Days 23-25: They're heeeeere!
The holiday trail map readers are back in full force. I went up Thursday afternoon for a couple of runs and the joint was mobbed with people skiing on random vectors after a road closure and Interlodge had jammed up the morning. Walking around the Goldminer''s café is now an exercise in tripping over giant boot bags with airline hangtags. The snow was somewhat disappointing on Thursday, too, as untracked lines in exposed spots like Greeley Hill were totally wind jacked to the point that the snow was like lead-reinforced concrete. I didn't feel like I'd missed anything by working Thursday morning, and from what I heard about Wednesday I know I didn't miss anything then, either (for example, after the road crapshow Skidog finally loaded his first chair at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, took one run and went home).
The first line that I've seen at Sunnyside all season.
On Thursday night we hosted our annual Christmas Eve party, attended this year by about 30 people. I had way, way too much to drink...but I guess that's about par for the course when you host a party that lasts for 8 full hours.
Maggie's ready for the party
Zoe is, too. I tried -- but failed -- to get them to pose together.
I was therefore driving up canyon on Christmas morning with a hangover that could've killed an elephant, after somehow robotically getting dressed and snowblowing the driveway, all within 25 minutes. I wondered what I was doing heading up there at all with my brain in such a fog, convinced that my pounding head would make the skiing miserable. Instead, the skiing was so phenomenal that it cleared my hangover within three runs and I ended up having more fun that I had any day yet this season. The mountain was empty, 6" of fluffy dust fell overnight to hide the wind-affected areas, and another 3" fell throughout the day. It was rock star skiing. You could charge down the hill with utter abandon and we absolutely pounded the mountain relentlessly. You could do no wrong in that hero snow. We never had a bad run all day.
The best hangover cure that I can think of.
Supremely empty.
The Transfer Tow.
A good old-fashioned Wasatch snowstorm.
In fact, snowfall intensified so much during the afternoon that UDOT unexpectedly closed the road at 1:30 p.m., right about when I had hoped to get out of there. We were stuck in Alta until 3 p.m.
The skis parked outside of GMD tell the story of how many people were waiting for the road to reopen.
Today's story was all about the cold -- temperatures of -3ºF to start the day with wind chills around -20ºF.
I think this is a good look for Bobby.
That first run (or half run, actually, as we went straight to Watson's for coffee) was downright frigid. The day, however, quickly warmed to reasonable single-digit levels, and the temperatures actually kept the snow quality good and the holiday crowds from getting out of hand.
Natural releases like this one are still keeping us from skiing Backside.
Mount Superior was looking rather superior today.
Chartreuse and Backside beyond.
From Germania Pass.
Bobby Danger
Skidog
AmyZ
We all left at 2 p.m. even though ASP had just opened Ballroom/Baldy Shoulder for the first time since this massive storm cycle began, only because tomorrow's just another day.
The holiday trail map readers are back in full force. I went up Thursday afternoon for a couple of runs and the joint was mobbed with people skiing on random vectors after a road closure and Interlodge had jammed up the morning. Walking around the Goldminer''s café is now an exercise in tripping over giant boot bags with airline hangtags. The snow was somewhat disappointing on Thursday, too, as untracked lines in exposed spots like Greeley Hill were totally wind jacked to the point that the snow was like lead-reinforced concrete. I didn't feel like I'd missed anything by working Thursday morning, and from what I heard about Wednesday I know I didn't miss anything then, either (for example, after the road crapshow Skidog finally loaded his first chair at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, took one run and went home).
The first line that I've seen at Sunnyside all season.
On Thursday night we hosted our annual Christmas Eve party, attended this year by about 30 people. I had way, way too much to drink...but I guess that's about par for the course when you host a party that lasts for 8 full hours.
Maggie's ready for the party
Zoe is, too. I tried -- but failed -- to get them to pose together.
I was therefore driving up canyon on Christmas morning with a hangover that could've killed an elephant, after somehow robotically getting dressed and snowblowing the driveway, all within 25 minutes. I wondered what I was doing heading up there at all with my brain in such a fog, convinced that my pounding head would make the skiing miserable. Instead, the skiing was so phenomenal that it cleared my hangover within three runs and I ended up having more fun that I had any day yet this season. The mountain was empty, 6" of fluffy dust fell overnight to hide the wind-affected areas, and another 3" fell throughout the day. It was rock star skiing. You could charge down the hill with utter abandon and we absolutely pounded the mountain relentlessly. You could do no wrong in that hero snow. We never had a bad run all day.
The best hangover cure that I can think of.
Supremely empty.
The Transfer Tow.
A good old-fashioned Wasatch snowstorm.
In fact, snowfall intensified so much during the afternoon that UDOT unexpectedly closed the road at 1:30 p.m., right about when I had hoped to get out of there. We were stuck in Alta until 3 p.m.
The skis parked outside of GMD tell the story of how many people were waiting for the road to reopen.
Today's story was all about the cold -- temperatures of -3ºF to start the day with wind chills around -20ºF.
I think this is a good look for Bobby.
That first run (or half run, actually, as we went straight to Watson's for coffee) was downright frigid. The day, however, quickly warmed to reasonable single-digit levels, and the temperatures actually kept the snow quality good and the holiday crowds from getting out of hand.
Natural releases like this one are still keeping us from skiing Backside.
Mount Superior was looking rather superior today.
Chartreuse and Backside beyond.
From Germania Pass.
Bobby Danger
Skidog
AmyZ
We all left at 2 p.m. even though ASP had just opened Ballroom/Baldy Shoulder for the first time since this massive storm cycle began, only because tomorrow's just another day.
