Day 28: What can go wrong, will go wrong.
The road wasn't scheduled to open until 10 am this morning, so I took my time today. I therefore wasn't ready when they opened the road at 8:30. #-o That meant traffic, and I hit a wall of stopped cars at the big hill on Wasatch near BCC. Finally cresting the hill, I took a right on Bengal, then a left, then a right on Creek Rd to Danish Rd, which put me just south of the La Caille sign. I continued south on Wasatch, banging a left on 9400 S which put me in stop-and-go again on the southern approach to LCC, but I gained about a mile and a half on the backup. It was 9:45 by the time I got to Alta.
That was all well and good, but my maneuvering meant that I was the first one of the posse to arrive. #-o I did bump into Salida in the parking lot, but I waited for the others as he went direct to lift. I never saw him again all day.
Sharon and her friend Pam are in town, of course. We were joined by Marc_C, Amy, Tele Jon, Sam and Pat. We hit Wildcat, finding tracked loose snow through Punch Bowl and down to Bridge Shot. The snow was very, very wet and heavy (snow line ~6,000 feet) -- untracked skied very well, but tracked up snow was pushed into dense little piles that really threw you off balance, especially because they couldn't be seen in fog and heavy snow. We got separated from Marc_C after the first run and we never caught up with him for the rest of the day.
We found the untracked that we were looking for on the second run off Wildcat by being a bit creative. After waiting for what seemed like forever for the bus to arrive, however, we hoofed it back to Alta through Powder Ridge.
By the time we got back Supreme opened, so we headed directly over there and scored exceptional untracked snow in Catherine's Area. Ready to do it again, we got back to Supreme to find it running on auxiliary diesel power and not loading. #-o
Plan B took us out to North Rustler, which also delivered in spades -- soft piles of fluffy snow just begged to be taken at speed. The temperature was dropping, and the snowfall getting lighter while not lessening even the slightest bit in intensity. En route to North Rustler, however, we noticed that Collins wasn't spinning, ladders were being used in the top station and folks were stuck sitting on the lift.
With both Collins and Supreme down, it seemed like the right time for lunch at GMD. Marc_C called, and he was already heading down the canyon. When Collins hadn't resumed operating by 2:45, though, and with the canyon road scheduled for close for control work at 3, I decided to make a hasty exit and beat the closure. So did Jon.
They closed the road, however, at 2:55 #-o , so I spent the next hour sitting in my truck in stopped traffic on the Bypass Road, ironically right next to our usual bus stop. My normal 25-minute commute took 2.5 hours tonight to get home. ](*,) The snow level has now reached the Valley floor, proof positive that things are cooling down and the snow is drying out. I shoveled about three inches of the heaviest, wettest slush imaginable when I reached my driveway. The road will close again tonight from 12:15 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Tomorrow's going to be huge, so huge that I'm thinking about taking a day off of work.
The road wasn't scheduled to open until 10 am this morning, so I took my time today. I therefore wasn't ready when they opened the road at 8:30. #-o That meant traffic, and I hit a wall of stopped cars at the big hill on Wasatch near BCC. Finally cresting the hill, I took a right on Bengal, then a left, then a right on Creek Rd to Danish Rd, which put me just south of the La Caille sign. I continued south on Wasatch, banging a left on 9400 S which put me in stop-and-go again on the southern approach to LCC, but I gained about a mile and a half on the backup. It was 9:45 by the time I got to Alta.
That was all well and good, but my maneuvering meant that I was the first one of the posse to arrive. #-o I did bump into Salida in the parking lot, but I waited for the others as he went direct to lift. I never saw him again all day.
Sharon and her friend Pam are in town, of course. We were joined by Marc_C, Amy, Tele Jon, Sam and Pat. We hit Wildcat, finding tracked loose snow through Punch Bowl and down to Bridge Shot. The snow was very, very wet and heavy (snow line ~6,000 feet) -- untracked skied very well, but tracked up snow was pushed into dense little piles that really threw you off balance, especially because they couldn't be seen in fog and heavy snow. We got separated from Marc_C after the first run and we never caught up with him for the rest of the day.
We found the untracked that we were looking for on the second run off Wildcat by being a bit creative. After waiting for what seemed like forever for the bus to arrive, however, we hoofed it back to Alta through Powder Ridge.
By the time we got back Supreme opened, so we headed directly over there and scored exceptional untracked snow in Catherine's Area. Ready to do it again, we got back to Supreme to find it running on auxiliary diesel power and not loading. #-o
Plan B took us out to North Rustler, which also delivered in spades -- soft piles of fluffy snow just begged to be taken at speed. The temperature was dropping, and the snowfall getting lighter while not lessening even the slightest bit in intensity. En route to North Rustler, however, we noticed that Collins wasn't spinning, ladders were being used in the top station and folks were stuck sitting on the lift.
With both Collins and Supreme down, it seemed like the right time for lunch at GMD. Marc_C called, and he was already heading down the canyon. When Collins hadn't resumed operating by 2:45, though, and with the canyon road scheduled for close for control work at 3, I decided to make a hasty exit and beat the closure. So did Jon.
They closed the road, however, at 2:55 #-o , so I spent the next hour sitting in my truck in stopped traffic on the Bypass Road, ironically right next to our usual bus stop. My normal 25-minute commute took 2.5 hours tonight to get home. ](*,) The snow level has now reached the Valley floor, proof positive that things are cooling down and the snow is drying out. I shoveled about three inches of the heaviest, wettest slush imaginable when I reached my driveway. The road will close again tonight from 12:15 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Tomorrow's going to be huge, so huge that I'm thinking about taking a day off of work.
