Friday we were back to clear skies and warm weather. Liz on Hidden Peak:
I started similarly to Wednesday in Mineral Basin: White Diamonds, Lone Star and a run out the Bookends to the Saddle and Richie’s Run. We ran into Al and I showed Liz and him the way into Macaroni. While there Amy came over from Alta and joined us. Al met Michael and Ed and skied the rest of the day with them. We went up Little Cloud, met Adam, Ben and Mark and all skied a run though the Rastas. After riding Little Cloud I left the group and headed over to Alta because I had to pick up a data sheet I had requested on Sunday.
Per Amy’s recommendation I skied Backside, which was a bit past its prime but still supportable and good skiing.
I took the rope tow to Collins and skied Tombstone (still soft chalk) and Schuss Gully to the office to pick up the data sheet. For my final run at Alta, I decided to ski Gunsight, which I had done only once before in 2009. The 5 minute sidestep above the High T has been sunbaked for over a week and is definitely the sketchiest part.
View down Gunsight.
I suspect Gunsight is very well filled in as the top seemed wider and perhaps less steep than in 2009.
View up after skiing Gunsight.
This adventure made it a close call for me getting to the Iron Blosam final day gathering on “The Beach” atop Mach Schnell. I had to ride Sunnyside and Sugarloaf, which I exited at exactly 3:30pm. I skied over the rope before the Taliban checkpoint just before the liftie raised it. To my surprise Liz and Andy were waiting for me when I arrived on Hidden Peak at 3:40. We all skied out the Ho Chi Minh Trail but Liz declined a sketchy turn just before P-tex Point. She and Andy skied the Lower Cirque to Dalton’s and a traverse into Mach Schnell well below the Beach. I continued around P-tex Point and a 6 foot step over rocks to get to the Beach. Adam had found a lower entry this year with less exposure but I was on my own and only knew the high road all the way along the ridge.
Courtney, Bob and Sara on the Beach with view down to Salt Lake:
Iron Blosam younger generation:
A group of locals was there with us, all dressed in St. Patrick’s Day green. Some of them departing here:
Ben and Mark skiing Mach Schnell:
Adam:
I skied 14,500 vertical at Snowbird and 5.700 at Alta on the 7th and final day of 2017 Iron Blosam week
I started similarly to Wednesday in Mineral Basin: White Diamonds, Lone Star and a run out the Bookends to the Saddle and Richie’s Run. We ran into Al and I showed Liz and him the way into Macaroni. While there Amy came over from Alta and joined us. Al met Michael and Ed and skied the rest of the day with them. We went up Little Cloud, met Adam, Ben and Mark and all skied a run though the Rastas. After riding Little Cloud I left the group and headed over to Alta because I had to pick up a data sheet I had requested on Sunday.
Per Amy’s recommendation I skied Backside, which was a bit past its prime but still supportable and good skiing.
I took the rope tow to Collins and skied Tombstone (still soft chalk) and Schuss Gully to the office to pick up the data sheet. For my final run at Alta, I decided to ski Gunsight, which I had done only once before in 2009. The 5 minute sidestep above the High T has been sunbaked for over a week and is definitely the sketchiest part.
View down Gunsight.
I suspect Gunsight is very well filled in as the top seemed wider and perhaps less steep than in 2009.
View up after skiing Gunsight.
This adventure made it a close call for me getting to the Iron Blosam final day gathering on “The Beach” atop Mach Schnell. I had to ride Sunnyside and Sugarloaf, which I exited at exactly 3:30pm. I skied over the rope before the Taliban checkpoint just before the liftie raised it. To my surprise Liz and Andy were waiting for me when I arrived on Hidden Peak at 3:40. We all skied out the Ho Chi Minh Trail but Liz declined a sketchy turn just before P-tex Point. She and Andy skied the Lower Cirque to Dalton’s and a traverse into Mach Schnell well below the Beach. I continued around P-tex Point and a 6 foot step over rocks to get to the Beach. Adam had found a lower entry this year with less exposure but I was on my own and only knew the high road all the way along the ridge.
Courtney, Bob and Sara on the Beach with view down to Salt Lake:
Iron Blosam younger generation:
A group of locals was there with us, all dressed in St. Patrick’s Day green. Some of them departing here:
Ben and Mark skiing Mach Schnell:
Adam:
I skied 14,500 vertical at Snowbird and 5.700 at Alta on the 7th and final day of 2017 Iron Blosam week