Day 10: The season's first powder day
I got up this morning and immediately checked the snow report: Snowbird was reporting 20" new from this storm.
I've still got summer tires on the two-seater, and The Wife needed to run errands today, so I had her drive The Kid and yours truly in the truck over to the 6200 S park-and-ride to catch the UTA ski bus up to Snowbird. We were set to meet Tirolerpeter and his son James at the Tram Plaza at 9, but we pulled in around 8:15 so we had time for a quick breakfast at the coffee shop in Snowbird Center prior to our meeting.
They arrived right on schedule, although somewhat discombobulated because Peter had forgotten to pick up poles with his rentals at the Lift House. No matter, Christy Sports is right there, so I promptly got him poles as The Kid spotted another classmate skipping school, and they headed on ahead of us. We entered a two-cabin Tram lift queue, just missing boarding the same tram as The Kid and his friend.
These gentlemen are fine folks, and I enjoyed the day immensely. Flying out from sea level and getting to sleep at 3:30 a.m. does little to acclimate one to altitude, and Peter and his 27 year-old Army veteran son began to feel the effects almost immediately. They were still doing control work in Peruvian Gulch, so our only option off the Tram was to head down Regulator Johnson. I cut hard left at the turn and traversed out to Little Cloud Bowl for some snow that was already lightly tracked, getting a bit too greedy and having to schlep my way out from around the rope line that guarded the prominent ledge midway down under the chair.
James wanted to rectify his mis-aligned snowboard stance, so we swung by the ski shop at Mid-Gad only to find it closed. My next idea was the patrol shack atop Gad II, so we headed over there, where we found The Kid and his bud.
The patrol also lacked the requisite allen key for James, so he and his father headed down a groomer while The Kid and I were led by his friend into 45-degree untracked woods to skier's right of STH. Wowzers! Thigh-deep fluff without a track in it, and we free-fell with abandon between the conifers. OK, I'll admit it now -- at 41 I'm starting to have a hard time keeping up with these kids. I'll attribute it to their age barely more than one-third of mine. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
The kids indicated that they were heading up the road to Alta. Peter and son opted to return to the base to fix the binding stance. I was already too low to join them, so I played in the woods between Gadzoom and Baby Thunder to catch a ride on Gadzoom back to the Tram Plaza via Harpers Ferry East, already cut up but still a good ride. James' repair required a trip back to their rental car, so Peter and I figured to kill time by having lunch at the Forklift. By this time they had opened Peruvian Gulch, but still kept the Cirque Traverse closed. Dammit! It was now becoming apparent that my usual strategies for finding powder at Snowbird on a powder day weren't going to work, and I wouldn't be able to lead them to all of my favorite haunts.
We headed down Chip's to where I could get a skiable traverse over to Silver Fox. James missed the traverse, so he and his father continued down another switchback of Chip's to join me as I enjoyed the cut up fluff. We somehow became separated almost immediately again, so I sped down alone to Phone 3 Shot, which produced the second-best turns of the day for me in untracked snow.
When we all regrouped at the bottom, it was apparent that the lack of sleep and adjustment to altitude were taking their toll. Snow was beginning to fall again in earnest. Peter was sporting enough to give me a lift back home en route to their hotel, where I promptly stretched out in bed and fell asleep. The Kid rolled into the driveway with his friend at about 5:00, also spent and reporting good snow at Alta as well. He's got a new scrape from where his helmet met Wasatch granite, proving again the value of wearing a brain bucket.
A good day! It's still snowing here at the house as I type this, and I plan to head for Alta on Thursday.
Sorry, though, folks -- I failed you. Yes, I had my camera, but no, I forgot to use it. Really.
I got up this morning and immediately checked the snow report: Snowbird was reporting 20" new from this storm.
I've still got summer tires on the two-seater, and The Wife needed to run errands today, so I had her drive The Kid and yours truly in the truck over to the 6200 S park-and-ride to catch the UTA ski bus up to Snowbird. We were set to meet Tirolerpeter and his son James at the Tram Plaza at 9, but we pulled in around 8:15 so we had time for a quick breakfast at the coffee shop in Snowbird Center prior to our meeting.
They arrived right on schedule, although somewhat discombobulated because Peter had forgotten to pick up poles with his rentals at the Lift House. No matter, Christy Sports is right there, so I promptly got him poles as The Kid spotted another classmate skipping school, and they headed on ahead of us. We entered a two-cabin Tram lift queue, just missing boarding the same tram as The Kid and his friend.
These gentlemen are fine folks, and I enjoyed the day immensely. Flying out from sea level and getting to sleep at 3:30 a.m. does little to acclimate one to altitude, and Peter and his 27 year-old Army veteran son began to feel the effects almost immediately. They were still doing control work in Peruvian Gulch, so our only option off the Tram was to head down Regulator Johnson. I cut hard left at the turn and traversed out to Little Cloud Bowl for some snow that was already lightly tracked, getting a bit too greedy and having to schlep my way out from around the rope line that guarded the prominent ledge midway down under the chair.
James wanted to rectify his mis-aligned snowboard stance, so we swung by the ski shop at Mid-Gad only to find it closed. My next idea was the patrol shack atop Gad II, so we headed over there, where we found The Kid and his bud.
The patrol also lacked the requisite allen key for James, so he and his father headed down a groomer while The Kid and I were led by his friend into 45-degree untracked woods to skier's right of STH. Wowzers! Thigh-deep fluff without a track in it, and we free-fell with abandon between the conifers. OK, I'll admit it now -- at 41 I'm starting to have a hard time keeping up with these kids. I'll attribute it to their age barely more than one-third of mine. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
The kids indicated that they were heading up the road to Alta. Peter and son opted to return to the base to fix the binding stance. I was already too low to join them, so I played in the woods between Gadzoom and Baby Thunder to catch a ride on Gadzoom back to the Tram Plaza via Harpers Ferry East, already cut up but still a good ride. James' repair required a trip back to their rental car, so Peter and I figured to kill time by having lunch at the Forklift. By this time they had opened Peruvian Gulch, but still kept the Cirque Traverse closed. Dammit! It was now becoming apparent that my usual strategies for finding powder at Snowbird on a powder day weren't going to work, and I wouldn't be able to lead them to all of my favorite haunts.
We headed down Chip's to where I could get a skiable traverse over to Silver Fox. James missed the traverse, so he and his father continued down another switchback of Chip's to join me as I enjoyed the cut up fluff. We somehow became separated almost immediately again, so I sped down alone to Phone 3 Shot, which produced the second-best turns of the day for me in untracked snow.
When we all regrouped at the bottom, it was apparent that the lack of sleep and adjustment to altitude were taking their toll. Snow was beginning to fall again in earnest. Peter was sporting enough to give me a lift back home en route to their hotel, where I promptly stretched out in bed and fell asleep. The Kid rolled into the driveway with his friend at about 5:00, also spent and reporting good snow at Alta as well. He's got a new scrape from where his helmet met Wasatch granite, proving again the value of wearing a brain bucket.
A good day! It's still snowing here at the house as I type this, and I plan to head for Alta on Thursday.
Sorry, though, folks -- I failed you. Yes, I had my camera, but no, I forgot to use it. Really.
