Friday was mostly sunny, and temperatures warmed to over 20F at the base but still 10-15F higher up. In addition there was wind along the top ridgeline.
I met Lonnie, Tseeb and Stephan in Mineral Basin. I wanted to check out the Bookends though Tseeb had been out there already. The traverse line had not been set efficiently and there was a step up almost like before Snowbird blasted an opening a few years back. The powder had stiffened some, likely due to wind, but still skied well and it was worth the schlep out there.
As we returned to the Mineral chair we saw people traversing in from the south. This meant Patrol Gully was open, so after a cruise on Powder Paradise we rode Baldy and easily found very lightly tracked powder in Patrol Gully.
From the top of Mineral Basin we used Chip’s Access to get to the Upper Silver Fox gate. We skied Macaroni, then a section of Upper Silver Fox and finally the traverse skier’s left to the bowls between Silver Fox and Great Scott.
We cruised to Gadzoom, then Little Cloud, where Stephan bailed for a break at mid-Gad. Tseeb, Lonnie and I skied the Rastas and then Hoops, the latter having a soft wind smoothed section.
We took the Mid-Cirque out a bit farther than I had Thursday, intending to ski South Chute. I was lured off a bit early by soft snowfields, but eventually saw a short traverse through trees about 1/3 of the way down South Chute. Tseeb and Lonnie were below me and had to take a more sporting entry into South Chute.
View lower down South Chute, with soft and smooth packed powder:
Now we needed a break at mid-Gad about 2PM. We skied to Gadzoom via Snake Pit, then back up top for the final run of the week. I wanted to ski Great Scott, but from above the entry looked sketchy. We moved down to Shot 10, and then cruised to the bridge where we can walk through parking lots on level ground to Iron Blosam. I skied 22,500 vertical, more than I expected after the prior two days.
I met Lonnie, Tseeb and Stephan in Mineral Basin. I wanted to check out the Bookends though Tseeb had been out there already. The traverse line had not been set efficiently and there was a step up almost like before Snowbird blasted an opening a few years back. The powder had stiffened some, likely due to wind, but still skied well and it was worth the schlep out there.
As we returned to the Mineral chair we saw people traversing in from the south. This meant Patrol Gully was open, so after a cruise on Powder Paradise we rode Baldy and easily found very lightly tracked powder in Patrol Gully.
From the top of Mineral Basin we used Chip’s Access to get to the Upper Silver Fox gate. We skied Macaroni, then a section of Upper Silver Fox and finally the traverse skier’s left to the bowls between Silver Fox and Great Scott.
We cruised to Gadzoom, then Little Cloud, where Stephan bailed for a break at mid-Gad. Tseeb, Lonnie and I skied the Rastas and then Hoops, the latter having a soft wind smoothed section.
We took the Mid-Cirque out a bit farther than I had Thursday, intending to ski South Chute. I was lured off a bit early by soft snowfields, but eventually saw a short traverse through trees about 1/3 of the way down South Chute. Tseeb and Lonnie were below me and had to take a more sporting entry into South Chute.
View lower down South Chute, with soft and smooth packed powder:
Now we needed a break at mid-Gad about 2PM. We skied to Gadzoom via Snake Pit, then back up top for the final run of the week. I wanted to ski Great Scott, but from above the entry looked sketchy. We moved down to Shot 10, and then cruised to the bridge where we can walk through parking lots on level ground to Iron Blosam. I skied 22,500 vertical, more than I expected after the prior two days.
