Second full day of my trip to Utah with my snowboarding bro and 5-year-old daughter.
Terrific weather, sunny, 50s (although the thermometer at the bottom of Golden Eagle was showing 70 at one point, that had to be the sun effect). Conditions weren?t as fresh as Wednesday, less untracked in the trees, but the crowds were smaller. As the day went on, there was a springlike effect ? really soft in the sun, icy in some shadows.
The morning goes pretty much as Wednesday did, blue groomers. That?s where the bro and daughter are comfortable. Started on Saddleback Express, shifted over to Sun Peak, then Golden Eagle. Bro really loved lookout ridge, daughter more so-so on it. We lunched at Lookout Cabin (pricy, but excellent food and service), then hit Golden Eagle three more times before my companions announced they wanted to head back to the Marriott, but I was free to stay. Checked my watch and we?d done about 10k vert.
It was 2 p.m., my goals were to double the vert and hit the whole left side of the mountain that I?d missed so far. After dropping them off, I take the gondi up, then Tombstone, then ? finally -- Ninty Nine 90. It?s as good as advertised, beautiful trees and steeps. I hit it skier?s left first, then skier?s right second. Then skip out for the Peak 5 lift, some trees, then the Day Break lift, where I have my gaper moment.
I?m in the trees, somewhere between the Day Break lift and the Dreamscape lift, in the trees, when I see a pair of tracks leading off into otherwise fresh forest. Why not follow, I think? For about 50-75 yards, it?s beautiful and untouched, just enough drop to cruise nicely.
Nicely enough that by the time I see the mandatory 5 foot air, I?m almost on it.
It?s into someone?s driveway.
I?m going slow enough that I rotate a little airborne and land nicely. Thankfully, there was snow on the road and no car coming (would have been a helluva way to go out, of course). The driveway leads into one of those multimillion dollar The Colony homes. I see that the tracks I was following continue, essentially, on the other side of the drive. The guy had just climbed up the snowall and continued, so I do to. More nice trees.
Hit Dreamscape, great trees, although mostly tracked, continue back to the Tombstone, hit Deshutes at the top. Bit of a mistake. At this point, my legs are mostly gone and it?s a bitch and a half. It beats the hell out of me, but it?s a great time anyway. Hit Saddleback and miss the last chair on Super Condor by 30 seconds. Would have made the afternoon perfect.
Got one more run in on Golden Eagle and then headed for the bus.
8,000+ more vert in two hours, so I was pretty happy.
We hit the Canyons for a half-day plus tomorrow before heading home. Everybody loving Utah, although I think the Canyons wasn?t the perfect choice for my blue groomer-loving companions (kudos to CHRIS C, who pointed out that the blues my daughter loved in Breck were closer to greens, totally right now that we've been here, but she's really had two great days on the Canyons' blues.
Now that I?ve been here for two days, I really see what folks say about it being a mountain that takes some figuring out.
Overall, a great time so far.
Jim
Terrific weather, sunny, 50s (although the thermometer at the bottom of Golden Eagle was showing 70 at one point, that had to be the sun effect). Conditions weren?t as fresh as Wednesday, less untracked in the trees, but the crowds were smaller. As the day went on, there was a springlike effect ? really soft in the sun, icy in some shadows.
The morning goes pretty much as Wednesday did, blue groomers. That?s where the bro and daughter are comfortable. Started on Saddleback Express, shifted over to Sun Peak, then Golden Eagle. Bro really loved lookout ridge, daughter more so-so on it. We lunched at Lookout Cabin (pricy, but excellent food and service), then hit Golden Eagle three more times before my companions announced they wanted to head back to the Marriott, but I was free to stay. Checked my watch and we?d done about 10k vert.
It was 2 p.m., my goals were to double the vert and hit the whole left side of the mountain that I?d missed so far. After dropping them off, I take the gondi up, then Tombstone, then ? finally -- Ninty Nine 90. It?s as good as advertised, beautiful trees and steeps. I hit it skier?s left first, then skier?s right second. Then skip out for the Peak 5 lift, some trees, then the Day Break lift, where I have my gaper moment.
I?m in the trees, somewhere between the Day Break lift and the Dreamscape lift, in the trees, when I see a pair of tracks leading off into otherwise fresh forest. Why not follow, I think? For about 50-75 yards, it?s beautiful and untouched, just enough drop to cruise nicely.
Nicely enough that by the time I see the mandatory 5 foot air, I?m almost on it.
It?s into someone?s driveway.
I?m going slow enough that I rotate a little airborne and land nicely. Thankfully, there was snow on the road and no car coming (would have been a helluva way to go out, of course). The driveway leads into one of those multimillion dollar The Colony homes. I see that the tracks I was following continue, essentially, on the other side of the drive. The guy had just climbed up the snowall and continued, so I do to. More nice trees.
Hit Dreamscape, great trees, although mostly tracked, continue back to the Tombstone, hit Deshutes at the top. Bit of a mistake. At this point, my legs are mostly gone and it?s a bitch and a half. It beats the hell out of me, but it?s a great time anyway. Hit Saddleback and miss the last chair on Super Condor by 30 seconds. Would have made the afternoon perfect.
Got one more run in on Golden Eagle and then headed for the bus.
8,000+ more vert in two hours, so I was pretty happy.
We hit the Canyons for a half-day plus tomorrow before heading home. Everybody loving Utah, although I think the Canyons wasn?t the perfect choice for my blue groomer-loving companions (kudos to CHRIS C, who pointed out that the blues my daughter loved in Breck were closer to greens, totally right now that we've been here, but she's really had two great days on the Canyons' blues.
Now that I?ve been here for two days, I really see what folks say about it being a mountain that takes some figuring out.
Overall, a great time so far.
Jim
