Alta, UT 4/23/06 - Closing day

[Admin]

Day 53: Bittersweet

As intrepid Liftlines readers may recall from last April, the last day of the season at Alta is a celebration of the completion of another wonderful season.

It's also somewhat depressing to me, watching the patrol pull rope lines and realizing that the season is ending much too quickly -- especially when 158 inches of settled snow pack still rests on the ground at mid-mountain.

Nonetheless, today was a stellar spring day with lots of spontaneity and weirdness thrown into the mix. Zany costumes again graced the slopes. The sun shone with warm temps probably near 60 at the base. Parties were happening everywhere, including "Brews and Brats" outside on the beach in front of the new Watson Shelter, where a band played and a terrain box was set up for a show, and of course atop High Rustler where the annual closing day party gathered as the lifts closed down.

The Kid and I arrived at the same time as Marc_C at 10:30, and as Dale and Pat were running late we opted for a few warmup runs. From the Collins Chair we watched a lone skier descend Mount Baldy via Perla's, and wondered why someone would ski it so early in the day following an overnight re-freeze. Coincidentally, I was heading out the Baldy Shoulder traverse right as the skier finished his run, and I paused to inquire regarding the snow conditions above. It was then that I spotted a tell-tale sticker on his helmet, and had a chance meeting with Kevin, a member of the SkiVT-L Vermont skiing listserv in which I've participated since the early 1990s. Kevin ended up tagging along with us for the remainder of the day.

I reached Dale by phone and arranged to meet him atop Collins as we rode back up and down to Sugarloaf, cruising spring corn on Devil's Elbow. In the lift queue we bumped into Bob Dangerous, who had just completed a Baldy hike and descent via Livin' the Dream on the south side of the mountain, down into Snowbird's Mineral Basin. Bob was heading back to repeat the run, and The Kid, Kevin and I opted to join him while Marc_C skied over to Collins to meet Dale and Pat.

I've never hiked Baldy from the Alta side before, and it's much more challenging than the hike from Snowbird's Hidden Peak. The initial ascent is via a steep boot ladder that sucks your energy before the long, more gradual remaining ascent to the summit. Eventually, though, we all regrouped at the top of the bowl, with acres of untracked spring corn beneath our feet. It was, in a word, divine as each turn shaved an inch or two of corn from a firm and supportive surface. Spring turns just don't get any better than that.

The route back to Alta, however, was a bear traversing across the west-facing Baldy Shoulder that had yet to do anything closely resembling softening. Marc_C refers to this as "frozen coral," and I fought to keep my edge to avoid a slide for life into the abyss below. Before long, though, we found ourselves back on the ridgeline above the Wildcat lift which was already closed for the season, punching through more southeast-facing corn back to Watson's, and eventually on to the base.

A quick corn cruise back down Main Street brought us again to Watson's where we joined the BBQ for lunch and met up again with Marc_C, Dale and Pat. Bob struck off on his own again after lunch, and the rest of us made an ill-fated foray to Chartreuse Nose. Some clouds had edged in from the west, and their filtering effect on the sunshine was just enough to refreeze east-facing terrain. After knocking a few fillings loose I was determined to spend the remainder of my day in Collins Gulch. On the return we spotted a snowboarder descending the Baldy boot ladder, clicking in, and making her way down the forbidden groomers of Alta. Of course the camera came out for that one!

We headed back out the Baldy Shoulder traverse, and I dropped into Harold's, another big mistake through refrozen chunkies. The Kid and Kevin continued on all the way to Wildcat, finding reportedly better snow. We also brought Kevin out to High Rustler, which wasn't quite soft enough to be truly pleasurable. The rest of our day was spend lapping West Rustler lines after we discovered more perfect corn on Sunspot Ridge.

Kevin had to see the closing day party atop High Rustler, so he boarded Collins one last time at 4:10 as Marc_C, The Kid and I spent the next two hours tailgating in the parking lot. We went from T-shirt weather, to clouds and breeze, to snow flurries, and back to sunshine all while we stood there. Drinks were exchanged, and The Kid mooched a burger off some folks grilling next to us as we toasted the end to another marvelous ski season at Alta.

 

[Tony Crocker]

An Alta closing day should be on every skier's to do list. The Baldy hike you show is the one I did in March 1990 to ski Main Chute. I'm guessing Main Chute was frozen, so that's why you went the other way? I would think it would still be packed powder with its protected exposure, but I'm getting the impression more and more than spring is warmer at AltaBird than at Mammoth. And Snowbird's Baldy and/or Mineral Basin lift was not running to extract you from that area?

Speaking of closing days, I expect to attend Mammoth's on July 4 just in case anyone else here has similar ideas. This was Adam's last UCSD race weekend of the year at Mammoth and it was snowing again Saturday night.

 

[Marc_C]

I'm guessing Main Chute was frozen, so that's why you went the other way? I would think it would still be packed powder with its protected exposure, but I'm getting the impression more and more than spring is warmer at AltaBird than at Mammoth. And Snowbird's Baldy and/or Mineral Basin lift was not running to extract you from that area?

In spring in the Wasatch, powder lasts at most maybe 2 days. The last storm was on Tuesday and it was bright and sunny Wed - Sat, with highs on Sat. around 60F at 8500'. There was no powder left anywhere and it took till Sunday to get decent corn.

Baldy Express and the Alta/Snowbird connection closed for the season last weekend, however the Mineral Basin Express is still running daily through May 7. So with the Baldy Ex closed, Marc et al hiked Baldy to Livin', skied into Mineral Basin, took the MBX to the summit, then down to and out the Baldy ridge, short hike up to the High Baldy Traverse, then that to its end at the Alta gate on Baldy Shoulder.

 

[Admin]

I'm guessing Main Chute was frozen, so that's why you went the other way?

Right you are.

I would think it would still be packed powder with its protected exposure

With base area temps in the low- to mid-60s this week, nothing escaped.

And Snowbird's Baldy and/or Mineral Basin lift was not running to extract you from that area?

Mineral Basin Express was running (Baldy Express wasn't), and that's all we needed to return to Alta via Baldy Shoulder traverse.

This was Adam's last UCSD race weekend of the year at Mammoth and it was snowing again Saturday night.

And it's snowing again in the Wasatch today.

 

[Admin]

So with the Baldy Ex closed, Marc et al hiked Baldy to Livin', skied into Mineral Basin, took the MBX to the summit, then down to and out the Baldy ridge, short hike up to the High Baldy Traverse, then that to its end at the Alta gate on Baldy Shoulder.

Almost -- no short hike was required to return to Alta, but you wouldn't have had any way to know that as you haven't been out there lately. There's a new, slightly more hairball lower traverse out to Baldy Shoulder that's gravity the whole way from the top of Hidden Peak. The only hiking involved was from Sugarloaf Pass to the top of Livin' The Dream.

 

[Marc_C]

So with the Baldy Ex closed, Marc et al hiked Baldy to Livin', skied into Mineral Basin, took the MBX to the summit, then down to and out the Baldy ridge, short hike up to the High Baldy Traverse, then that to its end at the Alta gate on Baldy Shoulder.

Almost -- no short hike was required to return to Alta, but you wouldn't have had any way to know that as you haven't been out there lately. There's a new, slightly more hairball lower traverse out to Baldy Shoulder that's gravity the whole way from the top of Hidden Peak.

Oh, that one is back, huh? :shock: I did that several years ago....thought it was pretty DFU territory in spots. I think I prefer the more energetic ('cause of the hike) but saner, higher alternative! 8)

 

[Admin]

Oh, that one is back, huh? :shock: I did that several years ago....thought it was pretty DFU territory in spots.

Especially when it's rock solid coral reef, as you call it, which it was yesterday morning. I wouldn't call myself nervous over it, perhaps "uneasy in spots" is a better word. Losing an edge would've meant a slide for life all the way to the flats in Peruvian Gulch, perhaps across cliffs depending on where you lost it, unless you were fortunate enough to slam into a tree first. I suspect that self-arrest attempts would've been an exercise in futility.

 

[gwest]

I was up there too, can't miss an event like that. Turns out that girl in the snow queen suit is my (ex girl)friend. She had little kids wanting to take pictures with her, somehow they'd always end up running away crying. Supertelewoman is another friend, and the guy in back of the snow queen with a little orange on his hat is a guy that recently moved out here, and is a poster on the time4tuckerman board.

Great day, coulda been warmer and sunnier, but I like snow too. People at the "high boy" party cheered when it snowed and cheered when the sun came out, so i think they agreed. There were also an alarming number of fireworks. We stayed up there till the sun went down behind superior, ..a good way to end the season. Then it was crusty bumps to the bottom.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Any LCC regulars can comment on how AltaBird spring snow compares to my experience from Mammoth:

I have 43 lifetime ski days at Mammoth between March 31 and April 13:
At least 80% of terrain is powder/packed powder 44% of the time
50-70% of terrain is powder/packed powder 26% of the time
10-40% of terrain is powder/packed powder 19% of the time
The entire mountain has spring conditions 11% of the time
This is why Mammoth is a premier spring break destination and this is generally my favorite time of year to ski there.

I have another 13 days between April 16 and April 26 and 16 days between April 30 and May 15. Combining and smoothing some, I make the following estimates:
At least 50% of terrain is powder/packed powder about 10% of the time (basically the chance of hitting a storm, LCC's odds are almost certainly better than this)
10-40% of terrain is powder/packed powder about 2/3 of the time in the second half of April but only 1/4 of the time in early May.
The entire mountain has spring conditions about 1/4 of the time in the second half of April and 2/3 of the time in early May.

The terrain that stays dry into late April (with assistance from Mammoth's chronic wind IMHO) is the upper mountain steeps. I have generally presumed that similar pitched and exposed terrain in LCC (Baldy Chutes, High Rustler, Eagle's Nest, Upper Silver Fox, Great Scott, Upper Cirque, Little Cloud Bowl) would hold up equally well, as they do during the inordinate number of T-shirt days I've had on my March trips to the Iron Blosam.

 

[gwest]

Mammoth probably has better spring skiing type snow than LCC. Utah does not as frequently have good corn skiing. We get a lot of mashed potatoes. I'd say we get more powder days though.

I'll be better able to comment after this weekend. I'm headed to mammoth saturday, it'll be my first time there.

 

[Admin]

I was up there too, can't miss an event like that.

One of these days our paths will cross.

Turns out that girl in the snow queen suit is my (ex girl)friend. She had little kids wanting to take pictures with her, somehow they'd always end up running away crying.

:lol: :lol:

There were also an alarming number of fireworks.

Yeah, you could hear them from the Wildcat lot, and even see the smoke from them.

 

[Tony Crocker]

gwest has it about right. Marc C. noted that there were continuous warm days and freezing nights from the last storm Tuesday until Sunday. That's about the length of time needed to produce decent corn, and that weather pattern is definitely more common in the Sierra (and at Bachelor) in spring than in the Wasatch. The continuation of winter storms into the spring interferes with the corn cycle. This was very clear from admin's reports last year. Snowbird did not have widespread corn until early June. Alta will nearly always be closed long before it has sustained weather conducive to corn snow.

My personal records from Mammoth support the view that Sierra snowfall tends to shut down after mid-April. I'm almost certain that if you look at the big Aprils in the Sierra like this year, you will generally find that over 3/4 of the snow came in the first half or the month.

 

[Patrick]

Great pictures as always Marc. 8)

Look like a fun day to be at Alta.

The question I have is what happened to the Kid attempt. I'm looking at the picture and I'm wondering about his landing because he seems a bit low.

Funny about the ducktape, dolls and girls. The two girls look a bit like my own two daughter. The youngest slightly look like Tara, my youngest. And the oldest has the same build (except the hair are longer) as Morgane.

Is there another family that looks exactely like ours out at Alta? Marc, tell me you didn't see anyone with a long white goaty (sp?) and pink poles. :lol:

(Twilignt Zone music in the background) 8-[ :-k

 

[Admin]

The question I have is what happened to the Kid attempt. I'm looking at the picture and I'm wondering about his landing because he seems a bit low.

He made it, but barely. That first lip launches you up, then the second lip is slightly higher. He hit it at mach 3, though. He had still been gaining height at the time that I snapped the pic.

Funny about the ducktape, dolls and girls. The two girls look a bit like my own two daughter. The youngest slightly look like Tara, my youngest. And the oldest has the same build (except the hair are longer) as Morgane.

Is there another family that looks exactely like ours out at Alta? Marc, tell me you didn't see anyone with a long white goaty (sp?) and pink poles. :lol:

(Twilignt Zone music in the background) 8-[ :-k

Funny, he had a Canadian accent, too, eh? :wink: