Day 3: The Wasatch delivers
Boy, it feels good to be home! I was among the skeptics today. I knew that the weather would be beautiful for Alta's opening day, but I also expected a rather bomber zipper crust on the ungroomed. I even meant to bring my old narrow-waisted Salomon Scream Pilot Hots, but when I ran out of time to swap out the AT soles on my boots for DIN plates I instead grabbed the Goliaths...and I'm sure happy that I did.
The base area was bustling today, but not from skiing. Alta was having a lift ticket giveaway for donating winter jackets to charity, and folks were lined up well up the Transfer Tow. Lifts were ski-on all day, and it felt like a slow midweek day everywhere on the hill.
Stepping into GMD to hook up with Bobby Danger, Tirolerpeter and Skidog I was shocked to discover the Wal-Mart grade plastic patio furniture gone, replaced instead by legitimate heavy wooden tables and chairs. What's this world coming to? First carpeting and now this? Tradition dies hard around Alta, and folks could be overheard talking all about the new furniture.
Atop Collins, Bobby struck out for Backside. I protested momentarily, then followed over my better judgment. Expecting crust, I instead found delightful untracked chalky snow that was smooth as a baby's bottom. Unreal. Apparently the crust evaporated in our dry desert air. Somewhere along the way we lost Tirolerpeter on Backside, but to his credit his skinny skis were not the right tools for the job. We were the only ones brave (stupid?) enough to head out there, but by the time we headed out for a refill there were others bound for Backside as well.
Ballroom wasn't anywhere near as good as Backside, so we just kept lapping the latter until my early-season legs waved the white flag of surrender shortly before noon. I dropped the other two off at Snowbird and headed down canyon.
Season powder percentage to date for Crocker: 66.67% :wink:
Video to follow shortly as soon as it's done compiling.
Boy, it feels good to be home! I was among the skeptics today. I knew that the weather would be beautiful for Alta's opening day, but I also expected a rather bomber zipper crust on the ungroomed. I even meant to bring my old narrow-waisted Salomon Scream Pilot Hots, but when I ran out of time to swap out the AT soles on my boots for DIN plates I instead grabbed the Goliaths...and I'm sure happy that I did.
The base area was bustling today, but not from skiing. Alta was having a lift ticket giveaway for donating winter jackets to charity, and folks were lined up well up the Transfer Tow. Lifts were ski-on all day, and it felt like a slow midweek day everywhere on the hill.
Stepping into GMD to hook up with Bobby Danger, Tirolerpeter and Skidog I was shocked to discover the Wal-Mart grade plastic patio furniture gone, replaced instead by legitimate heavy wooden tables and chairs. What's this world coming to? First carpeting and now this? Tradition dies hard around Alta, and folks could be overheard talking all about the new furniture.
Atop Collins, Bobby struck out for Backside. I protested momentarily, then followed over my better judgment. Expecting crust, I instead found delightful untracked chalky snow that was smooth as a baby's bottom. Unreal. Apparently the crust evaporated in our dry desert air. Somewhere along the way we lost Tirolerpeter on Backside, but to his credit his skinny skis were not the right tools for the job. We were the only ones brave (stupid?) enough to head out there, but by the time we headed out for a refill there were others bound for Backside as well.
Ballroom wasn't anywhere near as good as Backside, so we just kept lapping the latter until my early-season legs waved the white flag of surrender shortly before noon. I dropped the other two off at Snowbird and headed down canyon.
Season powder percentage to date for Crocker: 66.67% :wink:
Video to follow shortly as soon as it's done compiling.
