FirstTracks
05-25-2008, 01:05 PM
Saturday, Day 62: Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start to summer...right? Isn't it?
It sure wasn't at Snowbird on Saturday. Gone were the days of blazing sun in the 60s from last weekend. Gone too, though, were the fresh 17 inches of snow that fell Thursday. Gone as well was our corn cycle.
What we were left with Saturday were winter-like temperatures on top, spring-like temperatures at the bottom, and nothing but balls of mashed potatoes in between. Add to that that just about everything slid. And I mean everything! North Baldy was one giant slide zone, with a massive alluvial fan of debris exiting Eye of the Needle. All of Eddie's Snowfield slid. All of Memorial Buttress slid. All of Mid-Cirque slid. Good luck finding anything with pitch that hadn't slid.
As a result I just wasn't feeling it and quit around 12:30. In between we took a run into Mineral Basin (socked in and spitting snow), a run over toward Puckerbrush (but we bailed into Mid-Cirque for softer snow), and a few groomers off Peruvian.
Even Bobby Danger left early, and when that happens, well...
A coyote at 9:15 on Whodunit:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/01_snowbird_coyote_080524.jpg
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/02_snowbird_coyote_080524.jpg
Peruvian Gulch:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/03_snowbird_peruvian_gulch_080524.jpg
Gad Valley:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/04_snowbird_gad_valley.jpg
Sunday, Day 63: Around the World
Today's easy to recount, as it involves only 2 lift rides and 1.5 runs.
As I was driving up the Bypass Road looking for a parking spot a snowball flew across the hood of my truck like a warning shot fired across the bow. It was Bobby Danger on Whodunit, with Skidog following shortly behind. I booted up quickly and joined them at the Peruvian Chair.
We were heading for Alta. Up Peruvian, through the Tunnel and down to Mineral Basin Express. Bob and Skidog wandered left out of the tunnel to the chunky goodness of lower Chamonix I - I opted instead for the softness of the groomer.
Up on the Peruvian Ridgeline we ran into Heather, and the four of us struck out for Alta, traversing the Chamonix Chutes until we ran out of steam, then bootpacking up to Sugarloaf Pass (of course, Matt had skins that would fit my Goliaths...down in his car ).
We clicked back into our bindings at the top of Baldy Express and glided down the Germ Return to the top of Collins at Germania Pass, pausing to admire the view and snap some pictures before heading off into the trees on the west-facing aspects between Mambo and Main Street -- smooth as a baby's butt with only the top half inch shaveable. Damned near perfect!
Bobby Danger and Heather atop Germania Pass:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/03_alta_bobd_heather_germania_pass_080525.jpg
Skidog at Germania Pass:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/04_alta_skidog_germania_pass_080525.jpg
Main Street:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/05_alta_mainst_080525.jpg
Devil's Castle:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/06_alta_devils_castle_080525.jpg
The author atop Germania Pass:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/07_alta_admin_germania_pass_080525.jpg
We traversed across almost ridiculous slide debris in Tombstone, stepped out of our skis again and hiked up to the top of the Wildcat lift, where several patrollers were busy spooling up the ropeline separating Snowbird and Alta along the ridgeline. We paused again for a moment as the weather began to close in ahead of the next storm.
Mount Baldy:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/08_alta_baldy_080525.jpg
A silent Wildcat lift:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/09_alta_wildcat_chair_080525.jpg
We then pushed off, dropping down Punch Bowl (a bit punchy -- the pun fully intended -- with its eastern exposure) and through the gate into Wildcat proper, finding delightful almost-corn on the north-facing aspects.
Bobby Danger in Wildcat:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/10_alta_bobd_wildcat_080525.jpg
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/11_alta_bobd_wildcat_080525.jpg
Heather in Wildcat:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/12_alta_heather_wildcat_080525.jpg
Bobby Danger in Wildcat as Skidog looks on:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/13_alta_bobd_wildcat_080525.jpg
Skidog in Wildcat:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/14_alta_skidog_wildcat_080525.jpg
We finished by dropping the entire length of Bridge Shot as snow began to fall, and walked through the parking lot of The View to ski the rest of the way down to the truck.
A great run! Tomorrow could be a Memorial Day powder day if the forecast holds true.
It sure wasn't at Snowbird on Saturday. Gone were the days of blazing sun in the 60s from last weekend. Gone too, though, were the fresh 17 inches of snow that fell Thursday. Gone as well was our corn cycle.
What we were left with Saturday were winter-like temperatures on top, spring-like temperatures at the bottom, and nothing but balls of mashed potatoes in between. Add to that that just about everything slid. And I mean everything! North Baldy was one giant slide zone, with a massive alluvial fan of debris exiting Eye of the Needle. All of Eddie's Snowfield slid. All of Memorial Buttress slid. All of Mid-Cirque slid. Good luck finding anything with pitch that hadn't slid.
As a result I just wasn't feeling it and quit around 12:30. In between we took a run into Mineral Basin (socked in and spitting snow), a run over toward Puckerbrush (but we bailed into Mid-Cirque for softer snow), and a few groomers off Peruvian.
Even Bobby Danger left early, and when that happens, well...
A coyote at 9:15 on Whodunit:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/01_snowbird_coyote_080524.jpg
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/02_snowbird_coyote_080524.jpg
Peruvian Gulch:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/03_snowbird_peruvian_gulch_080524.jpg
Gad Valley:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/04_snowbird_gad_valley.jpg
Sunday, Day 63: Around the World
Today's easy to recount, as it involves only 2 lift rides and 1.5 runs.
As I was driving up the Bypass Road looking for a parking spot a snowball flew across the hood of my truck like a warning shot fired across the bow. It was Bobby Danger on Whodunit, with Skidog following shortly behind. I booted up quickly and joined them at the Peruvian Chair.
We were heading for Alta. Up Peruvian, through the Tunnel and down to Mineral Basin Express. Bob and Skidog wandered left out of the tunnel to the chunky goodness of lower Chamonix I - I opted instead for the softness of the groomer.
Up on the Peruvian Ridgeline we ran into Heather, and the four of us struck out for Alta, traversing the Chamonix Chutes until we ran out of steam, then bootpacking up to Sugarloaf Pass (of course, Matt had skins that would fit my Goliaths...down in his car ).
We clicked back into our bindings at the top of Baldy Express and glided down the Germ Return to the top of Collins at Germania Pass, pausing to admire the view and snap some pictures before heading off into the trees on the west-facing aspects between Mambo and Main Street -- smooth as a baby's butt with only the top half inch shaveable. Damned near perfect!
Bobby Danger and Heather atop Germania Pass:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/03_alta_bobd_heather_germania_pass_080525.jpg
Skidog at Germania Pass:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/04_alta_skidog_germania_pass_080525.jpg
Main Street:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/05_alta_mainst_080525.jpg
Devil's Castle:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/06_alta_devils_castle_080525.jpg
The author atop Germania Pass:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/07_alta_admin_germania_pass_080525.jpg
We traversed across almost ridiculous slide debris in Tombstone, stepped out of our skis again and hiked up to the top of the Wildcat lift, where several patrollers were busy spooling up the ropeline separating Snowbird and Alta along the ridgeline. We paused again for a moment as the weather began to close in ahead of the next storm.
Mount Baldy:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/08_alta_baldy_080525.jpg
A silent Wildcat lift:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/09_alta_wildcat_chair_080525.jpg
We then pushed off, dropping down Punch Bowl (a bit punchy -- the pun fully intended -- with its eastern exposure) and through the gate into Wildcat proper, finding delightful almost-corn on the north-facing aspects.
Bobby Danger in Wildcat:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/10_alta_bobd_wildcat_080525.jpg
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/11_alta_bobd_wildcat_080525.jpg
Heather in Wildcat:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/12_alta_heather_wildcat_080525.jpg
Bobby Danger in Wildcat as Skidog looks on:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/13_alta_bobd_wildcat_080525.jpg
Skidog in Wildcat:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/files/14_alta_skidog_wildcat_080525.jpg
We finished by dropping the entire length of Bridge Shot as snow began to fall, and walked through the parking lot of The View to ski the rest of the way down to the truck.
A great run! Tomorrow could be a Memorial Day powder day if the forecast holds true.