Day 10: Hell on the highway, heaven on the hill.
I left my house at 8 a.m., usually more than adequate even on a powder day. I knew that it was going to be crazy busy after the Friday storm that left 25" of new snow in its wake.
Today, however, was utter chaos. I live 5 minutes from the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Today, that took an hour.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iAAUixT3CE[/video]
Now, indulge me for a second on my soapbox. There were 4x4/chain restrictions in effect in the canyon. That's broadcast on UDOT's website and on the ski areas'. When you exit I-215, there's an electronic information board that tells you so. At the Wasatch Blvd./Little Cottonwood Canyon Road split, there's a flashing sign telling you so. When you arrive at the mouth of the canyon, there's a flashing sign telling you so.
Yet, every five or six cars there was some jackass in a 2WD vehicle without chains seemingly oblivious to the UPD deputy sitting at the entrance to the canyon checking for 4WD or chains. Invariably, each one was forced to stop, have a 20-second conversation with the deputy and turn around. Multiply this many times over, and that's what led to today's s**tshow. Had these people not tried to get up the canyon with their illegally-equipped vehices, it would've gone smoothly. Instead, it took an hour to go barely 2 miles. Seeing as how there were two deputies, it also would've gone more quickly if they had checked for chains before the merge at the canyon mouth. Once in the canyon I was at the Wildcat lot in 15 minutes.
Yes today was cold (+/- a few degrees of zero), yet it never felt that bad. The snow was absolutely incredible. We skied deep, untracked fluff all morning. And I'm not sure where everyone went, but they must've ended up at Snowbird for I barely waited in a liftline all day. Even though the mid-Collins plot measures 68 inches, Bobby Danger kept saying that it skied like a 100-inch base...and he's right.
My biggest issues today all revolved around equipment. My first run was blind as I had fog form between my goggle lenses due to moisture from Friday that never completely dried. Later, I was heading out the High T at warp speed when I suddenly found myself wearing one ski and watching the other dive down Race Course (shout-out to Tom's son Dallas for finding it!). My Dynafit bindings were strangely uncooperative today. I twice found myself in the Watson Shelter men's room melting ice from my bindings with the hand dryers (that must be a first -- I sure got some strange looks carrying my skis into the bathroom with me!). Jeremy, the Watson Shelter manager, lent me a can of WD-40 but even that didn't help. I eventually resigned myself to skiing them in touring mode, which means that they were no longer releasable bindings. Tonight they're warming and drying overnight indoors; hopefully that will solve whatever the issue is.
I left my house at 8 a.m., usually more than adequate even on a powder day. I knew that it was going to be crazy busy after the Friday storm that left 25" of new snow in its wake.
Today, however, was utter chaos. I live 5 minutes from the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Today, that took an hour.
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iAAUixT3CE[/video]
Now, indulge me for a second on my soapbox. There were 4x4/chain restrictions in effect in the canyon. That's broadcast on UDOT's website and on the ski areas'. When you exit I-215, there's an electronic information board that tells you so. At the Wasatch Blvd./Little Cottonwood Canyon Road split, there's a flashing sign telling you so. When you arrive at the mouth of the canyon, there's a flashing sign telling you so.
Yet, every five or six cars there was some jackass in a 2WD vehicle without chains seemingly oblivious to the UPD deputy sitting at the entrance to the canyon checking for 4WD or chains. Invariably, each one was forced to stop, have a 20-second conversation with the deputy and turn around. Multiply this many times over, and that's what led to today's s**tshow. Had these people not tried to get up the canyon with their illegally-equipped vehices, it would've gone smoothly. Instead, it took an hour to go barely 2 miles. Seeing as how there were two deputies, it also would've gone more quickly if they had checked for chains before the merge at the canyon mouth. Once in the canyon I was at the Wildcat lot in 15 minutes.
Yes today was cold (+/- a few degrees of zero), yet it never felt that bad. The snow was absolutely incredible. We skied deep, untracked fluff all morning. And I'm not sure where everyone went, but they must've ended up at Snowbird for I barely waited in a liftline all day. Even though the mid-Collins plot measures 68 inches, Bobby Danger kept saying that it skied like a 100-inch base...and he's right.
My biggest issues today all revolved around equipment. My first run was blind as I had fog form between my goggle lenses due to moisture from Friday that never completely dried. Later, I was heading out the High T at warp speed when I suddenly found myself wearing one ski and watching the other dive down Race Course (shout-out to Tom's son Dallas for finding it!). My Dynafit bindings were strangely uncooperative today. I twice found myself in the Watson Shelter men's room melting ice from my bindings with the hand dryers (that must be a first -- I sure got some strange looks carrying my skis into the bathroom with me!). Jeremy, the Watson Shelter manager, lent me a can of WD-40 but even that didn't help. I eventually resigned myself to skiing them in touring mode, which means that they were no longer releasable bindings. Tonight they're warming and drying overnight indoors; hopefully that will solve whatever the issue is.
