Day 75: Smoooooothhhhh.
The last foot of last weekend's two-foot storm fell after the mountain closed on Sunday, and it remained closed Monday through Thursday. That meant that everything was filled in -- tracks, and what few bumps existed -- leaving everything pool-table smooth for the few who showed up on Friday.
I snuck out for a couple of hours at the opening bell, joined by AmyZ, Skidog and Telejon. There wasn't a cloud in the sky or a breath of wind. Stuff facing east (or with any component of east) was softened at the get-go. West-facing skied well because it had been baked sufficiently this week to make it supportable, although you could still shave off about an eighth of an inch with each turn. North-facing, actually, wasn't skiing as well as the surface was only semi-supportable. The exception to that rule was when they opened Ballroom/Baldy Shoulder, which was still remarkably soft with little surface crusting.
We're also hatching our plans for Sunday's final day party, and all are welcome to join us. With over 100 inches of snow, two live bands, tons of food, cold beer and a hot sun, this promises to be a good one!
I learned on Friday that they're setting up a stage for the bands (one of them is Marinade, I'm not sure who the second band is) in our usual spot in the far southwest corner of Alta's Wildcat Parking Lot. As a result, I've consulted with Sam and we've agreed to move our spot to the northwest corner. I've marked the spot on the attached aerial photo to help those unfamiliar with the points on the compass rose. :wink:
We'll be setting up early but likely skiing until at least mid-afternoon, and the full-on festivities don't get going until around 4:30, when the Collins lift loads its last passengers for the season. Come one, come all -- just bring some dead animal to toss on the grill, a side to share and something cold and refreshing to drink. Oh, and if you plan on skiing all-day lift tickets are reduced to $50.
Anyway, here are some photos from Friday:
The last foot of last weekend's two-foot storm fell after the mountain closed on Sunday, and it remained closed Monday through Thursday. That meant that everything was filled in -- tracks, and what few bumps existed -- leaving everything pool-table smooth for the few who showed up on Friday.
I snuck out for a couple of hours at the opening bell, joined by AmyZ, Skidog and Telejon. There wasn't a cloud in the sky or a breath of wind. Stuff facing east (or with any component of east) was softened at the get-go. West-facing skied well because it had been baked sufficiently this week to make it supportable, although you could still shave off about an eighth of an inch with each turn. North-facing, actually, wasn't skiing as well as the surface was only semi-supportable. The exception to that rule was when they opened Ballroom/Baldy Shoulder, which was still remarkably soft with little surface crusting.
We're also hatching our plans for Sunday's final day party, and all are welcome to join us. With over 100 inches of snow, two live bands, tons of food, cold beer and a hot sun, this promises to be a good one!
I learned on Friday that they're setting up a stage for the bands (one of them is Marinade, I'm not sure who the second band is) in our usual spot in the far southwest corner of Alta's Wildcat Parking Lot. As a result, I've consulted with Sam and we've agreed to move our spot to the northwest corner. I've marked the spot on the attached aerial photo to help those unfamiliar with the points on the compass rose. :wink:
We'll be setting up early but likely skiing until at least mid-afternoon, and the full-on festivities don't get going until around 4:30, when the Collins lift loads its last passengers for the season. Come one, come all -- just bring some dead animal to toss on the grill, a side to share and something cold and refreshing to drink. Oh, and if you plan on skiing all-day lift tickets are reduced to $50.
Anyway, here are some photos from Friday:
