On 3/22 the tram runs generally had winter snow (also the north exposures of Challenger) while the rest of the mountain had spring conditions on a clear day in the low 30's. Only on the lowest lifts, Thunder Wolf and Iron Horse, did the snow get really sloppy. On the first tram tour I made a wrong turn and had a hair-raising run down 1st Gully in tight wind-buffed conditions, somewhat intimidated by numerous rocks below the 40 degree slope I was skiing. I went back up and skied Lenin, and on the afternoon tour I followed the guide more closely down Marx and then over to Challenger.
On 3/23 the temperature rose into the 40's so the south face of Lone Peak softened. Our guide Lonnie Ball hit the Dictator Chutes at the perfect time about 10:30 for a memorable run which continued for 3,000 vertical total of corn down to the Shedhorn lift. After lunch we hit sun-softened moguls on Challenger and later in Liberty Bowl.
3/23 would have been a perfect day to ski Big Couloir, but I didn't get around to borrowing the transceiver and shovel required until the next day. 3/24 was as warm as the previous day but partly cloudy. A test run on 2nd Gully was much easier than on 3/22. But when I got into the couloir with ski patrol at 2PM, its upper half had some sun affected hard spots and I did as much sideslipping as turning. Once Big Couloir's dogleg turned, the snow was protected and the skiing was excellent in its lower half. Nice winter snow also remained on the north side Challenger runs like Nashville and Moonlight Bowls.
On 3/23 the temperature rose into the 40's so the south face of Lone Peak softened. Our guide Lonnie Ball hit the Dictator Chutes at the perfect time about 10:30 for a memorable run which continued for 3,000 vertical total of corn down to the Shedhorn lift. After lunch we hit sun-softened moguls on Challenger and later in Liberty Bowl.
3/23 would have been a perfect day to ski Big Couloir, but I didn't get around to borrowing the transceiver and shovel required until the next day. 3/24 was as warm as the previous day but partly cloudy. A test run on 2nd Gully was much easier than on 3/22. But when I got into the couloir with ski patrol at 2PM, its upper half had some sun affected hard spots and I did as much sideslipping as turning. Once Big Couloir's dogleg turned, the snow was protected and the skiing was excellent in its lower half. Nice winter snow also remained on the north side Challenger runs like Nashville and Moonlight Bowls.