Day 49: Best day of the year (so far)
Those watching the "MIA" thread this morning saw my trials and tribulations to get to the mountain this morning. I was in line for the canyon opening around 8:45 a.m. The road opened and Interlodge was lifted by 10 a.m., but it still took me another 45 minutes just to get to the canyon entrance. By the time all was said and done I pulled into the lot at 11:15 right as the storm was clearing and skies were breaking.
Now, the storm total of 16" doesn't tell the whole story. That followed 3" the day before, 5 inches on 2/28, 30 inches on 2/27, 23" on 2/26, 19" on 2/25, 1" on 2/24, and 26" on 2/23 (I won't go back any further). That's a total of 100 inches over the past week. Was it deep? Hell yeah! I was skiing at mid-thigh depth, but it was essentially bottomless.
Base depths are finally up to 118", so things are getting buried...quickly. Moderate-angle stuff like much of Greeley Hill just plain wasn't steep enough today to maintain momentum.
Openings came slowly today. Until 1:30, all gates save for the High T and Gunsight were closed. Even the Supreme chair wasn't running as patrol scrambled to complete control work as quickly as the could. Everything was going off. On one ride up Sugarloaf I marveled at Yellow Trail without a single track in it. On the very next ride, all of Yellow Trail had gone off in one giant slide clear across it, depositing its debris field at the mouth of Glory Gulch. See below for before and after shots.
I went in to eat around 1 pm at Goldminer's Daughter, figuring that I'd eat before things started opening. At that point the patrol was about halfway across Backside, and the Germ Return was still closed. I figured that by going down to Collins I'd be in position for the rope drop. After eating, I got off Collins and Backside was still closed. I looked at the opening board, and Supreme was still marked as closed. But...what's this? The "Supreme Chair Closed" sign stuck in the snow where the trail drops toward Sugarloaf had mysteriously disappeared. I looked around to see if the sign had been knocked down the hill, but it wasn't there. I scanned the area for a patroller, but there was none to be seen. I squinted across Albion Basin and the chairs arriving atop Supreme were empty (the chair had been spinning all morning to carry patrol for control work). I decided to take a chance and high-tailed it down to Supreme. Sure enough, they were loading! I got there 10 minutes after opening, and skied right onto the chair.
Amazing. Phenomenal. Orgasmic. I can think of other descriptors, too, but this is a family publication. :wink: By the time I got back to the chair for a second run everyone else had discovered my find, and the maze was more full than any other time I've seen it this year. Looking at the singles line snaking back up the groomer I deduced that it would be quicker to pair up with a double in the regular line, and sure enough, it was maybe 12 minutes to get back on the chair.
I kept lapping Supreme for the rest of the afternoon until my legs started complaining. Heading for Supreme had been the right call, for Backside didn't open until 2:30. I took one last run by ascending Sugarloaf, traversing across the now-open Germ Return and heading all the way across Backside to Susie's Trees for more untracked and lightly tracked. I was barely able to stand as the Transfer Tow brought me back to the truck at 4 pm sharp.
Tomorrow will be Snowbird. When I looked out across Sugarloaf Pass at 3:30 there wasn't a track in Mineral Basin -- they never opened Mineral all day.
After 13 runs spanning 17,430 vertical feet of non-stop powder, you'll have to excuse me as I'm now going to curl up on the couch in the fetal position and beg for my Mommy.
Those watching the "MIA" thread this morning saw my trials and tribulations to get to the mountain this morning. I was in line for the canyon opening around 8:45 a.m. The road opened and Interlodge was lifted by 10 a.m., but it still took me another 45 minutes just to get to the canyon entrance. By the time all was said and done I pulled into the lot at 11:15 right as the storm was clearing and skies were breaking.
Now, the storm total of 16" doesn't tell the whole story. That followed 3" the day before, 5 inches on 2/28, 30 inches on 2/27, 23" on 2/26, 19" on 2/25, 1" on 2/24, and 26" on 2/23 (I won't go back any further). That's a total of 100 inches over the past week. Was it deep? Hell yeah! I was skiing at mid-thigh depth, but it was essentially bottomless.
Base depths are finally up to 118", so things are getting buried...quickly. Moderate-angle stuff like much of Greeley Hill just plain wasn't steep enough today to maintain momentum.
Openings came slowly today. Until 1:30, all gates save for the High T and Gunsight were closed. Even the Supreme chair wasn't running as patrol scrambled to complete control work as quickly as the could. Everything was going off. On one ride up Sugarloaf I marveled at Yellow Trail without a single track in it. On the very next ride, all of Yellow Trail had gone off in one giant slide clear across it, depositing its debris field at the mouth of Glory Gulch. See below for before and after shots.
I went in to eat around 1 pm at Goldminer's Daughter, figuring that I'd eat before things started opening. At that point the patrol was about halfway across Backside, and the Germ Return was still closed. I figured that by going down to Collins I'd be in position for the rope drop. After eating, I got off Collins and Backside was still closed. I looked at the opening board, and Supreme was still marked as closed. But...what's this? The "Supreme Chair Closed" sign stuck in the snow where the trail drops toward Sugarloaf had mysteriously disappeared. I looked around to see if the sign had been knocked down the hill, but it wasn't there. I scanned the area for a patroller, but there was none to be seen. I squinted across Albion Basin and the chairs arriving atop Supreme were empty (the chair had been spinning all morning to carry patrol for control work). I decided to take a chance and high-tailed it down to Supreme. Sure enough, they were loading! I got there 10 minutes after opening, and skied right onto the chair.
Amazing. Phenomenal. Orgasmic. I can think of other descriptors, too, but this is a family publication. :wink: By the time I got back to the chair for a second run everyone else had discovered my find, and the maze was more full than any other time I've seen it this year. Looking at the singles line snaking back up the groomer I deduced that it would be quicker to pair up with a double in the regular line, and sure enough, it was maybe 12 minutes to get back on the chair.
I kept lapping Supreme for the rest of the afternoon until my legs started complaining. Heading for Supreme had been the right call, for Backside didn't open until 2:30. I took one last run by ascending Sugarloaf, traversing across the now-open Germ Return and heading all the way across Backside to Susie's Trees for more untracked and lightly tracked. I was barely able to stand as the Transfer Tow brought me back to the truck at 4 pm sharp.
Tomorrow will be Snowbird. When I looked out across Sugarloaf Pass at 3:30 there wasn't a track in Mineral Basin -- they never opened Mineral all day.
After 13 runs spanning 17,430 vertical feet of non-stop powder, you'll have to excuse me as I'm now going to curl up on the couch in the fetal position and beg for my Mommy.
Attachments
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13 alta supreme 070302.jpg -
12 alta supreme trees 070302.jpg -
11 alta supreme 070302.jpg -
10 alta yellow trail after 070302.jpg -
09 alta yellow trail before 070302.jpg -
08 alta devils castle 070302.jpg -
07 alta vail ridge 070302.jpg -
06 alta vail ridge 070302.jpg -
05 alta backside 070302.jpg -
04 alta sunnyside 070302.jpg -
03 alta greeley hill 070302.jpg -
02 alta greeley hill 070302.jpg -
01 alta greeley hill 070302.jpg
