a little K-Factor education...

K-Factor Avalanche lesson:

Kirkwood mountain is made up of nearly 2 miles of ridge line where cornice forms.  After any snowfall or where windy conditions develop, Kirkwood can become at high risk for an avalanche hazard.  Classified in the CLASS A category, Kirkwood is of the most dangerous of about 12 avalanche areas.  Not to be turned away just yet, our avalanche control team takes extra pre-caution to ensure the safety of all those that step foot on the mountain...even to the point where they will upset guests by opening a bit past schedule in order to make sure all 25 zones have been dynamited and secured.  FYI don't be that guest that complains about the chairs moving slightly after schedule on heavy weather days, it's for your own good.  We will kindly tell you you should have gone to another mountain if chairs turning on schedule is what you are looking for...under our breath, asking you if massive amounts of perfect snow over stellar terrain is what you came here looking for, learn some patience and go have a beer :). Give them some credit...they work in groups of two, strapped with dynamite, in harsh conditions and have a stretch of time to secure some of the most dangerous areas from the time the sun rises to scheduled opening times!  Another FYI, sometimes the mountain opens before all zones have been secured, so when you see a rope and a sign saying STAY OUT AVALANCHE ZONE, it's to tell you stay out you not only are you in danger of an avalanche but we may still be setting off dynamite in this zone.  In other words don't be a 'poacher'.

A cool addition to Kirkwood this year... Zipline Tours!  Eight ziplines have been installed from the top of chair 7.  Ziping down the mountain from tree top to tree top, tours last about 2 hours.  Normally a summer activity, they stepped it up a notch and will have quads taking groups up all winter...  Something I will definitely be taking advantage of :).  

For the next week or so, weather shows mostly snow with a few sunny days here and there!

Crossing our fingers for another large dump just in time for the holidays!