Days 47-48: Busy.
This weekend was the busiest that I've seen all season, and that includes the Christmas holidays. The Creekside lot at Snowbird was full by 9:05 a.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, Alta was parked up on the road, and it didn't help that mechanical issues on Collins kept Alta's primary lift either frequently stopped or running at half speed much of the day. Liftlines were substantial (by Little Cottonwood standards, meaning up to 15 minutes long) all weekend.
That didn't keep us from enjoying the weekend, however. Skiing was so good that I skied opening bell to close on Saturday, and stuck around until 4 p.m. on Sunday. I would have stayed longer today but I didn't feel like repeating the traffic jam I was stuck in heading down canyon on Saturday. Even so, Wasatch Boulevard was still a junk show.
Our own friends were part of the traveling influx, including Mira and Sima, Miki, mrgskier, and Arnie and Kay. Saturday started with a couple of inches of light, fluffy snow, and concluded with stiff breezes that smoothed everything out on each and every run. On Sunday the sun came out and temperatures rapidly warmed to near 40 at the base and into the upper 20s at the top. Devil's Castle reopened, but I didn't feel like dealing with the hordes lined up for the rope drop. Instead, we played on High Boy/High Stoner and West Rustler.
High Stoner was particularly notable. Somehow, in nine years of living here I never, ever skied that line. I knew that it was there, but the entrance is rather hidden and I never knew exactly where it was. I had so much fun in there on Saturday, though, that I insisted upon skiing it today. It's a great variation on High Boy.
I put together a brief slide show/video of the weekend. I only wish that Colleen held her phone in landscape format #-o :
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Somw6QI_4LE[/youtube]
This weekend was the busiest that I've seen all season, and that includes the Christmas holidays. The Creekside lot at Snowbird was full by 9:05 a.m. on Saturday. On Sunday, Alta was parked up on the road, and it didn't help that mechanical issues on Collins kept Alta's primary lift either frequently stopped or running at half speed much of the day. Liftlines were substantial (by Little Cottonwood standards, meaning up to 15 minutes long) all weekend.
That didn't keep us from enjoying the weekend, however. Skiing was so good that I skied opening bell to close on Saturday, and stuck around until 4 p.m. on Sunday. I would have stayed longer today but I didn't feel like repeating the traffic jam I was stuck in heading down canyon on Saturday. Even so, Wasatch Boulevard was still a junk show.
Our own friends were part of the traveling influx, including Mira and Sima, Miki, mrgskier, and Arnie and Kay. Saturday started with a couple of inches of light, fluffy snow, and concluded with stiff breezes that smoothed everything out on each and every run. On Sunday the sun came out and temperatures rapidly warmed to near 40 at the base and into the upper 20s at the top. Devil's Castle reopened, but I didn't feel like dealing with the hordes lined up for the rope drop. Instead, we played on High Boy/High Stoner and West Rustler.
High Stoner was particularly notable. Somehow, in nine years of living here I never, ever skied that line. I knew that it was there, but the entrance is rather hidden and I never knew exactly where it was. I had so much fun in there on Saturday, though, that I insisted upon skiing it today. It's a great variation on High Boy.
I put together a brief slide show/video of the weekend. I only wish that Colleen held her phone in landscape format #-o :
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Somw6QI_4LE[/youtube]
