Creakyknees
Member
- Joined
- Nov 10, 2008
- Messages
- 132
- Points
- 18
Date: March 1 -5, 2012
Resort: Snowbird, Utah
Conditions: Snow (Powder), sun and warm last day.
The plane landed at 8:00pm February 29 in Salt Lake City. Unfortunately Little Cottonwood Canyon Road closed at 8:30pm. Many of times I have been on the other end of Little Cottonwood Canyon when the road closed this is the first time I was at the wrong end.
We spent the night in SLC got up to Snowbird the next morning and we got on the lift at 11:00am.
The first day skiing (March 1) we got 6"-10" the snow was a little heavy for Utah standards but the three of us were very happy.
That night (March 1) the forecast was for 18"-24". At 10pm that night we did not see any heavy snow only light flurries.
The next morning (March 2) once again the Snowbird snow machine dumped 18"-24" in a short amount of time. The resort was on interlodge so we could not eat breakfast it was poptarts, cliff bars and bananas, the good thing was Little Cottonwood Canyon was closed so it would be a while before the mountain got crowded. At 8:30am interlodge was lifted and we got first tram. We made our first run down the cirque and it was face shots all the way down.
Snowbird ski patrol will conduct avi control work and periodically open parts of the mountain as the day goes on. At around 11:00am we got to the top of Little Cloud lift and I overheard someone ask ski patrol when will Mineral Basin be open she replied" not for a while". I was going in the same direction as the patroller when she turned to me an said " If I was you I would wait at the gate for Road to Provo". I took her advice got my two buddies and we were the first at the gate, we waited at the most two minutes and it was good. The day just got better and better late in the day 2:00pm we again got to the top of Little Cloud Lift and they just opened Mineral Basin. The sun peaked out a few times late in the day so the visibility in Mineral Basin was good and it also looks great on video. If it was up to me I would prefer snowy windy stormy weather all day and not see the sun but I will take what I can get. We skied all day with no lunch just a few more cliff bars and water. We got one of the last chairs 4:00pm Gad II and the last run was just as good as the first.
Day three (March 3) we got a few more inches over night and the wind was up so the leeward side had deep pockets of snow. The forecast was for sun fortunately it lightly snowed all day. Again the resort was on interlodge the road was closed and again no breakfast, just more cliff bars. The interlodge was lifted at 8:00am we got to the tram at 8:15am and we were eighth in line. The tram went up 15 minutes early (8:45am) and we had only 40-50 people on the first tram. We did three laps on the tram and the cirque we never waited on a line at the tram. After that we did a few runs down Barry Barry Steep and Gad Chutes the snow was very light in the chutes.
Day four (March 4), we finally got to eat a hearty breakfast at the Forklift restaurant, we did a tram to the top and hiked Baldy. Baldy was wind blown but good. Late morning we worked are way over to Mineral Basin to see if the Bookends will open soon and again we hit it right. We were fifteenth in line at the gate and waited for ten minutes. The snow was a little heavy but it was good. We did a few runs down the bookends and then went in for lunch. After lunch the sun was out in full force and it was getting warm. We skied some trees and we were toast by 4:00pm.
Day five (March 5), Half day. The sun was out and it was warm we skied a few runs on Road to Prove and than headed over to Gad II for some bump runs. After a few bump runs we called it quits.
It was a great trip and I will stick to my same advice that if you are going on a ski vacation to Utah do not stay down in Salt lake City you must stay up at the resort, road closures happen and you don't want to be on the wrong end.
After that trip I can't look at another cliff bar for a long time.
Resort: Snowbird, Utah
Conditions: Snow (Powder), sun and warm last day.
The plane landed at 8:00pm February 29 in Salt Lake City. Unfortunately Little Cottonwood Canyon Road closed at 8:30pm. Many of times I have been on the other end of Little Cottonwood Canyon when the road closed this is the first time I was at the wrong end.
We spent the night in SLC got up to Snowbird the next morning and we got on the lift at 11:00am.
The first day skiing (March 1) we got 6"-10" the snow was a little heavy for Utah standards but the three of us were very happy.
That night (March 1) the forecast was for 18"-24". At 10pm that night we did not see any heavy snow only light flurries.
The next morning (March 2) once again the Snowbird snow machine dumped 18"-24" in a short amount of time. The resort was on interlodge so we could not eat breakfast it was poptarts, cliff bars and bananas, the good thing was Little Cottonwood Canyon was closed so it would be a while before the mountain got crowded. At 8:30am interlodge was lifted and we got first tram. We made our first run down the cirque and it was face shots all the way down.
Snowbird ski patrol will conduct avi control work and periodically open parts of the mountain as the day goes on. At around 11:00am we got to the top of Little Cloud lift and I overheard someone ask ski patrol when will Mineral Basin be open she replied" not for a while". I was going in the same direction as the patroller when she turned to me an said " If I was you I would wait at the gate for Road to Provo". I took her advice got my two buddies and we were the first at the gate, we waited at the most two minutes and it was good. The day just got better and better late in the day 2:00pm we again got to the top of Little Cloud Lift and they just opened Mineral Basin. The sun peaked out a few times late in the day so the visibility in Mineral Basin was good and it also looks great on video. If it was up to me I would prefer snowy windy stormy weather all day and not see the sun but I will take what I can get. We skied all day with no lunch just a few more cliff bars and water. We got one of the last chairs 4:00pm Gad II and the last run was just as good as the first.
Day three (March 3) we got a few more inches over night and the wind was up so the leeward side had deep pockets of snow. The forecast was for sun fortunately it lightly snowed all day. Again the resort was on interlodge the road was closed and again no breakfast, just more cliff bars. The interlodge was lifted at 8:00am we got to the tram at 8:15am and we were eighth in line. The tram went up 15 minutes early (8:45am) and we had only 40-50 people on the first tram. We did three laps on the tram and the cirque we never waited on a line at the tram. After that we did a few runs down Barry Barry Steep and Gad Chutes the snow was very light in the chutes.
Day four (March 4), we finally got to eat a hearty breakfast at the Forklift restaurant, we did a tram to the top and hiked Baldy. Baldy was wind blown but good. Late morning we worked are way over to Mineral Basin to see if the Bookends will open soon and again we hit it right. We were fifteenth in line at the gate and waited for ten minutes. The snow was a little heavy but it was good. We did a few runs down the bookends and then went in for lunch. After lunch the sun was out in full force and it was getting warm. We skied some trees and we were toast by 4:00pm.
Day five (March 5), Half day. The sun was out and it was warm we skied a few runs on Road to Prove and than headed over to Gad II for some bump runs. After a few bump runs we called it quits.
It was a great trip and I will stick to my same advice that if you are going on a ski vacation to Utah do not stay down in Salt lake City you must stay up at the resort, road closures happen and you don't want to be on the wrong end.
After that trip I can't look at another cliff bar for a long time.
Last edited:
