Day 17: Elephant snot
I was encouraged by drizzle that fell steadily last night throughout the Salt Lake Valley as I dined on Mole Coloradita and sipped margaritas at the Red Iguana with friends Leigh and Briar, visiting from Ontario, and Andy visiting from Long Island, along with Marc_C and wife as well as Bob Dangerous. Surely it was snow at elevation! The 4 inches of new this morning on the Snowbird SnowCam reinforced my optimism. I hadn't counted on the consistency of it, though.
Man, this stuff was some of the wettest, heaviest snow I've ever skied around here. In fact, it was some of the wettest, heaviest snow I've ever skied, period. Had it not been for visitors , I probably would've turned around and gone home.
It's a good thing they were there, though, for in addition to wonderful company, they kept me skiing and having some fun today, for it was actually better than I'd expected.
We hit Collins right at opening and headed down Devil's Elbow to access Supreme. I figured that the best thing to do would be to stay as high as possible where the snow would be driest, and this seems to have been a wise choice. Our first run was down through No. 9 trees, and it wasn't half bad at all. We went back up and hiked out Catherine's, and we were the first to set the highest traverse and also the first to lay tracks down my favorite line out there. We also ventured slightly OB toward the bottom to get some Patsy Marley turns.
Back up Supreme a third time, my first inclination was to relax on a groomer, but those ideas quickly faded as we dove into the trees to skier's left of the 3 Bears. Nice stuff, and only lightly tracked.
It was time to mix things up a bit, and the Backside gate had opened, so up Sugarloaf we went, heading all the way across Backside to hit up Susie's Trees where entire sectors had yet to see a track. The snow down low was wetter still, but no bother.
We caught the Transfer Tow and caught up with Marc_C outside Goldminer's, as well as Liftlines' own Lookin'4powder and his friend Tom, a patroller from Ski Liberty in PA. Back up Collins we went, looking like a CMH convention with 4 pair of CMH-edition Volkl Explosivs on board, and back to Backside, this time enjoying a line right down the middle of the broad face that had yet to see any tracks at all.
Either the snow was getting heavier and wetter, or I was getting more and more tired...or maybe both.
Back to Collins, we had a run through Liftline Trees that Leigh declared to be his favorite of the day to reach Watson Shelter for lunch, whereafter Lookin'4powder and Tom headed for a clinic (great to meet you, Jeff and Tom!), while the rest of us skied down to Collins and headed out the High T (still boney at Sunspot Ridge and The Fence) to hit up Stonecrusher. I was beat, and the lactic acid bath immersing my thighs convinced me that it was time to call it a day. Good thing, too, for I had a hard time even keeping my eyes open on the drive home.
Like Mr. Nigma found at Solitude yesterday, it wasn't a very photogenic day, so I only took one shot, shown below.
It was 40 when I left the Wildcat Base, and 59 in the Valley. Bring on Saturday's colder, drier storm!!
I was encouraged by drizzle that fell steadily last night throughout the Salt Lake Valley as I dined on Mole Coloradita and sipped margaritas at the Red Iguana with friends Leigh and Briar, visiting from Ontario, and Andy visiting from Long Island, along with Marc_C and wife as well as Bob Dangerous. Surely it was snow at elevation! The 4 inches of new this morning on the Snowbird SnowCam reinforced my optimism. I hadn't counted on the consistency of it, though.
Man, this stuff was some of the wettest, heaviest snow I've ever skied around here. In fact, it was some of the wettest, heaviest snow I've ever skied, period. Had it not been for visitors , I probably would've turned around and gone home.
It's a good thing they were there, though, for in addition to wonderful company, they kept me skiing and having some fun today, for it was actually better than I'd expected.
We hit Collins right at opening and headed down Devil's Elbow to access Supreme. I figured that the best thing to do would be to stay as high as possible where the snow would be driest, and this seems to have been a wise choice. Our first run was down through No. 9 trees, and it wasn't half bad at all. We went back up and hiked out Catherine's, and we were the first to set the highest traverse and also the first to lay tracks down my favorite line out there. We also ventured slightly OB toward the bottom to get some Patsy Marley turns.
Back up Supreme a third time, my first inclination was to relax on a groomer, but those ideas quickly faded as we dove into the trees to skier's left of the 3 Bears. Nice stuff, and only lightly tracked.
It was time to mix things up a bit, and the Backside gate had opened, so up Sugarloaf we went, heading all the way across Backside to hit up Susie's Trees where entire sectors had yet to see a track. The snow down low was wetter still, but no bother.
We caught the Transfer Tow and caught up with Marc_C outside Goldminer's, as well as Liftlines' own Lookin'4powder and his friend Tom, a patroller from Ski Liberty in PA. Back up Collins we went, looking like a CMH convention with 4 pair of CMH-edition Volkl Explosivs on board, and back to Backside, this time enjoying a line right down the middle of the broad face that had yet to see any tracks at all.
Either the snow was getting heavier and wetter, or I was getting more and more tired...or maybe both.
Back to Collins, we had a run through Liftline Trees that Leigh declared to be his favorite of the day to reach Watson Shelter for lunch, whereafter Lookin'4powder and Tom headed for a clinic (great to meet you, Jeff and Tom!), while the rest of us skied down to Collins and headed out the High T (still boney at Sunspot Ridge and The Fence) to hit up Stonecrusher. I was beat, and the lactic acid bath immersing my thighs convinced me that it was time to call it a day. Good thing, too, for I had a hard time even keeping my eyes open on the drive home.
Like Mr. Nigma found at Solitude yesterday, it wasn't a very photogenic day, so I only took one shot, shown below.
It was 40 when I left the Wildcat Base, and 59 in the Valley. Bring on Saturday's colder, drier storm!!
