No More Fooling - Your Base Depth is Useless

Words by: Zander Basedepth l STE Editor at Large

Not everyone’s base depth is a load of crap, but if you’re a ski area in the east which relies heavily or even partially on snowmaking, then that 22”-48” or 12”-36” you’re reporting every day (the same before and after rain events) needs to go the way of straight skis. It’s not an intentional lie, it’s just useless to the skiing public. Sorry gang. 

Out west, where permanent snow stakes are used, and resort terrain is driven by that natural snow depth, then the base depth number is useful and relevant to skiers. No issues there.

Early this year when dirt was everywhere, even on many open trails, we had ski areas reporting 18”-36” type numbers similar to what we see in March. What else should they do? It’s not their fault. There are input fields on the snow report, and ski area down the road has a certain number, so let’s go with 12”-22” and call it good. Right? Pretty much. But how does this equal a useful reporting stat? It doesn't.

We need a new system. One that isn’t gameable, can be consistent between resorts, and will grant that fact that a 30” guess is no different than a 43” guess. By mid season at many resorts there are spots that have 0” of snow and other spots that have 100”. A 50” average of those two spreads is just as useless. No there are not official snowstakes in the middle of your favorite snowmaking run, but we are getting fed info supposedly from that spot. Enough. Let’s K.I.S.S.

In Zander Basedepth reality, there are only 4 categories of base depth that have meaning to the eastern skiing experience and what you should expect on and off piste. Far more meaning than the good ole 18-36” or 22"-48" broad brush that may or may not apply to spot A or B, and surely does not let you know how the natural trails are.

It’s boney and you go knowing that where there has not been snowmaking it’s generally unskiable. Where there has been snowmaking you should still beware. Typically opening until it snows a few times and doesn’t all melt.

It’s not as boney as it was at the season start and some wahoos are going in the woods whether they are ready or not. There’s some natural snow but not really a solid natural base depth quite yet. Snowmaking trails are pretty solid though. Typically a period of a few weeks in late December or January. Ramp up to go time for the whole mountain.

Winter snow depths have arrived. The base is adequate on and off trail. If you are a cityscape ski area without natural snow zones then this is when you have everything covered and start to lay off snowmaking. Typically from late January until sometime in mid March, depending on the quality of season.

We’ve passed the peak depth and from here on out we’ll see a descending depth. It freezes and thaws depending on the weather. You get what you get. Don’t be an idiot. Late March until closing.

A while back Mount Snow decided to drop the use of “trail count” in their snow report choosing rather to report miles and acres after acknowledging that trail count was a dated and less than useful calculation. 

Here’s one voice for simplicity in the reporting of base depth. On the slopes in the east, it’s an evolving snowpack condition, not a specific number.

If you’ve got a stake in the woods and that’s what you report, then great. But for a region heavily reliant on snowmaking, that’s just not very useful or prevalent. Got a legit way you calculate and publish your base depth here in the east? Educate us. Zander Basedepth out.