Belleayre Conditions

[Harvey]

Lower Wanatasku and Winnisook have bumps. Heading up tomorrow with a group. Should be great!

Is this group exclusive or is Riff Raff accepted?

 

[Country Gun]

Is this group exclusive or is Riff Raff accepted?

Everyone accepted. Some bumpers , some just like to ski soft snow. I do a little of both..

 

[Harvey]

Everyone accepted. Some bumpers , some just like to ski soft snow. I do a little of both..

I really got no business bumping, but if they are prime, it's hard for me to resist.

 

[Country Gun]

Skied Belleayre today. Soft hero snow. We did a 9 to 5 shift, Gondi ran to 5. We just couldn’t get enough. Everything soft, moguls on Mohawk, Yahoo, Tongora Winisook, Lower Wana and only the top of Belleayre Run.
Canyon near the Expressway quad was half ungroomed.

Nothing really turned to slop besides at Gondi.

 

[TheGreatAbyss]

Anyone make it up today? How's it looking?

I don't think I've ever done Roaring Brook, and I think I've only done Deer Run once or twice looking to see if the glades were open. I'm thinking of taking my 4 year old up next weekend assuming they still have snow. He's fully in the snow plow phase but can control himself just fine. How do these two trails compare to Powder Puff? Technically PP is a green and these are blue but I don't think they are very different in steepness IIRC.

 

[Brownski]

Anyone make it up today? How's it looking?

They were on wind hold- threw in the towel at 11 AM

 

[gregmarx]

I don't think I've ever done Roaring Brook, and I think I've only done Deer Run once or twice looking to see if the glades were open. I'm thinking of taking my 4 year old up next weekend assuming they still have snow. He's fully in the snow plow phase but can control himself just fine. How do these two trails compare to Powder Puff? Technically PP is a green and these are blue but I don't think they are very different in steepness IIRC.

Been awhile since I've done Powder Puff but Roaring Brook in particular could be a green; Deer Run is also gentle but has one or two slightly steeper bits. It's a loooooong way across that ridge to RB from the gondola though, especially for a small kid... I have learned this from experience... so you'd prob want to take Lightning Quad to the Belleayre Express to get there.

Edit: according to Steepseeker, Deer Run is very similar to Powder Puff and Roaring Brook is significantly flatter, comparable to the lower-mountain trails at Belle.

 

[TheGreatAbyss]

Appreciate your response! Never heard of steepseeker, will need to check it out.

Yeah he pretty much waits for me to push him on the flats so I'll avoid RB from the gondi. I had to push him up hill to stay on a green trail at Shawnee yesterday, it was exhausting

 

[Ripitz]

Roaring Brook

Deer Run

The summit learning area is right off the gondola and I recommend that over the beginner pit at the bottom if your looking for him to get a warm up.

I take Peanut down both RB and DR but prefer RB even though you have to traverse the ridge. That run is called Route 9 and is rated blue even though it’s green since it only goes to blues and blacks. She can ski easy on her own from the Gondi all the way passed the top of the Overlook Quad. I think of it as a stretched out bunny slope. There’s a little pushing passed the patrol shack and then a shuffle around the big whale and unloading area of Belleayre Express. We stay skiers right of that and traverse closer to Sunset Lodge which is now unfortunately closed.

I push her ahead, skate, push, skate, push. She’s doing more of the work on her own now that she’s using poles. We take our time and take in the scenery. We’re not racing anyone except Momma who is usually way behind at this point.

RB is definitely lower angle but more importantly wider. DR has a steep pitch just after the entrance to Dream Catcher, a very short one after the picnic table and another blind one after the bridge.

Both runs have steep drop offs on the skier’s left sides with no fence. In those sections I put the tethers on or ski with her between my legs. This would prevent her from going over the edge in case of a runaway but more importantly to protect her from getting hit from behind. People absolutely fly down completely out of control in these zones with no safe passing. DR is more dangerous in my opinion when it comes to this since it is narrower and sees more traffic. It also gets scraped off more and stays in the shadow longer.

Lower mountain is pretty chill with Easy In being the reccomendation.

Hope this helps. Maybe we’ll see you if you’re up there this weekend.

 

[DomB]

Roaring Brook is a green labelled at the blue, probably because before the Gondola, you had to be able to unload a fairly steep chair (Belle Express). It also gets less traffic now since Deer Run is open. So, a great choice for someone who can ski powder puff. And some nice views.

Note: mid season I would not take a little one on Deer Run. While it is nice terrain (and as usual Rip hits the description on the head), I call it 'Missile Run' because lots of people go on it fast and not quite in control. I didn't love that aspect when my kids were young. I don't think it was open when they were 4. I would not have taken them on it mid season when they were four. Early season and late season with less skier volume, yes.