Snowbird, UT 11/21/09

[Admin]

Day 3: A live report

I'm sitting in Creekside trying to get motivated.

We were supposed to be on the hill at 9, but Tele Jon overslept when his power went out overnight. I should get out there rather than wait for it's not crowded now, but there's a steady flow arriving.

More to come...

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

 

[Admin]

As Paul Harvey would say, "And now, here's the rest of the story."

I stayed for a couple of hours. After the past two weekends of doing short vert, it was nice to have the entire length of Gadzoom to ski and I did a half dozen runs with Tele Jon. Cover was edge to edge, although "edge to edge" was a bit tight in a couple of locations, most notably on the road connecting Bassackwards to Big Emma. The upper part of Big Emma was a bit firm in places, while you could open it up and arc through the midsection, and snowguns kept the snow softest down low. Guns are also going above Gadzoom up toward Regulator Johnson. There's a surprising dearth of natural snow up there, and I'll be happy when the Wasatch flakes finally arrive. That won't be this weekend though, for our Saturday/Sunday storm turned into another dud. It was merely flurrying up there today.

They also had Chickadee running.

Somehow the lift line never exceeded 2-3 minutes. By 11:30 the traffic had picked up and surfaces were getting more scratchy. With Big Emma's potential to turn into a killing field we skied to the parking lot. Understand, though, that my tolerance level for people on the slopes is far lower than the typical person's.

Here it is in pictures:

 

[Marc_C]

Your pics perfectly capture why I didn't bother skiing today.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Your pics perfectly capture why I didn't bother skiing today.

That, and Admin's comment about Big Emma's potential for turning into a "..killing field" also kept me off the mountain today. I hope "storm #2" actually turns into a dump.

 

[Admin]

That, and Admin's comment about Big Emma's potential for turning into a "..killing field" also kept me off the mountain today. I hope "storm #2" actually turns into a dump.

Really, it was a substantial bit of hyperbole. It would've been great snow in Vermont and a light crowd at Hunter. :stir:

 

[tirolerpeter]

That, and Admin's comment about Big Emma's potential for turning into a "..killing field" also kept me off the mountain today. I hope "storm #2" actually turns into a dump.

Really, it was a substantial bit of hyperbole. It would've been great snow in Vermont and a light crowd at Hunter. :stir:

I realize it was hyperbole, but the remarks about the "great snow in Vermont" and the "light crowd at Hunter" reminded me why I decided to cash it all in back east and move to UT. Regardless, I did enjoy the time I spent lapping Gadzoom on Friday, and I was glad that I was there to begin my third season here in the Wasatch. BTW, I really did believe that Saturday might become very crowded and I didn't want to have to deal with that. I'm actually surprised that skier numbers were as light as shown in your pictures.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Excellent! A new season, a new installment of:

why I decided to cash it all in back east and move to UT.

You're like the guy on the subway who talks to himself, repeating the same two sentences over and over.

 

[Bobby Danger]

arrival was just after two p.m. worked longer than anticipated. stayed until closing five runs first couple were a bit crowded but after that the crowd thinned out nicely. that vertical had to be twice the length of brighton and solitude combined. hard and fast surface. reminded me of skiing back in new hampster on good early season man made.

 

[Admin]

Could be worse -- I was sent this image at Killington this morning:

I'm heading back up for a few more runs this a.m.

 

[tirolerpeter]

Excellent! A new season, a new installment of:

why I decided to cash it all in back east and move to UT.

You're like the guy on the subway who talks to himself, repeating the same two sentences over and over.

We must have crossed paths in the subway when I used to commute to work in Manhattan! The white stuff here in the Wasatch can have that kind of effect on a person :-D

 

[jtran10]

I'll be up every afternoon until Alta opens, if anyone will be up there this week let me know.

If this snow comes through thinking about skiing Collins tomorrow AM.

 

[Marc_C]

I'll be up every afternoon until Alta opens, if anyone will be up there this week let me know.

If this snow comes through thinking about skiing Collins tomorrow AM.

Actually, you probably won't. From todays avi advisory:

Much of Alta will be closed to uphill traffic as they prep for opening day. Access to Grizzly Gulch and Supreme will still be open via the Summer Road. Remember that the closed ski areas aren't conducting avalanche control and all your 'known' terrain has a backcountry snowpack.