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VAIL, Colorado— Children can still make angels — snow angels, at least — on Vail Mountain this month.
At 18 inches, the snowpack about 1,000 feet below the summit of Vail Mountain is higher this year than it has been since 1995, according to data collected by Natural Resources Conservation Service sensors. At this time last year, snow had melted completely at that elevation.
The snow water equivalent — a measure of water composition in snow — for Vail Mountain is around 12 inches, 116 percent of the mountain’s 30-year average snow level, Ramey said.
The high snow levels mean bigger, faster rivers and shorter hikes for Vail residents and tourists this June.
The snow starts about 1,000 feet lower this year than at the same time last year — 9,000 feet compared to 10,000 feet, said Corey Meyers, an information assistant for the Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger District.
“Translating for hikers, that could easily be a mile or two of distance they’re not going to get this year that they might have last year at this time,” Myers said.
Myers said people are hiking more trails because they cannot hike as far on any of them. Also, two roads that are usually open are closed because of the snow. Red Sandstone Road, which typically opens in late May, is scheduled to open next week, and Tigiwon Road, usually closed until June 20, will not open until later this summer.
“People are wanting to get up roads they usually can and are frustrated because they’re not open,” Meyers said.
Because of the higher amount of snow, the Eagle River is very active, said Sean Glackin, owner of Alpine Quest Sports and Kayak School.
Glackin said he has been selling more large boats than usual for the summer season, probably for increased speed and stability with the high water.
“It seems like all the experienced boaters are very excited,” Glackin said. “A lot of the beginners are maybe holding on, waiting for it to come back down a little bit.”
The snow also means Vail should not be short of water this summer. But Diane Johnson, community relations manager for the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, said outdoor watering regulations will still be enforced.
“There is a lot of snow, the rivers are high and we have good flow,” Johnson said, “[But] if we don’t have precipitation in the next few months we could find ourselves in a predicament.”
At 18 inches, the snowpack about 1,000 feet below the summit of Vail Mountain is higher this year than it has been since 1995, according to data collected by Natural Resources Conservation Service sensors. At this time last year, snow had melted completely at that elevation.
The snow water equivalent — a measure of water composition in snow — for Vail Mountain is around 12 inches, 116 percent of the mountain’s 30-year average snow level, Ramey said.
The high snow levels mean bigger, faster rivers and shorter hikes for Vail residents and tourists this June.
The snow starts about 1,000 feet lower this year than at the same time last year — 9,000 feet compared to 10,000 feet, said Corey Meyers, an information assistant for the Eagle/Holy Cross Ranger District.
“Translating for hikers, that could easily be a mile or two of distance they’re not going to get this year that they might have last year at this time,” Myers said.
Myers said people are hiking more trails because they cannot hike as far on any of them. Also, two roads that are usually open are closed because of the snow. Red Sandstone Road, which typically opens in late May, is scheduled to open next week, and Tigiwon Road, usually closed until June 20, will not open until later this summer.
“People are wanting to get up roads they usually can and are frustrated because they’re not open,” Meyers said.
Because of the higher amount of snow, the Eagle River is very active, said Sean Glackin, owner of Alpine Quest Sports and Kayak School.
Glackin said he has been selling more large boats than usual for the summer season, probably for increased speed and stability with the high water.
“It seems like all the experienced boaters are very excited,” Glackin said. “A lot of the beginners are maybe holding on, waiting for it to come back down a little bit.”
The snow also means Vail should not be short of water this summer. But Diane Johnson, community relations manager for the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, said outdoor watering regulations will still be enforced.
“There is a lot of snow, the rivers are high and we have good flow,” Johnson said, “[But] if we don’t have precipitation in the next few months we could find ourselves in a predicament.”
