Royal Mountain Conditions

Royal remained closed the last 3 days while they waited out the rain, report 7-8" snow from today's back side of the storm. Fri-Sun are planned to be the last 3 days of the season. All the main trails will be open. Knight and part of Prince are groomed, there will be a new small park on the bunny slope, everything else ungroomed at least for Friday. I can't go Friday or Saturday, will be there Sunday if at all possible.
 
I got in the 11 runs I needed to hit 300 from the top of Royal for the season. It was bright and sunny while I was out from about 11:35 to 1:45 with a lunch break in there. The best skiing in my opinion was the top halves of Knight, Prince and Queen, a pleasant surface up there before it got slushy and grabby on the bottom run outs. Challenge and Royal were heavy, erratically rutted and mounded up, with some bare spots to negotiate. Very skiable but not what I was looking to do so I took just 1 on Challenge and 2 on Royal. All in all a pleasant end to a nice season in a tough snow year. There's plenty of snow left to squeeze out another weekend but I am sure it's just not worth it for the few people who'd come out. I wouldn't call the time I was there busy by any means but I did see a number of day tickets, not just season pass holders, and there were even a couple lessons.

Today was operating day 45. I think the goal is usually to get up to around 50. I was there for 27 of them, plus 2 weeknights (that don't count in the 45) while I was teaching in the after school program.

It's possible my season's done, since my next opportunity to get out is probably not until the weekend of the 20th maybe even later. Not sure what options will be available by then.
 
Not a conditions report, but this seems like the place to post a link to the "American Dream" episode that included a short segment on Royal Mountain:


There's a short interview with Brooke and Jake, and some footage from demo day back in February.

The Royal segment starts in minute 21 of the video.
 
Given the weather forecasts, there is high confidence in a December 7 opening day for Royal. The plan is to make snow every time temperatures are cold enough.

Last weekend there a few patched of snow on the practice slope from testing the snowmaking system, but it was long gone this morning when I was up there for our last indoor instructor training session. All rain from this storm last few days up this way. Bright side of it: the snowmaking ponds are topped off.
 
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