When we first contacted the Southern Ute Indian Tribe at their headquarters in Ignacio, CO, we weren’t certain that they would recall the dance that was performed at Vail nearly 50 years before. As luck would have it, Tribal Elder Eddie Box Jr. had taken part in the 1962 ceremony when his father led the dance. He and his partner, Betty Box or “Hummingbird Woman”, agreed to come with several members of their tribe to perform a precipitation ceremony on behalf of “all who need it”.
Early on January 7th, 2012 the Boxes and several other members of the Southern Ute Tribe started the ceremony a half hour before the lifts began to turn. By the time they finished flakes were beginning to fall and by the end of the day eight inches had fallen in Vail and nearby resorts.
The tribe members, having anticipated snowy and slick roads, had their luggage packed and wasted no time leaving right after the ceremony ended.
See the Snow Dance and resulting powder day here: