jkamien
Member
My birthday present is 4 days of skiing in Alta.
Flew in from PHL through DFW Sunday night. Flights were uneventful, other than the 3 gate changes in DFW due to a LGA bound plane that went mechanical and blocked our original gate.
Arrived at Gold Miners Daughter around 9pm and settled in. As usual, did not sleep very well, despite 5mg Ambien upon retiring.
Woke up to snowcats moving snow around and snow falling from the sky. Gonna be a great day!
I had made a pact with myself that this trip I would force myself to acclimate to the altitude. So I drank lots and lots of water and rode the Wildcat (Kitty) lift all morning, which is low on the mountain. The snow was good, particularly in Westward Ho, and improving every run due to the steady snowfall. I met a guy named Job and skied a couple runs with him until he took a tumble and lost his previously helmet-mounted Go Pro. Bye bye camera. He stayed on the Kitty to go back and search for it.
At 11:30 I rode Collins to the top and did 2 runs in Fred's Trees, to the skiers left of the lift line. My altitude strategy worked: I didn't experience the coughing, shortness of breath, or bloody taste in my mouth I've had on other trips. More nice snow, with loose, tracked up powder and the occasional untouched turn.
I went into Watson's grill for lunch and ate in the Restaurant in the third floor: a delightful, if overpriced ($25), duck pot pie. I do love the type of place that lets you swap your ski boots for slippers during lunch.
After lunch, I signed up for an Expert Off-trail Workshop that started at 1:30. I've been taking these things or private lessons the past several years because I don't love skiing alone, I can get a private tour guide who will take me to places and snow I may not find myself, and I usually can pick up some useful coaching from the pros.
This group had 2 other guys: 1 investment banker from Tampa and a grain farmer from Indiana. Our instructor was Walt, another one of those Alta pros in his 60's who ski so fluidly that they make all terrain look smooth and their skiing look slow and effortless. But they're not moving slowly, they just make it look that way!
We skied a variation on Fred's trees to the bottom, then we went out the High Traverse a couple of times to ski Rustler; one West and one North. I love those steep shots out there. Of course, since it had been snowing steadily all day, the conditions were getting better and better. We then did 2 runs on the Kitty. One out to skiers left of the lift (but not as far as Westward Ho), and one on Warm-up, based on the theory that you shouldn't pass up untracked snow to go maybe find it somewhere else. Now the pow was boot-top and creamy, after accumulating all day.
Walt suggested we ski to Watsons at this point and recharge. The workshops usually go from 1:39 to 4. But he said it was fun skiing with us, so he wanted to take a short break to get some coffee and water, and then ski until last chair at 4:30 at the angle station.
After 2 more runs on Collins face, we headed out the High Traverse again. This time we skied the wide open Greeley Bowl, and the snow had filled in to boot-top to knee deep. This is so totally what I came here for! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
The snow report said 9" during the day and this morning they reported another 4" overnight. The prediction is for a brief break today, followed by 4-8" tonight and another 2-4" tomorrow.
This bears repeating: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
Jonathan
Jkamien@biopsych.com
Flew in from PHL through DFW Sunday night. Flights were uneventful, other than the 3 gate changes in DFW due to a LGA bound plane that went mechanical and blocked our original gate.
Arrived at Gold Miners Daughter around 9pm and settled in. As usual, did not sleep very well, despite 5mg Ambien upon retiring.
Woke up to snowcats moving snow around and snow falling from the sky. Gonna be a great day!
I had made a pact with myself that this trip I would force myself to acclimate to the altitude. So I drank lots and lots of water and rode the Wildcat (Kitty) lift all morning, which is low on the mountain. The snow was good, particularly in Westward Ho, and improving every run due to the steady snowfall. I met a guy named Job and skied a couple runs with him until he took a tumble and lost his previously helmet-mounted Go Pro. Bye bye camera. He stayed on the Kitty to go back and search for it.
At 11:30 I rode Collins to the top and did 2 runs in Fred's Trees, to the skiers left of the lift line. My altitude strategy worked: I didn't experience the coughing, shortness of breath, or bloody taste in my mouth I've had on other trips. More nice snow, with loose, tracked up powder and the occasional untouched turn.
I went into Watson's grill for lunch and ate in the Restaurant in the third floor: a delightful, if overpriced ($25), duck pot pie. I do love the type of place that lets you swap your ski boots for slippers during lunch.
After lunch, I signed up for an Expert Off-trail Workshop that started at 1:30. I've been taking these things or private lessons the past several years because I don't love skiing alone, I can get a private tour guide who will take me to places and snow I may not find myself, and I usually can pick up some useful coaching from the pros.
This group had 2 other guys: 1 investment banker from Tampa and a grain farmer from Indiana. Our instructor was Walt, another one of those Alta pros in his 60's who ski so fluidly that they make all terrain look smooth and their skiing look slow and effortless. But they're not moving slowly, they just make it look that way!
We skied a variation on Fred's trees to the bottom, then we went out the High Traverse a couple of times to ski Rustler; one West and one North. I love those steep shots out there. Of course, since it had been snowing steadily all day, the conditions were getting better and better. We then did 2 runs on the Kitty. One out to skiers left of the lift (but not as far as Westward Ho), and one on Warm-up, based on the theory that you shouldn't pass up untracked snow to go maybe find it somewhere else. Now the pow was boot-top and creamy, after accumulating all day.
Walt suggested we ski to Watsons at this point and recharge. The workshops usually go from 1:39 to 4. But he said it was fun skiing with us, so he wanted to take a short break to get some coffee and water, and then ski until last chair at 4:30 at the angle station.
After 2 more runs on Collins face, we headed out the High Traverse again. This time we skied the wide open Greeley Bowl, and the snow had filled in to boot-top to knee deep. This is so totally what I came here for! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
The snow report said 9" during the day and this morning they reported another 4" overnight. The prediction is for a brief break today, followed by 4-8" tonight and another 2-4" tomorrow.
This bears repeating: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!
Jonathan
Jkamien@biopsych.com
