park is fairly small but well kept - they have a nice set of boxes (the 24' battleship box is pretty baller) and beginner rails and usually a couple of small tables. The park itself is not too busy, but the lifts get really crowded on weekends. It is ok during the week.
With any luck it will rain again this weekend and they will open fairly soon. I have been skiing for 20 years and just started riding in the park last year - I progressed a lot last year and am looking to step it up even more this year.
There aren't many newschool skiers in Phoenix, so let me know if you are looking for people to ride with.
Bringing up an old post--
I have gotten to get ahold of snowbowl now.. and its not to bad, at least they are having a good season this year. Snow in last 24 hours4-9"Storm total23"Settled snow depth at 9,500 feet53"Settled snow depth at 10,800 feet80"Season to date snowfall150"
so yeah thats bomb.. They are having a rail jam this weekend too.. I wanna see more skiers there
but there is some good runs here, we got some sick Pow last couple days so I have ditched school to ski.
SO what im sayin is.. its not as bad as they say
I have gotten to get ahold of snowbowl now.. and its not to bad, at least they are having a good season this year. Snow in last 24 hours4-9"Storm total23"Settled snow depth at 9,500 feet53"Settled snow depth at 10,800 feet80"Season to date snowfall150"
so yeah thats bomb.. They are having a rail jam this weekend too.. I wanna see more skiers there
but there is some good runs here, we got some sick Pow last couple days so I have ditched school to ski.
SO what im sayin is.. its not as bad as they say