Snowbird, Utah: Weekend of April 22, 2012

[thetrailboss]

Ski Area: Snowbird

Dates: April 21, 22, 2012

Conditions: Spring/variable. Base depths 90" or so.

Weather: Sunny with highs in the 60's.

Reports No: 29, 30

Despite a taste of summer, the 'Bird is still going strong.

Day 29:I had some time to make an afternoon outing and found some very warm temperatures and soft snow, albeit very sticky down low. First run was down Lunch Run to Lower Bassackwards and man was it sticky. I struggled to push through the Elmer's Glue, but did manage to get in some nice turns:



With the snow a bit too sticky, I headed up to the top via Little Cloud Double and decided to head out the Cirque Traverse:



To probably the last line in Lower Cirque:



But even up here the warm temps had made the snow a bit too soft and sticky to make it fun. I skied down Anderson's Hill to Chip's Face and then back to the Tram to head up for some nice turns on Upper Primrose Path, which was very nice, down Chip's again to the Tram. I pointed the skis for the open parts of Little Cloud Basin, like a spin down one of my favorite lines in Old Lady's Slide:



The snow here was not quite as sticky and it skied nicely.



I made my way down and on the lift ride up watched the survey crew begin measuring the line for the new HSQ. The next run was right down the middle of the wide open snowfields above Private Parts and back down to the bottom via Bicarbonate, Gad Gully, and Trulock's Tricep. It was so nice I had to repeat it to close out my day. A nice couple of hours of sun.

[thetrailboss]

Sunday was another nice day, but a bit warmer, so I made sure to get there early. I was on GadZoom at just past nine and it was already warming up. I could see that the Gad Valley had frozen up the night before, so I headed straight to Mineral Basin where the sun was working its magic.

The groomers did an excellent job making four nice paths down Junior's Powder Paradise, White Diamonds, and a little sliver of Silver Dipper. I lapped them for the first several runs before venturing down Lone Star down Garske's Face and then a run down Schmutz's Hi Nowhere to a line down Not Quite Corn to Cry Me Gully and out Gheen Gully which was soft corn. Since Gheen Gully was nice and soft, I hit it again taking a line through the trees just to skier's left of Lone Star.

I did one more spin down Powder Paradise before heading to the frontside where the snow was not quite as sticky. I glimpsed down the Breezeway from the Ski Patrol Building and decided to give it a spin finding some FG that was not quite ready for primetime, but Regulator Johnson sure was as I sliced through the top layer of sugar for the cameras.

Back up Little Cloud I went for a couple nice spins down Mark Malu, another Regulator Run, and then I closed it out with two sweet runs with some nice turns down Rasta Chutes, which had softened just right and has some nice soft bumps. I skied down Bicarbonate to Gad Gully, and then down Trulock's Tricep right down to soft groomed sugar on West 2nd South. Another nice morning of skiing.

[thetrailboss]

Some more pictures from Day 2:

Powder Paradise:







Regulator Johnson:





Now my pics.

Mineral Basin:



Hi Nowhere....



Gheen Gully:









Breezeway:





Obligatory Twin Peaks shot:



A little High Stakes:

[wa-loaf]

You can stop posting here now. Thanks.

[thetrailboss]

You can stop posting here now. Thanks.

[jimmywilson69]

Man you lucked out being able to move to SLC.

glad you can still get after it!

[thetrailboss]

Man you lucked out being able to move to SLC.

glad you can still get after it!

Thanks man. I consider myself pretty lucky, even though this is the second lowest snowfall season in SLC history!

[jimmywilson69]

yeah only 363" of snow...

Keep the reports coming, I like reading them I feel as though I am learning Snowbird, and I have never been there yet!

[thetrailboss]

yeah only 363" of snow...

Keep the reports coming, I like reading them I feel as though I am learning Snowbird, and I have never been there yet!

Thanks. FWIW they have under-reported that amount. It is closer to 400 now. More on the way today and tonight.

[Puck it]

Do you have report on it anymore? Just give pics, they are depressing enough.