Day 45: Smooth as a pool table.
At Alta today, it was like the whole mountain had been groomed. 30 or so inches of heavy, wet snow this week filled in all of the bumps. Moderate winds overnight smoothed out surfaces, eliminating any evidence of previous tracks. The top two inches were completely supportable. As Bobby says, "Smooooooooothhhhhh."
It was insanely warm in the Wasatch today, but only the bottom 100 vertical feet wetted. Everything else stayed cold and dry. It as hard to not ski fast today, everything was so good. The High Traverse is now clean and as smooth as it ever is -- a rock-free walk in the park. Santa Claus was completely flat. High Boy had some minor proto-bumps but nothing to fret over, and I entered today from the very top for the first time this season. Susie's Trees was only lightly tracked. I just couldn't find a bad run today, and crowds were completely inconsequential (although I noticed cars parked on the road at Snowbird).
After skiing I drove down to the retail store of Level 9 Sports (they're primarily an Internet ski shop) and went on a shopping spree.
Yes, I'm already on those but they're the best damned ski I've ever owned, and now that they're nearing the end of their lifespan I couldn't resist buying another pair for $319. That's just a steal. I first heard about that deal from one of the lift hosts at Alta about a month ago, and last week jojo-obrien picked up a pair. Today it was my turn.
I bought Mrs. Admin a present today, too:
After years of skiing in total garbage she now finally has a real pair of boots. Women's specific, 90 flex, a walk mode for touring -- yes, she wants to try it, and if she likes it enough, down the road she can even swap out the soles for pads with tech fittings to work with a set of Dynafit clamps. I can shrink the touring bindings on my G3 Reverends down far enough to fit these shells so that she can try skinning out behind the house in Millcreek Canyon. In any event she now has a decent pair of alpine boots for lift served skiing, which she desperately needed. And at $319 as well, those boots were a good deal, too.
Now she just has to actually use them. :roll: She also found a 4-season Cloudveil softshell for only $24.50.
Tonight apres-ski is seeing the Pixies for the first time out at Saltair. Tomorrow morning is going to come up on me awfully quickly.
At Alta today, it was like the whole mountain had been groomed. 30 or so inches of heavy, wet snow this week filled in all of the bumps. Moderate winds overnight smoothed out surfaces, eliminating any evidence of previous tracks. The top two inches were completely supportable. As Bobby says, "Smooooooooothhhhhh."
It was insanely warm in the Wasatch today, but only the bottom 100 vertical feet wetted. Everything else stayed cold and dry. It as hard to not ski fast today, everything was so good. The High Traverse is now clean and as smooth as it ever is -- a rock-free walk in the park. Santa Claus was completely flat. High Boy had some minor proto-bumps but nothing to fret over, and I entered today from the very top for the first time this season. Susie's Trees was only lightly tracked. I just couldn't find a bad run today, and crowds were completely inconsequential (although I noticed cars parked on the road at Snowbird).
After skiing I drove down to the retail store of Level 9 Sports (they're primarily an Internet ski shop) and went on a shopping spree.
Yes, I'm already on those but they're the best damned ski I've ever owned, and now that they're nearing the end of their lifespan I couldn't resist buying another pair for $319. That's just a steal. I first heard about that deal from one of the lift hosts at Alta about a month ago, and last week jojo-obrien picked up a pair. Today it was my turn.
I bought Mrs. Admin a present today, too:
After years of skiing in total garbage she now finally has a real pair of boots. Women's specific, 90 flex, a walk mode for touring -- yes, she wants to try it, and if she likes it enough, down the road she can even swap out the soles for pads with tech fittings to work with a set of Dynafit clamps. I can shrink the touring bindings on my G3 Reverends down far enough to fit these shells so that she can try skinning out behind the house in Millcreek Canyon. In any event she now has a decent pair of alpine boots for lift served skiing, which she desperately needed. And at $319 as well, those boots were a good deal, too.
Now she just has to actually use them. :roll: She also found a 4-season Cloudveil softshell for only $24.50.
Tonight apres-ski is seeing the Pixies for the first time out at Saltair. Tomorrow morning is going to come up on me awfully quickly.
