• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Summer Skiing at Snowbird, UT: 6/26/11

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,337
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
Date(s) Skied: June 26, 2011

Resort or Ski Area: Snowbird, UT

Conditions: Spring (Corn, Mashed Potatoes, LG/FG/MG)

Trip Report: In 2009 I skied Tux with Snowmonster on June 13, 2009. This was the latest I had skied, until this season. With lots of snow, Sugarbush was hoping to push into May, but with a rainy spring and a warm spell, they closed on May 1st and I was there. Since then I was pretty much on hiatus due to moving, my wife's graduation, work, and life. With our move to Utah and Snowbird getting slammed with 783 inches of snow so far this season, I figured that I could at least get some more skiing in.

I flew into SLC on Thursday night and was one of two guys on the plane who packed skis. Southwest rocks....skis and boots made it unscathed. As my wife drove me to our new place I could see snow in the Wasatch. Friday morning I was amazed--I sipped coffee while looking at one line on the front range from my front porch. I had to go.

Well, after getting the A-OK from the Mrs., I packed the Subaru Saturday night and planned to get up Sunday and head to Snowbird, which was open Friday-Sunday. It was an easy 22 mile drive, door-to-door with no traffic.

I pulled in at 7:40 and got a nice parking spot. We had driven by Snowbird in December and noticed that it sat down in the river valley from the road. The vibe was nice--modern buildings with wooden trim sitting in the woods and by the river. The Snowbird Center is a modern building that was very easy to navigate and clean. I got my lift ticket--$49. The hours were 8-2 and it was downloading via the tram (one ride only, but unlimited skiing between 8-2 on Little Cloud and Mineral Basin lifts).

At 8:11 I was on the tram and heading up with a few other skiers and riders. The snowcover on the frontside was waning, but one only need get above 8,600 feet or so for nearly full cover.

I stepped off the tram and was blown away by the coverage and amount that was open--the trail map is very deceiving.

First run was down a groomed Lupine Loop that was sweet sugar. My legs needed a good warm up. I surveyed the terrain and spotted lots of nice lines in the Mineral Basin. The Mineral Basin Express was a fast 4 minute ride delivering 1,429 vertical of spring sweetness and hundreds of acres of options. Next spin was down Path to Paradise/Junior's Powder Paradise to scope out the western bowls of the Mineral Basin. As I figured the sun was working it hard and it was getting soft fast.

For the first two hours or so I alternated between the sides of the Mineral Basin, hitting Upper Not Quite Corn, High Stakes, Double Down, Chamonix Chutes, Lone Star (which was a defined sweet line right down the middle of the basin), Bassanova, and Blue By You. Snow on the Lupine Loop side was not as soft as the other side. The terrain variety was amazing--open bowls, narrow chutes with rocks and trees on either side, some fun knolls, and some stunning views and vistas with the real contrast in terrain that only Utah has.

With the temps beginning to warm and the sun moving across the mountain, I decided to try Little Cloud Basin at about 10:00. This area is much, much larger than it appears on the trail map. The double offers 1,304 vertical feet of terrain and at least three different bowls to ski. Like Mineral Basin there were two groomed routes down on either side of the lift.

Road to Provo/Mark Malu Fork was mint. The sun had just started to work its magic and there was nobody on it. It made me smile. I did another run before braving Regulator Johnson, which was FG but did soften later in the day. The off-groomed terrain was not soft quite yet, so back to Mineral Basin.

I hit Silver Dipper and White Diamond before playing around on Lupine Loop and in the Double Down/Chamonix Chutes area. Some amazing terrain and great stuff to play on. My Head Monster 76's were the right ski for the day--soft and quick enough for bumps yet stiff enough for hauling a$$ when needed.

From about 11:30-1:15 or so I went at it in Little Cloud Basin hitting two nice lines on Shireen, playing in the trees below that, and skiing a nice line just to skier's left of Regulator Johnson.

The double was busy with most skiers and riders hitting this area, including snow-tanned locals playing kazoos as they skied and wearing bright colored worker's vests.

With Mineral Basin set to close at 1:30 and the Tram closing for skiers at 2, I did one last run on High Stakes from top-to-bottom slaying some amazing snow. As I got to the base of the lift, I told the liftie that I was beat and out of gas. He smiled and suggested a route to ski to the base of the mountain. I opted to take the tram because of undermined snowbases and the strong advice of the ski patrol discouraging folks from making the trek down the frontside. As we descended I could see many skiers and riders making their way down Chip's Run.

The tram ride was interesting because we had to stop to allow workers who were inspecting the tower to board the top of the Tram at Tower 3 and ride the top of the car to Tower 2 :blink: Talk about James Bond style work!

At the bottom I went to the Wing's Store, snagged a couple stickers and a Snowbird shirt, and headed home.

Pics coming soon. More skiing on Friday! :beer:
 
Last edited:

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,337
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
Some pics....

PROOF:

268584_10150226248614667_744459666_7229069_1679059_n.jpg


All aboard!

269055_10150226248719667_744459666_7229071_8004371_n.jpg


Ahhh, I feel better already!

270544_10150226249014667_744459666_7229078_4919079_n.jpg


269782_10150226249049667_744459666_7229079_86628_n.jpg


261243_10150226249084667_744459666_7229081_3784369_n.jpg


First run down Lupine Loop looking across at The Bookends:

263478_10150226249219667_744459666_7229085_4599756_n.jpg


Happy!

264987_10150226249264667_744459666_7229086_8365064_n.jpg


American Twin Forks/Little Cloud Basin:

269588_10150226249754667_744459666_7229099_6509064_n.jpg


Junior's Powder Paradise was groomed, but there were PLENTY of ways to come down!

268908_10150226249974667_744459666_7229104_1804301_n.jpg


Looking NW into the Mineral Basin with the Hidden Peak in the middle:

268044_10150226250004667_744459666_7229105_4081895_n.jpg


Looking down into some nice terrain:

262133_10150226250339667_744459666_7229116_426051_n.jpg


Lone Star:

267439_10150226250739667_744459666_7229130_3177307_n.jpg


Can you see Lone Star and Not Quite Corn? Look closely and you can see the whiter snow from folks like me ripping it up!

270552_10150226250874667_744459666_7229134_688987_n.jpg
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,337
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
So many choices......

260011_10150226251024667_744459666_7229137_5799935_n.jpg


Looking down Lone Star:

264406_10150226251154667_744459666_7229141_870980_n.jpg


261844_10150226251379667_744459666_7229145_5919880_n.jpg


Top of High Stakes looking over towards Alta:

268103_10150226251564667_744459666_7229149_1188874_n.jpg


Fun...

260024_10150226251649667_744459666_7229153_334254_n.jpg


And Little Cloud Basin with some sweetness:

271087_10150226251744667_744459666_7229155_5514894_n.jpg
 

jimmywilson69

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
3,179
Points
113
Location
Dillsburg, PA
:daffy::daffy: Nice TR and Nice Pics.


I'm super jealous. glad you had a good time. This was truely an epic winter for the west.
 

skiadikt

Active member
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
Messages
1,081
Points
38
looks like some amazing summer skiing ... moved to utah. wow i'm damn jealous.
 

JimG.

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Oct 29, 2004
Messages
11,988
Points
113
Location
Hopewell Jct., NY
Wow!

Looking at the pic from Little Cloud I see that Pipeline still has good cover top to bottom except for a break at the top. That's also unfortunately the entrance to the pipe where you fall, you die/get hurt real bad.

Very jealous.
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,337
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
Here's Road to Provo/Mark Malu Fork:

270328_10150226252179667_744459666_7229165_1985747_n.jpg


View from Regulator Johnson:

269471_10150226252449667_744459666_7229170_6875802_n.jpg


A nice knoll:

268350_10150226252739667_744459666_7229175_282688_n.jpg


Bookends:

262649_10150226253214667_744459666_7229190_5141488_n.jpg


Hidden Peak:

264503_10150226254109667_744459666_7229214_7860686_n.jpg
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,337
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
Yum:

262209_10150226254634667_744459666_7229229_3534903_n.jpg


Chamonix Chutes:

267748_10150226254674667_744459666_7229231_7658151_n.jpg


This is not Vermont:

264557_10150226255654667_744459666_7229256_6391176_n.jpg


259812_10150226255984667_744459666_7229264_1078045_n.jpg


Little Cloud:

260086_10150226256379667_744459666_7229273_4187056_n.jpg


Seeded bump line:

260180_10150226256644667_744459666_7229279_4886297_n.jpg


Looking into Little Cloud Basin:

260397_10150226256959667_744459666_7229287_5796442_n.jpg


Heading towards Bookends:

264945_10150226257204667_744459666_7229293_5079410_n.jpg


Two of my choice lines in Mineral Basin (White Diamond):

270786_10150226257424667_744459666_7229300_3360636_n.jpg


And some more choice lines:

270529_10150226257894667_744459666_7229309_3955871_n.jpg
 

thetrailboss

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
32,337
Points
113
Location
NEK by Birth
the snow looks dirty! i'm glad i'm not there, my new pants would be ruined.

Ha, yeah! Anything not groomed was cupped first thing because of the sun/snow melt, which made for rough skiing before it warmed up more or folks had skied it in. It is always interesting in the spring to see all the sediment that accumulates in the snow during the season.
 

Nick

Administrator
Staff member
Administrator
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
13,176
Points
48
Location
Bradenton, FL
Website
www.alpinezone.com
Holy shit, not sure how I missed this earlier, this looks awesome!

By the way, I didn't know you moved?? Permanently?
 
Top