tseeb
Well-known member
I rode bus to Alta from Snowbird and was in line for Collins at 830. This is lines for both Collins and Wildcat about 5 minutes after they opened at 915 just before I loaded from 5 or 6 back in singles line. Maybe crowds would have been less if they had not reported 16" new in last 24 hrs.
I took High Traverse gate 1 which requires a little stepping up and skied Thirds, getting a few face shots going to and along the trees to the right. Visibility was tough in very wide, open area getting to creek crossing to get to Sunnyside that I rode to Sugarloaf, but snow was deep and very forgiving. I rode and skied Sugarloaf, which was stopping a lot, three times; first skiing powder along edge of Gravy Boat, then twice going into trees off EBT. First run included steep powder around Amen, second was along ropeline protecting Backside (that may have opened on Wednesday?!) and last I went thru gate past Cecret Lake. Flat light on tracks coming out of trees off EBT.
This was with auto-color correction. It was not sunny. Baldy was spinning and I heard both it and Mineral Basin opened.
I moved to Supreme for three laps first skiing powder along edge of No. 9 Express and Vicky’s Gully, then twice going into Catherine’s area, first from the traverse, then from the hike. Both Sugarloaf and Supreme developed moderate lines, especially for singles. I skied, rode rope tow, then hiked up to Wildcat, avoiding still long line at Collins. I skied steep mostly chopped up snow on Wildcat Face, then on next lap returned to Snowbird at almost 1230 on White Cliffs where there were only about 4 tracks and I was the first to cut the corner into widely spaced trees. It rivaled Thirds for run of the day as I did not cross many tracks going to Who Dunnit and found more powder all the way to Bypass Road.
I skied to Gadzoom where my wife needed help getting back to Iron Blosam after struggling in the powder on a previous lap, probably lookers right at top to Bassackward. (I thought she was taking later bus to Alta.) I led her down packed run that goes lookers left of chair past Mid Gad lodge and she was doing well enough that when I stopped to see where she was, she passed me. But she had gotten cold waiting at bottom of Gadzoom and was done for the day. We found Tony Crocker unloading Wilbere and he led us on best path to point Lucia to bridge back to Iron Blosam while we met Bryce at Peruvian. All three of us skied Zen/Mid-Baldy Traverse, finding some powder next to a ropeline with me dropping/falling onto a road at one point. We also skied some of Blackjack Gully which was challenging and something I had thought was a closed area. Bryce and I went up Peruvian again skiing Upper Primrose Path, cutting below some cliffs for steep trees above the meadow, then taking a traverse that included a small drop to clear rocks to Mach Schell which was very good with some powder along edges. I then had a one tram wait and found top was in sun. Upper Silver Fox, which skied well, and the rest of the way down was not in sun and I took some easier routes before skiing a steep lower face and finding a little powder almost at bottom. I stopped a little before 3 with almost 24K. These two pictures taken before skiing. First is my SUV that morning and 2nd is me in front of wall of snow at entrance to Iron Blosam, taken by my wife from our balcony. I had gone to car to get slightly longer poles for my wife, hoping they had bigger baskets.
I took High Traverse gate 1 which requires a little stepping up and skied Thirds, getting a few face shots going to and along the trees to the right. Visibility was tough in very wide, open area getting to creek crossing to get to Sunnyside that I rode to Sugarloaf, but snow was deep and very forgiving. I rode and skied Sugarloaf, which was stopping a lot, three times; first skiing powder along edge of Gravy Boat, then twice going into trees off EBT. First run included steep powder around Amen, second was along ropeline protecting Backside (that may have opened on Wednesday?!) and last I went thru gate past Cecret Lake. Flat light on tracks coming out of trees off EBT.
This was with auto-color correction. It was not sunny. Baldy was spinning and I heard both it and Mineral Basin opened.
I moved to Supreme for three laps first skiing powder along edge of No. 9 Express and Vicky’s Gully, then twice going into Catherine’s area, first from the traverse, then from the hike. Both Sugarloaf and Supreme developed moderate lines, especially for singles. I skied, rode rope tow, then hiked up to Wildcat, avoiding still long line at Collins. I skied steep mostly chopped up snow on Wildcat Face, then on next lap returned to Snowbird at almost 1230 on White Cliffs where there were only about 4 tracks and I was the first to cut the corner into widely spaced trees. It rivaled Thirds for run of the day as I did not cross many tracks going to Who Dunnit and found more powder all the way to Bypass Road.
I skied to Gadzoom where my wife needed help getting back to Iron Blosam after struggling in the powder on a previous lap, probably lookers right at top to Bassackward. (I thought she was taking later bus to Alta.) I led her down packed run that goes lookers left of chair past Mid Gad lodge and she was doing well enough that when I stopped to see where she was, she passed me. But she had gotten cold waiting at bottom of Gadzoom and was done for the day. We found Tony Crocker unloading Wilbere and he led us on best path to point Lucia to bridge back to Iron Blosam while we met Bryce at Peruvian. All three of us skied Zen/Mid-Baldy Traverse, finding some powder next to a ropeline with me dropping/falling onto a road at one point. We also skied some of Blackjack Gully which was challenging and something I had thought was a closed area. Bryce and I went up Peruvian again skiing Upper Primrose Path, cutting below some cliffs for steep trees above the meadow, then taking a traverse that included a small drop to clear rocks to Mach Schell which was very good with some powder along edges. I then had a one tram wait and found top was in sun. Upper Silver Fox, which skied well, and the rest of the way down was not in sun and I took some easier routes before skiing a steep lower face and finding a little powder almost at bottom. I stopped a little before 3 with almost 24K. These two pictures taken before skiing. First is my SUV that morning and 2nd is me in front of wall of snow at entrance to Iron Blosam, taken by my wife from our balcony. I had gone to car to get slightly longer poles for my wife, hoping they had bigger baskets.
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