Alta, UT 12/25/08

[Admin]

Day 17: Holy shit!

Full-on blizzard conditions. Snow puking. Winds raging. Bloody miserable up there today.

With raging winds all upper mountain lifts were closed. Everyone else bagged. Maybe 50 cars in the parking lot at opening, tops. It was clear that visibility would be nonexistent.

I booted up and loaded Wildcat at opening.

The weather just got worse as I headed higher and higher. By the time I got to the top I could barely see a thing. The storm was raging full-on. I headed down into Wildcat trees, eventually arriving at an untracked Bridge Chute.

On the second run, if it was possible the weather was twice as bad as it had been on the first run. When it started looking like this...:

...I gave up and headed home, driving the whole way down canyon in 1st gear at 17 mph.

This is the storm we've been waiting for. Our Christmas present has arrived.

 

[Skidog]

Cant wait to get back even if I am missing this one..

M

 

[rogerk]

Day 17: Holy [censored]!


This is the storm we've been waiting for. Our Christmas present has arrived.

Nice!

Meanwhile, we get a lump of coal, with rain last night, and record warmth and rain coming for Saturday and Sunday.

Happy Holidays.

Anyone know of a free way to get to SLC from BTV tomorrow?

 

[Harvey]

Even if every lift in the state was closed...I'd NEVER call that bad weather. [-(

 

[Tony Crocker]

This is Standard Operating Procedure during Mammoth storms. So it's a PITA if you're there for a weekend and have to go home before it's over. But you know it will be great in a day or two, so admin & co will get theirs since they live half an hour away.

Even if every lift in the state was closed...I'd NEVER call that bad weather. [-(

I do see the point of this sentiment. In SoCal and the Northeast previously great ski conditions are now f*#%ed up until further notice.

 

[Patrick]

Even if every lift in the state was closed...I'd NEVER call that bad weather. [-(

I do see the point of this sentiment. In SoCal and the Northeast previously great ski conditions are now f*#%ed up until further notice.

Admin is guilty of using the same language used by weathermen that we would to complain about. [-(

IT'S WEATHER, DEAL WITH IT. Not good or bad, if people should stop using word that portrait weather as negatives or positives...(snowy, snowy hard, rain, etc). Maybe if the weatherpeople would stop talking about the bad weather outside (talking about Canadian media) when it's snowing, raining, cold, etc...then some people could start enjoying the outdoors without being preconditioned by the media that it's "bad".

I got to admit, that I admire admin's last picture. Looked that I had to deal with in Chapelco in early September or Smuggs last December with Lucky Luke. We didn't really bother taking pictures.

 

[Harvey]

"There is no bad weather, only bad clothing."

Old Norwegian Proverb

 

[Sharon]

Pile it up, baby!!!

 

[Admin]

It's positively puking down here in the Salt Lake Valley now. I've never seen it snow this hard down here, easily 3"/hour. We went to Amy's and I went out for a smoke before dessert -- it was still raining. We left right after dessert and everything's buried. Scored first tracks up my street! \/ :lol:

 

[Admin]

LCC closed at 8 p.m. Closed down solid. Alta's under full interlodge overnight.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Curious to hear where Admin ends up today... will he lower his standards to ski a BCC mountain?

My money says no. [-(

 

[Tony Crocker]

Curious to hear where Admin ends up today... will he lower his standards to ski a BCC mountain?

We'll know he has tunnel vision if he doesn't:
1) The BCC road tends to open earlier in this situation.
2) It's opening day of "zoo week," so the lesser crowds in BCC will be an even bigger advantage than normal.

Nonetheless Honeycomb has not yet been open this season, and it might not open too quickly given the snow stability situation. I recall recommending Snowbasin to johnnash for today. That might be good advice for anybody.

 

[Admin]

Curious to hear where Admin ends up today... will he lower his standards to ski a BCC mountain?

My money says no. [-(

You win. But it's because 1) I have no passes yet in BCC, and 2) my posse was at Alta.