Zand
Well-known member
Got back into SLC from Jackson around 11:15 last night. After a powder day at Alta, 2 insane spring days at Jackson, and 10 hours of driving I really wasn't up for doing anything today but finally willed myself to drive to Snowbird at noon.
With the sun shining and temps in the upper 40s I expected another corn harvest and bumps all over the place but I quickly found everything but. All the natural terrain was still tracked out crud from the storm 3 days ago. Groomed terrain was mainly packed powder or chalky where it was more skied off. Only the lowest elevations near the base and the Mineral Basin groomers were corned up. Drastic change from what I skied the past 2 days despite similar weather.
First run I headed out Road to Provo which is where I found the tracked out crud wasn't all that fun to ski. While it wasn't corn or crust, it was moist and nearly impossible to turn in without catching a ski. Plus I just didn't have the energy to make it work.
Decided to head to Mineral Basin next and spent the next hour and a half skiing groomers over there which were nice and soft and baking in the sun. The natural stuff over there was also tracked out crud...just a little more wet but still barely skiable unless you had very wide skis. Didn't see many people venture off groomers on that side other than towards the Bookends.
Around 2:00 I went back over to the front. Did a long nonstop run down the entire length of Chips...I believe it's 3 miles or something like that and 2700 vertical feet...real leg burner. Next run I hit the chute under the top of Peruvian which was tracked out enough that you weren't sinking like the Titanic while skiing it. Also hit the bottom of Tramline...nice steep shot and that was one of the few trails sporting spring bumps.
Being a glutton for punishment I just had to do a run off the Cirque. Decided to drop off Gad side as I knew the snow facing north would be the same sticky soft stuff I'd seen everywhere else. Descended down Restaurant Roll and even though it faces south, it was just like everything else that didn't face south...soft and sticky. Wasn't pretty but picked my way down okay.
Did a couple runs off Gad 2...first was the liftline which looked really packed down and it was, but I was still like skiing on a sponge. But one of the better runs of the day. Bassackwards Benches was next and that was...interesting. Felt like i spent more time climbing or traversing than I did skiing.
Did a couple groomers off Little Cloud before it closed and I headed for the bottom. Last run was down the trees skiers right of the mid Gad double. A little less soft down low so much more skiable.
Tomorrow looks like light snow...also looks like everything that softened the past few days will be solid. Not sure how I'll go about it. Planning on at least starting at Alta but maybe I'll cross over to Snowbird at some point too. Last day of the trip unfortunately then a few days left back east (hopefully 2 more months).
With the sun shining and temps in the upper 40s I expected another corn harvest and bumps all over the place but I quickly found everything but. All the natural terrain was still tracked out crud from the storm 3 days ago. Groomed terrain was mainly packed powder or chalky where it was more skied off. Only the lowest elevations near the base and the Mineral Basin groomers were corned up. Drastic change from what I skied the past 2 days despite similar weather.
First run I headed out Road to Provo which is where I found the tracked out crud wasn't all that fun to ski. While it wasn't corn or crust, it was moist and nearly impossible to turn in without catching a ski. Plus I just didn't have the energy to make it work.
Decided to head to Mineral Basin next and spent the next hour and a half skiing groomers over there which were nice and soft and baking in the sun. The natural stuff over there was also tracked out crud...just a little more wet but still barely skiable unless you had very wide skis. Didn't see many people venture off groomers on that side other than towards the Bookends.
Around 2:00 I went back over to the front. Did a long nonstop run down the entire length of Chips...I believe it's 3 miles or something like that and 2700 vertical feet...real leg burner. Next run I hit the chute under the top of Peruvian which was tracked out enough that you weren't sinking like the Titanic while skiing it. Also hit the bottom of Tramline...nice steep shot and that was one of the few trails sporting spring bumps.
Being a glutton for punishment I just had to do a run off the Cirque. Decided to drop off Gad side as I knew the snow facing north would be the same sticky soft stuff I'd seen everywhere else. Descended down Restaurant Roll and even though it faces south, it was just like everything else that didn't face south...soft and sticky. Wasn't pretty but picked my way down okay.
Did a couple runs off Gad 2...first was the liftline which looked really packed down and it was, but I was still like skiing on a sponge. But one of the better runs of the day. Bassackwards Benches was next and that was...interesting. Felt like i spent more time climbing or traversing than I did skiing.
Did a couple groomers off Little Cloud before it closed and I headed for the bottom. Last run was down the trees skiers right of the mid Gad double. A little less soft down low so much more skiable.
Tomorrow looks like light snow...also looks like everything that softened the past few days will be solid. Not sure how I'll go about it. Planning on at least starting at Alta but maybe I'll cross over to Snowbird at some point too. Last day of the trip unfortunately then a few days left back east (hopefully 2 more months).
