Best West Coast conditions (February 2016)?

[Scruffy]

Not sure I agree with that assessment. Once she figures out how to ski back to a certain lift she can rendezvous with him at that lift. All lifts there offer good intermediate and expert alternatives.

Sure, you can always meet up. But some aspects are easier,and quicker than others. If she is skiing down to Collins and you get into East Greey Bowl by way of Gun Sight, now you got a trek to catch up with her -for example. Of course there's always an alternative; she could take blues off Sugarloaf, while he takes Collin's Return and the then the High Traverse out and they meet at the bottom of SunnySide.

 

[4aprice]

Alta: Great that you're going, but there are only a few places that the good stuff will allow you to meet up with GF at lift.

Supreme lift is one: She can ski the blue down while you ski other stuff, like right under the lift is fun. Supreme Challenge, Spiny chutes, watch out for the cliff signs. Catherine's area if you want to do a short hike.

Collins lift: The trees right under the top of Collins Chair are usually nice and you can meet GF midway down to the bottom of the lift on the blue run.

Wildcat: She can ski the blue run while you hit the trees on skiers left of the Wildcat chair.

If you can break away from GF and want some of the good stuff:
-High Rustler is a must, it's an Alta Classic.
-Eagle's Nest
-Go out the High Traverse and boot up over the Gun Sight or Eddie's High Nowhere ( there use to be a rope to assist the boot up)
-Go up the Sugarloaf chair and head down little dipper or Gravy Boat and 100 yards or so, you'll see a gate with a boot up. That's to Glory Hole. Glory Hole is a nice steep bowl, but it dumps you into East Greely, so you could meet her at Alf's.
Greely Bowl.

That's just a sampling, you need to explore Alta to love it. From the groomers it may seem like it doesn't have much to offer.

Cliffs, Yea, like right under the Supreme Chair. Signs and gates mean what they say out there.

All those are great suggestions but like you say a sample. I wouldn't spend too much time traversing from section to section. Your never going to see the whole place in a one day visit. Select a side and explore. Sugarloaf/Supreme/Cresent has a mid mountain lodge right there and has plenty to explore. Albion Lodge has good parking, the Collins/Wildcat side is the harder area terrain wise. Either side is going to give you more skiing then you can handle in such a short period of time.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

PS IMO Sugarloaf will have the best selection of intermediate groomers for the gf.

 

[snoseek]

Supreme has the chillest and best cruisers and also some really nice short but steep drops. Really good place to park it. Only maybe 1k vert but its a perfect 1k

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[BenedictGomez]

If you can break away from GF and want some of the good stuff:
-High Rustler is a must, it's an Alta Classic.
-Eagle's Nest
-Go out the High Traverse and boot up over the Gun Sight or Eddie's High Nowhere ( there use to be a rope to assist the boot up)
-Go up the Sugarloaf chair and head down little dipper or Gravy Boat and 100 yards or so, you'll see a gate with a boot up. That's to Glory Hole. Glory Hole is a nice steep bowl, but it dumps you into East Greely, so you could meet her at Alf's.
Greely Bowl.

That's just a sampling, you need to explore Alta to love it. From the groomers it may seem like it doesn't have much to offer.

Thanks for the advice.

The gf is great, in fact, it's more me that doesn't like to leave her, usually before lunch and definitely after she usually requests that I "go" so I can do trees or whatever. She's perfectly content skiing alone.

And I do realize that skiing 6 areas might not lead to the best skiing experience and that skiing 3 areas for 2 days each might be wiser, but I also think there's something to be said for "shotgunning" and at least experiencing a bunch of places so that the next time I'm in Utah I'll have more appreciation for where I know I 100% want to go. Heck, there's also Snowmass and Sundance and Brighton and PCMR etc.... I imagine it would take years to really experience it all to the point you know your way around most places.

 

[MarkC]

Whistler is redicilous right now. Exchange rate is $1.40 to 1. I was out there the last week of February which is when this pic is from and they have had over 2 feet since

 

[snoseek]

BG if you mssg me your mailing address ill hook it up for park city

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[Abominable]

Just finished day four out here. Places with low elevation and lots of sun are getting a little thin. Bottom of strawberry (sbasin) for example. Powder country (powmow) is closed and was told they need a lot of snow to open it back up, more than we got today?

Skiing has been good though with soft spring skiing over the weekend and good storm skiing today (snowbird). They were calling for 18+ overnight but I'm not sure about that. But should be a couple inches here and there every day and night this week to keep it fresh.

Agree the bird is just not set up well for intermediates (although min basin was closed due to storm). The blue trails are really just access roads for the gnar. Serious frickin gnar though, steep and deep today in the woods. Weird layout, at least where I was (gad?). One of those places you could spend a season learning how to link different sections. (First impressions after one day marred by lightning holds).

Powmow has some wonderful cruisers to go along with all the trees and bowls. We'll be back there end of week. Fun place. Hairy armpits.


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[BenedictGomez]

BG if you mssg me your mailing address ill hook it up for park city

PM sent!

Powder country (powmow) is closed and was told they need a lot of snow to open it back up, more than we got today?

Well that's disappointing to hear. Looks like it dries out a bit after this week too, but you never know as I dont truth long-range much. Hairy armpits?

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Just booked Colorado April 7-10. Got days to use at copper and winter park, got a free ride to the mountains, got two Colorado friends down to split a cheap room, and got $250 round trip air. Why not. Spring skiing in co!

 

[AdironRider]

Just finished day four out here. Places with low elevation and lots of sun are getting a little thin. Bottom of strawberry (sbasin) for example. Powder country (powmow) is closed and was told they need a lot of snow to open it back up, more than we got today?

Skiing has been good though with soft spring skiing over the weekend and good storm skiing today (snowbird). They were calling for 18+ overnight but I'm not sure about that. But should be a couple inches here and there every day and night this week to keep it fresh.

Agree the bird is just not set up well for intermediates (although min basin was closed due to storm). The blue trails are really just access roads for the gnar. Serious frickin gnar though, steep and deep today in the woods. Weird layout, at least where I was (gad?). One of those places you could spend a season learning how to link different sections. (First impressions after one day marred by lightning holds).

Powmow has some wonderful cruisers to go along with all the trees and bowls. We'll be back there end of week. Fun place. Hairy armpits.


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It takes more snow to open some runs out here than mountains will get in an entire winter back East.

 

[jaybird]

... and got $250 round trip air. Why not. Spring skiing in co!

That's freaking excellent !
From what Airport?

Abundant snow at Jackson today

:beer:

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Leaving out of laguardia, returning to jfk. return flight is a red eye landing at 615 am. That actually works pretty well for me because I park in Brooklyn on the street. On Thursday night I can put the car in a no parking Monday and Thursday 8:30-10:00 am spot, and get back to the car just in time Monday morning to move to legal parking and be at work by 9:30

 

[thetrailboss]

Dumping here in Utah.....

 

[KustyTheKlown]

was gonna do tahoe, as i have a friend there and the free lodging would somewhat offset needing to buy squaw alpine tix. but my buddy in truckee won't be home 4/7-10. 4/14-17 i am going to see ween in nyc and i'm not missing that. 4/21-24 is passover and while i completely reject all religious -isms, my mother would have a fit and i'd rather not upset my mom. by the 28th, i think it was too late. denver/copper is a decent substitute but i was salivating for some squallywood.

for anyone interested, JFK>Reno on jetblue is only like $220 for most april weekends. 7:30 PM departures on thursday so no missing work, red-eyes on sunday so you can get to work on monday if you choose to.

 

[4aprice]

Dumping here in Utah.....

Your making my day TB.:grin:

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[Abominable]

Unbelievable day Brighton today. They had every bit of 12 inches overnight and was snowing all day, dumping when we left. I did some things I haven't done in a couple years- cliff drops, bombing open powder bowls - the wipeouts were epic.


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[thetrailboss]

Unbelievable day Brighton today. They had every bit of 12 inches overnight and was snowing all day, dumping when we left. I did some things I haven't done in a couple years- cliff drops, bombing open powder bowls - the wipeouts were epic.


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Have a friend up there right now and she is loving it. Looks like your timing was right.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Unbelievable day Brighton today. They had every bit of 12 inches overnight and was snowing all day, dumping when we left. I did some things I haven't done in a couple years- cliff drops, bombing open powder bowls - the wipeouts were epic.


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if you are comfortable leaving the resort, brighton has some amazing sidecountry access. off milly, traverse under the hike-to bowl all the way across to the gate and you get at some super fun stuff. as you get off great western ski off to the left and the gate there accesses some epic stuff. there's also epic stuff if you hug that rope along the boundary off of great western for a while and duck the rope about half way down for more great stuff in that same zone. also stuff off the hike from the crest chair. also a gate near wren hollow that gets you into some super fun low angle pillow lines.

 

[Abominable]

I hit that middle side country (cliffs) once (early) and western side a couple times, down to houses and road west of resort in afternoon. Incredible.


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[Abominable]

Snowing all the way down in valley now too.


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