Alta, UT 1/1/2008

Day 19: What's that bright orange thing in the sky, anyway?

After skiing through our persistent December storm cycle, I can't remember the last time I skied on a sunny day. While the day started off rather nippy the sun was blazing and there wasn't a breath of wind, yielding a gorgeous day on the hill.

We started the day with a few laps on Supreme before they dropped the rope on Backside for the first time in about a week and we high-tailed it over there, first from the High Notch hike, then twice via the Backside gate...but each time skiing the road less traveled down Yellow Trail all the way to Glory Gulch -- we captured those runs on film:

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Skidog, Dale and Pat scooted just before lunch, and after lunch at Rustler Lodge I bid Tele Jon farewell and headed home, rather satisfied. I'd even questioned going up today as I tweaked my knee pretty hard on Sunday and started the day skiing tentatively, but in the end the rewards on Backside were great.

What are those goofy, toy-ish, clown skis on Skidog's feet?

I got there just after 1:30 - in fact, saw Admin headed down-canyon right around Superior - and stationed at the Hellgate gate was an Alta sheriff and Ono Wiringa informing that Alta (both ski area and town of) had run out of parking spaces. You were welcome to cruise around and try to find a vacated spot since folks were leaving, don't get creative in finding spots since they were towing, be nice and be mellow, since apparently some folks were getting into arguments and near fist-fights. I got lucky and found a spot in the Wildcat lot just as I was getting ready to bail.

My 4 runs went more or less OK - a pair of greens off of Sunnyside and the usual blues off of Collins, including a little ungroomed, plus the Collins Return from Sugarloaf - but a bit of a sit at Alf's was needed in the middle (I was hungry anyway). Ungroomed was more painful than groomed, bumps (did a few short stretches with small ones) hurt, and skating really hurt. I think I'll leave Backside and stuff off the T alone for a while yet.

Edited to add: Met up with an Alta friend of mine in GMD at my end of the day and she mentioned that I looked pale - and I don't see her all that often.I guess quitting when I did was the right decision.

I should have called either or both Admin and Marc_C this AM. Regardless, I got a late ("retiree") start and decided to stop at Snowbird around 11:45. I got to park in what a cop said was the "health club" parking lot since all other areas were filled. I hiked across the road and dropped down to Wilbere. I then went over to Peruvian (I saw no point in bucking the Tram crowd.) which had no line and took the tunnel into Minereal Basin. I alternated skiing the Mineral Basin Express and the Baldy Express. Around 2:30 I dropped back out by Little Cloud and skied down to the Mid Gad Restaurant for a Cutthroat Pale Ale. I met a couple of "locals" and joined them in lapping Little Cloud and enjoying the soft snow in the sunshine. By 3:45 I decided I was done and headed back to my car near the base of Wilbere. Unfortunately, I had to alternately stop, or creep in first gear all the way down the Mountain road. A Civic had ass-ended an SUV nearly at the base of the canyon and all the traffic had to work around them. I got a chance to call my former east-coast ski/travel buddy Bobby and describe in detail what I had enjoyed on this "blue sky" day. He, his wife, and her 10 year old son are looking to come west later this month. We look forward to hosting them in our home in Draper.