Resort: Alta, Utah
Date: April 27, 2014 (yes, late April)
Conditions/Weather: Snow and cold; 14" of new snow in the last 48 hours and a base of 105"
Report: I'm going to start off by saying that if you miss skiing, you might not want to read on. You might not like what I'm about to report...truthfully. Otherwise, carry on.
You all need to talk to me about this whole spring skiing thing: you know with shorts, bakinis, and corn snow. Granted I've had some spring conditions already out here, but this was not expected.
I had been jonesin to get back to Alta to use more of my free days on my pass. I originally thought about a Friday outing considering that they are only open Friday-Sunday now. But work, and the forecast (windy and marginal temps) made me reconsider. The next window I had was Sunday and the forecasters were calling for rain changing to snow between Thursday and Saturday with significant amounts forecast. Well, they weren't kidding. While it rained solidly all day at my house at about 4,900 feet in SLC it was snowing up high.
Not really knowing what to expect...ranging from dust on crust to primo pow on a good base, I set the bar low and got up early for the regular pilgrimage to LCC. There was evidence of snow/ice on the road up there. The lower parts of Snowbird looked like dust on crust, but the reports and pictures suggested that up high was a different story.
Alta had packed it in for the season...running only Collins and Sunnyside. That did not stop the faithful. The parking lot filled up fast at Wildcat. I was third in line for the chair. Alf's didn't look too inviting, but the fresh cord with powder eights beside it on the lower parts of Collins looked delicious.
First ride up featured a very cold blast--14 F at the top. High Main Street to Mambo was the opening run and my legs were caught off guard--dense, drifted pow about 18" in places covered up the reefs underneath and gave a nice ride. The groomed portion felt better for legs just waking up and I rode that most of the way diving off in places to experiment with the snow. It was much better than expected. Time to go for it.
Next run, on a crowded Collins, took me down Race Course with awesome pow bumps to Race Course Saddle where I found untracked delight. Not smoke but dense snow that the Hammereds loved to surf in.
By now Alta realized that the Collins, which was not at full speed due to the wind presumably, could not handle the masses of powderhounds relishing what may be the final serving of Wasatch Pow this season. They got Wildcat open and I glided through the powder over to it.
No line and untracked on that side. I busted through nice, deep pockets in the trees and worked my way down Wildcat Bowl, hooting and hollering.
Repeat only this time working a different line in Wildcat Face that was a bit more chopped up but oh so could. No ice, hell no FG to speak of. Just good dense pow.
With Sugarloaf done for the season I figured that a lap back there might reveal good snow and no folks. One entered a gate by ski patrol and headed down either Waldron's Way or Devil's Way depending on taste. Devil's Elbow was groomed but you didn't know it. I detoured onto Amen and praised the lord as I blew through deep untracked snow that was oh so good.
By now it was about 11, so I did a few laps off of Sunnyside working the tree lines in there. There was a small crowd of young families over here that you'd run into off trail and in the woods. Nice snow. I did Vail Ridge and some off the map stuff over here for about an hour or so before heading back to Collins.
I was getting short on time, and recon had said that the High T was a bit rough, but lower variations had good lines. I jumped into Christmas Tree and loved the deep snow along the tree line before getting into nice drift on the side of Lower Lone Pine.
Last run was down a still largely untracked Extrovert which was just unreal for April 27th.
Folks were tracking things out on Collins fast and where they'd groom the FG was surfacing at about lunch time, but the morning was oh so tasty.
Pictures coming soon.
Date: April 27, 2014 (yes, late April)
Conditions/Weather: Snow and cold; 14" of new snow in the last 48 hours and a base of 105"
Report: I'm going to start off by saying that if you miss skiing, you might not want to read on. You might not like what I'm about to report...truthfully. Otherwise, carry on.
You all need to talk to me about this whole spring skiing thing: you know with shorts, bakinis, and corn snow. Granted I've had some spring conditions already out here, but this was not expected.
I had been jonesin to get back to Alta to use more of my free days on my pass. I originally thought about a Friday outing considering that they are only open Friday-Sunday now. But work, and the forecast (windy and marginal temps) made me reconsider. The next window I had was Sunday and the forecasters were calling for rain changing to snow between Thursday and Saturday with significant amounts forecast. Well, they weren't kidding. While it rained solidly all day at my house at about 4,900 feet in SLC it was snowing up high.
Not really knowing what to expect...ranging from dust on crust to primo pow on a good base, I set the bar low and got up early for the regular pilgrimage to LCC. There was evidence of snow/ice on the road up there. The lower parts of Snowbird looked like dust on crust, but the reports and pictures suggested that up high was a different story.
Alta had packed it in for the season...running only Collins and Sunnyside. That did not stop the faithful. The parking lot filled up fast at Wildcat. I was third in line for the chair. Alf's didn't look too inviting, but the fresh cord with powder eights beside it on the lower parts of Collins looked delicious.
First ride up featured a very cold blast--14 F at the top. High Main Street to Mambo was the opening run and my legs were caught off guard--dense, drifted pow about 18" in places covered up the reefs underneath and gave a nice ride. The groomed portion felt better for legs just waking up and I rode that most of the way diving off in places to experiment with the snow. It was much better than expected. Time to go for it.
Next run, on a crowded Collins, took me down Race Course with awesome pow bumps to Race Course Saddle where I found untracked delight. Not smoke but dense snow that the Hammereds loved to surf in.
By now Alta realized that the Collins, which was not at full speed due to the wind presumably, could not handle the masses of powderhounds relishing what may be the final serving of Wasatch Pow this season. They got Wildcat open and I glided through the powder over to it.
No line and untracked on that side. I busted through nice, deep pockets in the trees and worked my way down Wildcat Bowl, hooting and hollering.
Repeat only this time working a different line in Wildcat Face that was a bit more chopped up but oh so could. No ice, hell no FG to speak of. Just good dense pow.
With Sugarloaf done for the season I figured that a lap back there might reveal good snow and no folks. One entered a gate by ski patrol and headed down either Waldron's Way or Devil's Way depending on taste. Devil's Elbow was groomed but you didn't know it. I detoured onto Amen and praised the lord as I blew through deep untracked snow that was oh so good.
By now it was about 11, so I did a few laps off of Sunnyside working the tree lines in there. There was a small crowd of young families over here that you'd run into off trail and in the woods. Nice snow. I did Vail Ridge and some off the map stuff over here for about an hour or so before heading back to Collins.
I was getting short on time, and recon had said that the High T was a bit rough, but lower variations had good lines. I jumped into Christmas Tree and loved the deep snow along the tree line before getting into nice drift on the side of Lower Lone Pine.
Last run was down a still largely untracked Extrovert which was just unreal for April 27th.
Folks were tracking things out on Collins fast and where they'd groom the FG was surfacing at about lunch time, but the morning was oh so tasty.
Pictures coming soon.