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Utah Trip report 2/11-2/16

Npage148

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Well, this is the follow up trip report to my frist adventure out west. Sorry, its pretty long

2/11- I headed down to NYC on friday from buffalo and stayed at mny GF at NYU, then ext day we left JFK at 8:30 and took jetblue to SLC and got in at around 1am, picked up the rental car and it was finally about 2 (mountain time) when we got to the Best Western Sandy.

2/12- Much to my girlfriends dismay, i woke her up at 9 to go to solitude. The brunch at the hotel great!! We get to the mountain at around 10:30 and I am amazed about how empty the lot is for a saturday. We get our tickets (crazy RFID ticekts taht you keep in your pocket and they activate a turnstile). I found them very convientient. The mountain is dead and there is a few inches of powder. We ride around exploring the lower mountain off the eagle express quad. At noon she calls it quits. I go off exploring the steeper trails off the powderhorn chair and manage to find some nice powder stashes off in the corners. The most impressive momeont is when i come down one of the expert only double diamonds. I look up and realize what i came down is retardedely steep when big cliffs in the mix, i just about peeded myself. I packed it in around 3:45 beat half to death. Drive home and eat at TGIF adn im sleeping at 9:30

2/13- We get up at 8 and drive off to snowbird. There was a little snow overnight but not alot. We get there and load onthe tram at around 9:30, reports are boot deep powder at the top. The tram is amazing, its super cool. The moutain is much more massive than solitude!. Me and my girlfriend get some fresh tracks in mineral basin. Its pretty much blind leading the blind adn She got out of some tough spots i lead her into. We came down regulator onthe front side and shes packed it in around 12. I go back out up the tram and take some more runs in mineral basin. After that i follow some people up high baldy and drop down one of the chutes off the traverse. I feel much more comfortable on the steep than i did yesterday adn managed high baldy pretty easy. Tje fresh snow helped too. Im beat around 1:30 and pack it in.

2/14-My GF requested a rest day so we drove out to park city to check it the crazyness and it is pretty crazy. It city was a little overboard. On the way back we stopped at the zoo. I was plesently suprised by it. My Buffalo Zoo membership got us in for free and it was very very nice. It was very modern and looked like the animals were happy. Ate some great mexican at the Red Iguana on North Temple in downtown SLC.

2/15- THe weather report was calling for big snow so we got up extra early. It was still snowing hard in the morning We were heading to Solitude but had to take the ski bus becasue the traffic on the cannyon road was limited to vehicles with chains. We boarded the bus for a hairy ride and about half way up we heard over the radio taht the canyon road was closed and there was a collevtive chear from everyone on the bus. IT meant that no one could get up to the moutanin. We get to solitude and there are 15 cars in the lot. THe powder ranges from high shin deep to thigh deep. We get frist tracks on about 5 trails on the lower mountain. Its absolutely amazing. My GF takes a break at around 1030 and i go hit the steeps. Im stilling getting run after run of fresh tracks of deep snow. The road opens around 1130 and the place begin to fill. We continue to ride the rest of the night and stop at red lobster on the way home. I was getting fresh tracks till around 2pm. THis was def the best day and riding the deep powder was great especially on the wide open bowlish trails off eagle ridge

2/16- Its snowbird day for the last day. We pack up our stuff and check out of the hotel. We are both pretty beat from the day before. Its a fairly average day. The trails that were not groomed are fairly rough from all the powder the day before and my GF sticks to the groomers, I go explore the top of the mountain adn get beat up pretty good. We pack up around 2 and head off to the movies. We go see failure to launch. It was pretty funny. I couldnt complain and it was onle 5$ a person!. We eat at this crazy resturant called Joe's crap shack across from the theater. We head to the aiport and catch out 11pm flight back to NYC and get in at 5am NYC tim

Final Thoughts: THe skiing was great!. I couldnt have asked for nicer snow and weather. It snowed everynight and the was not too cold. The trails were STEEP STEEP STEEP. The pitches were sustained, not just short headwalls, but with the nice snow, I hardly noticed it. High Baldy at snowbird was the steepest i rode and you def thought twice before dropping in. I found the skiing challenging but not too hard. its been a long time since a trail has made me nervous and if help good to get in over my head a few times. I had no trouble with the elevation but my GF felt it a little bit. It just wore her out fast. The Best Western Cottonwood in Sandy was amazing. The rooms were very nice and it was one of the nicest hotels ive staying in. I highly recommend it. Salt lake city is a ok town, but its a little scary how The Church of Latterday Saints own it. There is also an abundence of check cashing places, taco shops and pawn shops. I ate at my first sonic, its was fun. I see the commericals in Buffalo all the time, but there isnt one anywhere around Buffalo. People in SLC eat out all the time, ever night the resturants were packed. Even on tuesday and Wednesday. The people (on and off the mointain) talk to you all the time and are very polite and nice. IT was a little unnerving for me being a new yorker who like to be not bothered. Soltidue was a great mountain. Very uncrowded and had a little for everyone. It was also very laid back and the new lodge they build for this winter was great. Snowbird is a huge place. I was a little overwhelmed by the size and wished i had a local to show me around. I feel like i could have gotten more out of it. I few times, i just would follow the crowds people hiking to see where it would lead me. I also missed how snowbird lacked flatter terain. I like the steeps but i also enjoy nice crusing runs and it seemed snowbird lacked that. It was a great trip and tirolepeter gave me tons of great info. I cant wait to go back and check out the other places utah has to provide. There would be pictures, but really did not take alot becasue were to lazy too
 
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tirolerpeter

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Utah Trip

Sounds like you had a good time. Next time get yourself over to SNOWBASIN. You will be astounded at the beauty of the mountain and the facilities. You will also find some more STEEPS, especially off the top of the tram. After you conquer the exit chute, you hit the top of the Men's Downhill course. The first 500' of vertical are 45 degrees and steeper. It's a rip! They also have some of the most beautiful tree skiing you will find anywhere. Of course, Brighton too has steeps, and the tree runs never end! You just have to go back. Do you or your GF smoke? Altitude can definitely punish you if you are a "flatlander" on nicotine. BTW, assuming I sell my house and move out there by the Fall, I will look forward to hooking up, and sharing some of that great snow with you next season. What do you think? Did you get your money's worth?
 

Npage148

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I tried to get her to go to snowbasin, but she did not want to sit in the car for the ride and she really liked solitude so i stuck with what made her happy. Neither of us smoke, but im in really good shape and shes in ok shape. I think that is what made the difference with teh elevation. Next winter, if we go I will be squeezing in a trip after xmas. I wont have the luxury of going for a wek in march becasue ill be on rotation for pharmacy school. I def got my moneys worth and i really want to go back. Ill have the few pictures posted when i get them off the camera
 

Bumpsis

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Mar 25, 2004
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So, how does it feel to go back to Kissing Bridge?
At least you have plenty of natural cover, right?
 
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