EMSC
Well-known member
Most of the group from the annual trip had crazy early flights out of SLC leaving just two of us to ski Sunday. Fortunately we are both in the same ski level. Neither of us had skied DV before and wanted to at least check it out, plus the proximity to my needed I 80 departure route made for a seemingly good choice.
Another sunny blue-sky day but the cool front from Saturday was keeping things a touch too cool early given the warmth in the prior few days. We started off at the Snow Peak base going up to the top of bald Mtn first and lookers left. Trying out some shaded tree areas that skied OK up top before becoming winter snow but rather firm lower down. There had been an obvious rather recent wind event given a very large number of downed trees and tons of branches and debris all over the whole ski area.
Eventually we hit a short pitch at the bottom that was just corning up and facing due east. We tried out a couple more firm and somewhat scratchy runs on Bald mtn before moving over to Flagstaff mtn for one disappointingly low angle groomer.
Eventually moving over to Empire lift. Taking 6 laps in various aspects of Daly bowl, Daly, chutes, etc... Nice pitch and the best snow on the mtn though that wasn't saying too much since it was still winter 'chalky' snow, but very, very stiff skiing snow. The traverse to get into that was very easy - both a good thing and bad thing. The snow in the steepest parts is getting so thin that it may break through to ground in the next few days if they down start getting some more snow.
A lot more of the slopes appeared to be getting soft finally as I was heading out.
I needed to be on the road so we headed back through the zig zag layout and excruciatingly slow return lifts like Viking and Homestake. So my day ended at ~1:15p and I was on the road for the 7 hour drive just 15 minutes later. This time with wind at my back and short stops in Rock Springs WY and Wellington CO my only diversions. It should be noted that on trips like this I get all the leftover food and beverages making for fewer stops. One year it took me until June or July to get through all the cases of beer that had been overbought.
Another sunny blue-sky day but the cool front from Saturday was keeping things a touch too cool early given the warmth in the prior few days. We started off at the Snow Peak base going up to the top of bald Mtn first and lookers left. Trying out some shaded tree areas that skied OK up top before becoming winter snow but rather firm lower down. There had been an obvious rather recent wind event given a very large number of downed trees and tons of branches and debris all over the whole ski area.
Eventually we hit a short pitch at the bottom that was just corning up and facing due east. We tried out a couple more firm and somewhat scratchy runs on Bald mtn before moving over to Flagstaff mtn for one disappointingly low angle groomer.
Eventually moving over to Empire lift. Taking 6 laps in various aspects of Daly bowl, Daly, chutes, etc... Nice pitch and the best snow on the mtn though that wasn't saying too much since it was still winter 'chalky' snow, but very, very stiff skiing snow. The traverse to get into that was very easy - both a good thing and bad thing. The snow in the steepest parts is getting so thin that it may break through to ground in the next few days if they down start getting some more snow.
A lot more of the slopes appeared to be getting soft finally as I was heading out.
I needed to be on the road so we headed back through the zig zag layout and excruciatingly slow return lifts like Viking and Homestake. So my day ended at ~1:15p and I was on the road for the 7 hour drive just 15 minutes later. This time with wind at my back and short stops in Rock Springs WY and Wellington CO my only diversions. It should be noted that on trips like this I get all the leftover food and beverages making for fewer stops. One year it took me until June or July to get through all the cases of beer that had been overbought.
