May 16 and 17, Arapahoe Basin, CO

Excellent! 3 inches fresh on Saturday, 6 inches in Sunday. Really lucky. The snow was like good quality Stevens powder = poor for Colorado, e.g. a little heavy. Slightly tough visibility but not that bone-numbing cold that A basin gets mid-winter. The base was certainly acceptable. I hiked ~ 30 min up and over the hillock above the Lewannee lift to ski the easiest way down the "East Wall", which I would call a bona-fide double black. Plans call for a new lift and extension into above- and peri-treeline glades extending west towards Keystone.

Nice TR. The snow is still coming down. We had planned to be there next week but our plans changed. How was the backside coverage ?

Full coverage to the bottom, but they have closed the "hike back" terrain that extends below the base of the Montezuma lift.  Not sure why; did not check it out. The big headwall extending to the west of the top of Montezuma was only open the first few hundred yards from the lift, leaving the steeper upper chutes off limits as the ridge curves around to the south.  Locals said the rock was slabby with running water underlying the snowpack in the Spring, which has a tendency to let go.  This section had impressive cornices. There were a few roped-off areas in the lower reaches but the main Montezuma valley bowls and faces were still plenty good.

Pali lift kicks butt...steep, mogul-filed and off-canter fall line as always.  As you know...its like the back of Stevens but someone tilted it funny.