Altabird, UT 3/10-12/24

[tseeb]

Skied Snowbird, then Alta, then Snowbird both days but having too much fun to write much or take many pictures. Sunday was much busier than Monday although Collins chair at Alta still had short line on Mon. On Sunday I wanted to show my wife the way to get to Alta without riding bus. Tony Crocker thought going left at the top of Wilbere to Peruvian and the tunnel would be too firm so he led us to Gadzoom and Little Cloud where we found a lot of wind at top and on Path to Paradise. Lucia took the groomer while Tony Crocker and I went further (he much) towards Bookend Gully. We saw huge line for Mineral and rode Baldy to get to Alta where we skied down Razorback then took a lap on steep groomed Challenger. Both Supreme and Sugarloaf chair had about 5 minute, well-managed lines. We took Sugarloaf and skied windy EBT to Watson shelter where we met up with former Admin, Bobby Danger, telejon, Malcolm and Devin and left Lucia there to ski on her own (she was able to mert up with Lizardqueen). We skied to bottom of Collins and even though there were 7 of us we saved a lot of long line by using Singles line. We then took a couple of laps skiing wind-blown/-sifted/powder on Backside, then second time skiing some low-angle untracked next to a ropline. Next time up Sugarloaf, we skied EBT and above Ballroom to Harold’s finding some mostly smooth, barely packed powder. They all went into Watson shelter for lunch while I loaded Collins mid-station and skied further past Harold’s to a smooth chute before Tombstone. After eating sandwiches, chips and tangerines I’d been carrying Lucia and I took ropetow to Sunnyside and Sugarloaf, both of which we rode twice and skied once, with Lucia skiing groomed black Extrovert. We returned to Snowbird and found line at Mineral mostly gone at about 3. From the top of Snowbird we skied Chip’s finding a lot of blown-in and I cut a few corners which Lucia joining me on the open slope above top of Peruvian. We continued to the bottom via Chip’s and taking Middle Men’s Downhill where there are still rocks high on leftside. Lucia on groomed black lower Chip’s.

I showed her the bridge and path back to Iron Blosam, then rode Wilbere and skied to and rode and skied Peruvian. I skied some of Upper Silver Fox, Primrose Path and Lower Silver Fox before cutting left on Rothmans Way before dropping into steep narrow chute before Mach Schnell. I quit after 4, running into Stefan when taking off my skis, with almost 23K.

Monday 3/11
Thanks to @jimk for great morning and a little more at Snowbird. I quit at almost 4 with 29K. No time to write more and no photos.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Tseeb and Lucia Sunday morning on Powder Paradise:

Challenger off Alta's Supreme lift:

On our way to meet former Admin & company, I dropped into Alf's and got Lucia a trail map. We later heard from Liz that Snowbird is no longer distributing paper trail maps.

We then took a couple of laps skiing wind-blown/-sifted/powder on Backside, then second time skiing some low-angle untracked next to a ropeline.

BobbyD was leading the way there.

After the Watson's lunch we ran another Backside windsift lap. Then former Admin & company skied to Collins base to get on the road by 3PM to beat traffic. I texted Liz to meet 3PM so I could show her the backside lap, but she had already gone back to Snowbird.

On my own I decided view return to Snowbird via Keyhole, which I had not skied for several years. Former Admin thought it was enough west facing to be sun affected, but I thought it was no more west facing than Backside is east facing. View down from top of traverse into Keyhole:

I'm at far skier's left of the wide snowfield, which is NW facing and partially shaded, so snow was excellent.

This all funnels into a 35-40 degree chute with some bumps. Despite the quality snow, this is the type of terrain (along with the ~9,500 foot altitude) that requires enough effort to get me out of breath as of last season. I had 4 suck wind breaks, one at the bottom of the snowfield, two in the chute and one on the apron below. The apron was sunnier but skier's left was still winter snow.

I took one lap on Peruvian and finished with 14,000 vertical at Alta and 6,600 at Snowbird.

 

[Tony Crocker]

On Monday afternoon after Jimk left, Stefan, Tseeb and I met Liz and Lucia at Gad 2, where they had skied a few runs already. We told them they had to ski Lone Star, that run down the middle of Mineral Basin that I had never see groomed before. Liz and Stefan:

Lucia and Tseeb:

Lucia and Tseeb rode Baldy into Alta and went to Goldminer's for lunch. Stefan has a Base Ikon and went to lunch at Hidden Peak. I had to show Liz the Backside windsift we skied Sunday.

We rode Sugarloaf and skied into Mineral Basin to rejoin Stefan. From the top we all found excellent soft windbuff dropping off upper Chip's. Liz skied Upper Primrose. I was on my way to Macaroni Chute but saw perfectly smooth snow between stunted trees just skier' right of the tram tower. View back up to that area:

We skied to Peruvian via Phone 3 for one last lap. I traversed out to the lower section of Upper Silver ox and we allfinished with lower Primrose which had been groomed Sunday. I skied 23,000 vertical, of which 1,400 was the Backside/Sugarloof lap in Alta.

 

[Tony Crocker]

There was intermittent snow overnight, but no more than an inch at the base in the morning and 2-3 inches up high. It snowed most of the day Tuesday, though not that hard as was predicted. Liz and I were about a lap behind Tseeb. We skied a Peruvian lap on Chip's and my legs were still feeling the effects of the prior two days.

Tseeb texted that although visibility in Mineral Basin was poor, it was OK at Sugarloaf Pass. So we took Baldy into Alta, skied two laps on Sugarloaf, then had short break at Alf's. We then skied two cruisers on Supreme and headed back to Snowbird. The mellow terrain on Baldy was now skiing well with the ongoing new snow.

You can see why I took few pictures today.

From the top we skied Road to Provo, which had the most severe fog of the day. Both Liz and I skied off the track near the end but fortunately hing on and did now fall over downhill. Fortunately skier's left of upper Mark Malu was a a bit brighter and the other skiers on it made orientation easier. The mid section tends to be especially soupy on days like this Liz but managed through it OK. I chose to ski the trees skier's right of the Rasta's. This wasa great call not only for visibility but by this time there were probably 4 inches of snow of new snow to make the steep mogul tunrs much easier.

We cruised to our usual end of the day bridge exit and were plessantly surprised that the bootm pitch of Harpers Ferry East has only a few tracks. We quit at 1:45 with 13,300 vertical, conserving energy for tomorrow, likely to be the best day of our week.

 

[tseeb]

Tuesday 3/12 I skied from a little after 10 to 2:20 and my watch counted 21.3K. I started with a run down the big, but covered with 2-3" new, bumps under Wilbere trying to see Tony and Liz, then thought they'd already headed for Peruvian so I went there after my 2nd Wilbere lap. I rode lift with couple from Boston who spend winters in SLC and have both Alta and Snowbird passes. Visibility was bad enough on Lupine Loop that I was glad to see lady ahead of me or I may have lost the trail. I skied two laps on Baldy, where visibility was better, finding some smooth powder along edges of Claim Jumper. Then I moved to Alta and skied Amen, but found most of the new snow scraped off until it flattened. I went out Cecret gate twice and skied both sides of Cecret Lake on my next two laps, finding some powder before moving to Supreme for two laps. I started on Challenger, which was good on preceding day, then skied some good powder in Supreme Bowl before exiting to avoid steep tight chutes. I found low-angle untracked powder below them. Next lap I skied blue runs further lookers right from chair. I went up Sugarloaf and skied to Watson via Mambo and Main Street and sat on couch and had light lunch I'd carried. I rode and skied Collins twice, finding some good powder next to trees along Race Course and ski patrol attending to someone who may have hit a tree. Main Street was roped off on my last Collins lap for avalanche danger. I returned to Snowbird via Blackjack and rode and skied Peruvian and Gadzoom.

Wednesday should be good with Alta reporting 16" new in last 24 hours, 9" in last 12 and 497" for the season.

No skiing pictures taken. I should have taken some of the Beef Bourguignonne for 16 my wife made using 8 lbs. of beef instead of skiing (she had to take one day off this week as her Ikon Base Plus only has 5 Altabird days). It was mostly eaten last night and was accompanied with a 2014 Stags Leaps Cabernet and a couple of great wines Tony Crocker brought. This is my SkiTrack from Tuesday, my SUV at 2:25 and view from our balcony at almost 7.

 

[kingslug]

Leaving soon...with pc reporting 7 inches..
Not happy..but it was a good week.
Yesterday pretty Foggy but made the best of it as it snowed all day. Pretty heavy and wet..but I'll take it. Sometimes Bluebird days can be better,at least when heading into steep stuff.

 

[EMSC]

Then former Admin & company skied to Collins base

Pics or it didn't happen!

 

[Tony Crocker]

You can tell from Tseeb’s pics that visibility was not great Tue/WedThu.