tseeb
Well-known member
My Utah ski trip got off to a slow start. I was hoping to get to Alta for some runs late on 3/12, but my buddy’s plane from Reno was late enough and he was hungry so after lunch it was way too late to go up the hill. On 3/13, we were going to go to Snowbird, but winds were strong in Holladay were we were staying. We received reports they were worse at Snowbird (Tram and Mineral did not open), so we took care of a broken bathroom exhaust fan in house friend loaned us, then took a tour at Utah Olympic Park and had lunch in Park City. We finally did get on the slopes at Sundance, a place I’ve always wanted to go, and they sell a ticket valid from 2:30 to 4:30 PM for $20 (on days they do not have night skiing ).
It was probably closer to 2:40 before we got on Ray’s lift which stopped a lot as it loads in two places (and directions) and unloads in three. My snowboarding friend should have stayed on it as we got off at the high point, but the trail to Arrowhead, and many other traverses at Sundance, are not steep enough for snowboarders to keep going, especially in spring conditions.
We took a run down Bishop’s Bowl, which had very good groomed snow and would be a great powder run. Then it turned into Pipeline which would be nasty if it was firm, but we had soft although somewhat thin snow. Sundance ran Flathead chair at least ten minutes past the 3:30 close so we had time to go down Grizzly Bowl, which also had decent snow and some challenge. Next we skied a short advanced run from near the top, then a groomer to Arrowhead. I took a run to skiers left and ended up on a too slow traverse and got to bottom of lift just as attendant was putting down closed sign (I think a minute or two early). I took three runs down lower lift which had some steeps at the top before joining my friend at the Owl Bar, which was originally located at Thermopolis, WY, near the Hole-in-the-Wall. 8 runs/8.2K
On Wed. 3/14, we went to Brighton, another place I had never been before. It was firm in the morning and I went down Wren’s Hollow which had double diamond warning signs. While looking at the area boundary signs, I hooked a tree with my left ski and went down doing the splits with my left leg and not doing my sore left hip any good. My snowboarding friend decided to go in as it was too icy for him and told me to call when I found good snow. I moved to east-facing Millicent and rode the lift with an Australian who has been spending a couple of months skiing Brighton for a few years. He showed me around for a while. It was firm enough on Millicent that we heard there were two concussions. But we found some softer snow where directly north-facing at the top and where if had softened at the bottom. I tried one run under the lift and found it OK, but still not soft enough.
The Australian showed me some runs off upper Snake Creek chair. He said that some of them were the worst he had ever seen them. He left to catch a 12:30 bus back to SLC, while my friend and I had lunch on the deck. After lunch, it had warmed up, but my friend did not like what he saw of Millicent in two runs there. He went back to Crest while I took two runs into the steeps to the left at top of Millicent chair. Snow was good, but you really had to pick a line from the chair to avoid getting cliffed or rocked out. After going up Crest, then upper chair, I moved to Great Western where I had two runs on the west-facing slopes with good snow, except for the very top under the chair which stayed too firm. I finished at 3:15 with 22.3K
It was probably closer to 2:40 before we got on Ray’s lift which stopped a lot as it loads in two places (and directions) and unloads in three. My snowboarding friend should have stayed on it as we got off at the high point, but the trail to Arrowhead, and many other traverses at Sundance, are not steep enough for snowboarders to keep going, especially in spring conditions.
We took a run down Bishop’s Bowl, which had very good groomed snow and would be a great powder run. Then it turned into Pipeline which would be nasty if it was firm, but we had soft although somewhat thin snow. Sundance ran Flathead chair at least ten minutes past the 3:30 close so we had time to go down Grizzly Bowl, which also had decent snow and some challenge. Next we skied a short advanced run from near the top, then a groomer to Arrowhead. I took a run to skiers left and ended up on a too slow traverse and got to bottom of lift just as attendant was putting down closed sign (I think a minute or two early). I took three runs down lower lift which had some steeps at the top before joining my friend at the Owl Bar, which was originally located at Thermopolis, WY, near the Hole-in-the-Wall. 8 runs/8.2K
On Wed. 3/14, we went to Brighton, another place I had never been before. It was firm in the morning and I went down Wren’s Hollow which had double diamond warning signs. While looking at the area boundary signs, I hooked a tree with my left ski and went down doing the splits with my left leg and not doing my sore left hip any good. My snowboarding friend decided to go in as it was too icy for him and told me to call when I found good snow. I moved to east-facing Millicent and rode the lift with an Australian who has been spending a couple of months skiing Brighton for a few years. He showed me around for a while. It was firm enough on Millicent that we heard there were two concussions. But we found some softer snow where directly north-facing at the top and where if had softened at the bottom. I tried one run under the lift and found it OK, but still not soft enough.
The Australian showed me some runs off upper Snake Creek chair. He said that some of them were the worst he had ever seen them. He left to catch a 12:30 bus back to SLC, while my friend and I had lunch on the deck. After lunch, it had warmed up, but my friend did not like what he saw of Millicent in two runs there. He went back to Crest while I took two runs into the steeps to the left at top of Millicent chair. Snow was good, but you really had to pick a line from the chair to avoid getting cliffed or rocked out. After going up Crest, then upper chair, I moved to Great Western where I had two runs on the west-facing slopes with good snow, except for the very top under the chair which stayed too firm. I finished at 3:15 with 22.3K
