Alta, UT 1/11/09

[Admin]

Day 24, sort of: You've gotta know when to fold 'em

Another day with Marc_C, Pat, Tirolerpeter and Kingslug. Bobby was hiking and skiing Superior. I awoke and was surprised by the overcast, even more surprised to look out the kitchen window and see Nef's Canyon socked in. It was spitting snow when I left the house, and by the time I got midway up the canyon roads were snow-covered.

We rendezvoused at the standard 9 am GMD meet and headed out.

Freezing fog. Everywhere. No escape. It was like skiing in an omnipresent wet snow gun. Had to stop every 100 yards to scrape off the goggles to see anything. Pity, too, for the snow was nice, but it just wasn't worth the misery.

I left after two runs on Collins. Marc_C and Pat left after three runs. There's always "tomorrow."

 

[Tony Crocker]

Get ready for Patrick's remarks about wimpy westerners/Americans.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Kingslug and I made a couple of runs after Admin left and then met Pat and Marc C in GMD for a rest. After they left we went back out for another try. Lo and behold, the clouds broke, the precip stopped and finally the sun came out. We had a great time skiing in the sun from around 1:30 to nearly 4 PM. There had been enough new snow to resurface most of the groomed areas, and fluff up the older chopped up pow. I took him out the High T for a couple of shots down some of the larger chutes, and then we did some additional runs off the Wildcat lift down the chutes out toward the "Ho." Kingslug left the mountain wearing a nice big SEG! Day 28 started out a bit rough, but ended on a nice note.

 

[Admin]

Lo and behold, the clouds broke, the precip stopped and finally the sun came out.

So I heard. I didn't have the patience, however, to wait to see if that was possible.

 

[Admin]

A major snow travesty occurred yesterday. At least on the north through west facing slopes, a stout layer of rime ruined all our nice powder we enjoyed so much on Saturday. The warm front and stratus clouds smashed into the upper half of the mountains with super-cooled water that froze on contact whatever it touched, creating some very loud powder. You could hear people coming from a half mile away and little pieces of snow skittered down the slick zipper crust. The good news is that the rime was not bad everywhere. It tends to coat the upwind sides of ridges and the downwind sides escaped with a much thinner coat. It’s kind of hit-or-miss. In Little Cottonwood Canyon it was not too bad but in Mill Creek and along the Park City ridge line, it was quite unpleasant. If you’re from Washington, you will feel right at home, but for the average, spoiled Utah’n, it elicits the same response as spraying a cat with a garden hose.

 

[Skidog]

Day 28 started

Thats it? And you're retired? Saturday was day 27 for me......Get out there man...

M

 

[jamesdeluxe]

"In today's Utah Avalanche Center report, Bruce Tremper"] The warm front and stratus clouds smashed into the upper half of the mountains with super-cooled water that froze on contact whatever it touched, creating some very loud powder. You could hear people coming from a half mile away and little pieces of snow skittered down the slick zipper crust.

Freezing fog.

Give me a break: "super-cooled water" ... it's called FREEZING RAIN.

No-bull reports have been replaced by Utah Euphemisms®.

 

[Sharon]

Lo and behold, the clouds broke, the precip stopped and finally the sun came out.

So I heard. I didn't have the patience, however, to wait to see if that was possible.

what a pansy

 

[Marc_C]

Lo and behold, the clouds broke, the precip stopped and finally the sun came out.

So I heard. I didn't have the patience, however, to wait to see if that was possible.

what a pansy

Along with the vast majority of the other locals. About the only locals skiing were those with either limited ski time or they were hosting/guiding visitors and were skiing out of a sense of obligation. And no, most didn't have the patience to hang around, as the afternoon clearing was a total unexpected surprise and contrary to all the weather forecasts, as today is a repeat of yesterday morning, with even thicker pea soup and colder temps.

Yes, we're spoiled and freely admit it. When it's your backyard with sub- 1/2 hr travel time, why bother?

 

[Admin]

Give me a break: "super-cooled water" ... it's called FREEZING RAIN.

No-bull reports have been replaced by Utah Euphemisms®.

No, it wasn't freezing rain, which is one of those peculiar eastern phenomena that I've never again had to endure since moving here. Y'all can have it. This was, in fact, freezing fog. The actual precipitation type falling concurrent with the freezing fog was snow.

 

[Marc_C]

Freezing fog.

Give me a break: "super-cooled water" ... it's called FREEZING RAIN.

No-bull reports have been replaced by Utah Euphemisms®.

No. You're quite simply, wrong. The only precip was light snow. There is such a thing as freezing fog. It's what causes rime ice.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

You're quite simply, wrong.

I stand corrected -- the proper spelling is Eutah Euphemisms®.

 

[Tony Crocker]

The fog CAN create an icy surface, as Snowman reported from Mammoth in November. But evidently that did not happen this weekend at Alta. You can use whatever terminology you want, but the bottom line is what ski surface resulted. And only jaded locals like admin would turn their noses up at it judging from tirolerpeter's report. Perhaps I should look Peter up, as conditions are going to be well below admin's standards this weekend from what I'm seeing.

 

[Admin]

The fog CAN create an icy surface

I had dinner with Bobby Danger last night at Porcupine. Recall that he skied untracked on Mt. Superior in the morning (for 3 laps, no less...that animal!). He reports that the snow had a "slight onion skin" on the surface from the fog, followed by "It was FABULOUS!" in a tone of voice that only those who know him can truly understand and appreciate. You must remember, though, that for accurate conditions reporting, take Bobby's statements and downgrade them by two levels to find the truth.

I found the surfaces on Sunday rather delightful to ski. I just couldn't see them.

conditions are going to be well below admin's standards this weekend from what I'm seeing.

Nonsense. I love soft, warm days as much as the next guy. I just prefer powder. This rime event will be but a distant memory by this coming weekend.

 

[Marc_C]

But evidently that did not happen this weekend at Alta.

At Alta, no, but as you can see from Tremper's report, elsewhere was very heavily affected. While the snow at Alta was great, the skiing experience sucked.

And only jaded locals like admin would turn their noses up at it judging from tirolerpeter's report. Perhaps I should look Peter up, as conditions are going to be well below admin's standards this weekend from what I'm seeing.

What Peter didn't mention in his report was that...
1) He felt conditions in the morning sucked donkey balls.
2) The only reason he was skiing was the aforementioned sense of obligation to a visitor.
3) When Pat and I left, Peter was talking about only doing one or two more runs.
4) The afternoon clearing was totally unexpected and was the only reason Peter stayed.
5) The Wildcat (GMD) lot was filled to capacity on Saturday. It was no more than 50% full when I left at 11:45 on Sunday, and none of the vehicles surrounding me in the lot were the same ones as when I parked at 9am.

You're right - the locals thought yesterday morning sucked. Great snow, but not worth the pain and suffering of not being able to see what you were skiing. When you're a local, with a pass, and a 50 to 85 day season, it's remarkably easy to blow off days like yesterday. It's also easy to ignore comments about jaded, spoiled locals from those who don't live here. As I said to another visitor yesterday, "We really don't care [about how great you think it is]."

 

[Skidog]

The fog CAN create an icy surface

I had dinner with Bobby Danger last night at Porcupine. Recall that he skied untracked on Mt. Superior in the morning (for 3 laps, no less...that animal!). He reports that the snow had a "slight onion skin" on the surface from the fog, followed by "It was FABULOUS!" in a tone of voice that only those who know him can truly understand and appreciate. You must remember, though, that for accurate conditions reporting, take Bobby's statements and downgrade them by two levels to find the truth.

I found the surfaces on Sunday rather delightful to ski. I just couldn't see them.

conditions are going to be well below admin's standards this weekend from what I'm seeing.

Nonsense. I love soft, warm days as much as the next guy. I just prefer powder. This rime event will be but a distant memory by this coming weekend.

We all know that "fabulous" is a debatable term when Bobby D says it...

I bet it was ok though..I had prior obligations so I could not join Bobby and certainly wouldnt have done 3 laps...that guy is an ANIMAL!

M

 

[salida]

Skiing those same aspects in Mineral yesterday, I bet it was fabulous. A little icing never hurt anyone.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Great snow, but not worth the pain and suffering of not being able to see what you were skiing.

I thought that was when admin headed for his rabbit warrens.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

I thought that was when admin headed for his rabbit warrens.

A recent memo mentioned that Admin has given up rabbit warrens in favor of sweeping GS turns.
:?

 

[Admin]

Great snow, but not worth the pain and suffering of not being able to see what you were skiing.

I thought that was when admin headed for his rabbit warrens.

Oh, for chrissakes...read the damned report before commenting, will ya? It wasn't fog that obscured your vision, it was freezing fog that required stopping every 100 yards or so to scrape the ice off your goggles. Skiing in the trees won't help one effin' iota in that situation.