Powder days are overrated.

[tirolski]

@raisingarizona agreed. Snow needs a day or 2 to compact and set up, even if it's been groomed. As for the crowds, I'm lucky: the further away from the ski center, the fewer people I generally see. Unsure whether that also applies in alpine.

Ain’t tellin.
As wise men say, ya gotta go to know.

Packed snow gets squeaky & a bit slower when it’s really cold.
Skiing friction snow temperature article

 

[x10003q]

I guess it depends on your expectations and location. The start time of the snow can have a big effect on the number of people trying to get to the mountain. My East coast favorite is when we are in VT or Gore for the weekend and there is snow predicted for Sunday into Monday. Usually, this snow prediction would cause the place to clear out early on Sunday. If you can adjust your schedule and stay thru Monday, you will have the mountain to yourself Sunday and if it snows thru the night, Monday, too, as the hordes will not head out into a storm.
Here is a Stratton Sunday storm from 2017:

And here is Monday afternoon just as the storm was slowing down

 

[raisingarizona]

I guess it depends on your expectations and location. The start time of the snow can have a big effect on the number of people trying to get to the mountain. My East coast favorite is when we are in VT or Gore for the weekend and there is snow predicted for Sunday into Monday. Usually, this snow prediction would cause the place to clear out early on Sunday. If you can adjust your schedule and stay thru Monday, you will have the mountain to yourself Sunday and if it snows thru the night, Monday, too, as the hordes will not head out into a storm.
Here is a Stratton Sunday storm from 2017:
View attachment 11395
And here is Monday afternoon just as the storm was slowing down
View attachment 11397

Totally! There isn’t anything better than a sleeper deep day with bottomless snow, instant refills and roll on chairs on a high speed lift but those days are few and far between.

My whole rant is aimed at the majority of powder days when everyone shows up. I love powder but the hassle on those sort of days and actual quantity of quality runs ruins it for me.

 

[Harvey]

Powder
Low Skier Density > Lack of Competition
Kindred Spirits, Companionship

For me anyway. Assuming there is enough pitch to keep moving.

In NY Plattekill is certainly notable in this discussion. Even powder Saturdays are unhurried. The time every other hill in the Cats was SHUTDOWN with power outages and windholds, Plattekill was incredible, lifts full, no lines, lots to be had. Some of my best pow shots are from Plattekill, DAYS after the last snowfall.

Plattekill: Five Days Later

Five days after the last snowfall we were finding untracked snow inbounds.

nyskiblog.com

A little bit of climbing can do a lot to eliminate competition.

Great original post.

 

[witch hobble]

I am way over the frenzy of the powder sharks. Part of it is probably just age. When I was a teen/20 year old, there was something exciting about a day when so many people were jazzed about skiing. Now it induces dread. Turning into burnt out old fart.

Also, I know this has been talked about before, but as my current job involves a fair amount of plowing and snow removal, I generally can’t get out on a blower type day where the whole northeast gets a blanket. So maybe add bitter to the description of myself in previous paragraph.

 

[raisingarizona]

I am way over the frenzy of the powder sharks. Part of it is probably just age. When I was a teen/20 year old, there was something exciting about a day when so many people were jazzed about skiing. Now it induces dread. Turning into burnt out old fart.

Also, I know this has been talked about before, but as my current job involves a fair amount of plowing and snow removal, I generally can’t get out on a blower type day where the whole northeast gets a blanket. So maybe add bitter to the description of myself in previous paragraph.

I feel ya.

I lined up for a rope drop in telluride one day in 2006 and after three or four turns stopped to let everyone go. Skiing in a mob wasn’t just not cool, it was downright terrifying to me!

 

[DHA]

At Greek Peak the best powder days are later in the season, when all the lifts are running and there is already a base of natural snow in the tree glades. On a weekend at Greek it means having to wait a few minutes in line at the Visions lift or Chair 1. But even when all the lifts are running the place is big enough to absorb the crowd on the slopes -- especially off old Chair 2, Chair 4 and Chair 5. Unfortunately Greek often does not run Chair 2 during the week, so there is no access to the upper glades off chair 2 on those days. Chair 2 no longer seems to be a priority, which is too bad, because there is some great terrain off that old thing.

 

[saratogahalfday]

At Greek Peak the best powder days are later in the season, when all the lifts are running and there is already a base of natural snow in the tree glades. On a weekend at Greek it means having to wait a few minutes in line at the Visions lift or Chair 1. But even when all the lifts are running the place is big enough to absorb the crowd on the slopes -- especially off old Chair 2, Chair 4 and Chair 5. Unfortunately Greek often does not run Chair 2 during the week, so there is no access to the upper glades off chair 2 on those days. Chair 2 no longer seems to be a priority, which is too bad, because there is some great terrain off that old thing.

The best powder days are definitely mid-week. If they occur on or near a weekend, I'm with the others who wait until it's over to take advantage.

 

[raisingarizona]

At Greek Peak the best powder days are later in the season, when all the lifts are running and there is already a base of natural snow in the tree glades. On a weekend at Greek it means having to wait a few minutes in line at the Visions lift or Chair 1. But even when all the lifts are running the place is big enough to absorb the crowd on the slopes -- especially off old Chair 2, Chair 4 and Chair 5. Unfortunately Greek often does not run Chair 2 during the week, so there is no access to the upper glades off chair 2 on those days. Chair 2 no longer seems to be a priority, which is too bad, because there is some great terrain off that old thing.

Looking at the trail map it looks like a short, quick walk to get to the top of chair 2. That could be a good thing for preservation I’d think. Does ski patrol allow that or is it a no go?

 

[jasonwx]

Worse powder experience
Alta. I still have PTSD. the locals are mother F’ ers.