Alta/Snowbird March 30-April 1, 2019

22 inches in just over 24 hours.....and a lot of terrain didn’t open today.

JTG4eva! wrote

22 inches in just over 24 hours.....and a lot of terrain didn’t open today.

So which lift did you ride the most?

EDIT:  Oops, stopped looking at the thread title.

Just landed, tomorrow is day one.  So a lot of terrain not opening today is a good thing!  Going to do some Alta studying tonight.  Sat next to another east coast skier on the plane, out for the weekend, we are both skiing Alta solo tomorrow, so we may hook up.  Temps forecast to stay low now, preserve pow.  A backcountry group came together last minute for Sunday.  I’m stoked....Harvey will have some proper trip reporting tomorrow!

Waiting on Devil’s Castle gate after 2 hours of untracked pow.

Pardon my French, but holy s*%t.  I could never ski another day in my life and die a happy man.  Untracked boot top at Mach 5 under this....



Two Castle laps and I need BEER!

So, got in line for Collins at 8am (9:15 open).  Shared the lift with a local West Point grad all morning.  Honestly, so far this morning I have met no less than 10 people from NYC, Troy, Albany, many Saratoga.  Go figure!  Some transplanted out here, others not.  Rather than waiting for gates to open Scott took me to all his go to powder spots that skied incredible while bombs were going off.  We skied Sugarloaf and Supreme, took a trip out to Catherine’s.  So good.  Chasing a local didn’t allow for many pics the first couple of hours.  

Scott needed to hook up with his 71 year old dad, so around 11 I figured I’d hit Sugarloaf and see what was happening at the Devil’s Castle gate.  Sure enough people were lining up, so I jumped in line about 20 people back.  Another local I shared the morning lift first thing pulled up behind, and I figured I was in the right place.  Waited about a half an hour, but met one of the Albany peeps who now hails from DC.  First run out dropped in relatively quick.  Hard to pass up the powder!




Second Devil’s run I took the traverse as far as you can.  Work, but well worth it.  Incredible scenery, and long, wide open, steep high speed powder.




Time to go do another Catherine’s lap, then maybe save the legs for a big BC day tomorrow.  Well, maybe after a PBR, because I’m not sure I’ve ever seen that on tap before!

Awesome!

Aahh...I could get used to ending ski days like this.



My legs weren’t up to standing at the bar in the Goldminer’s.....Oh, and I missed to turn off the High-T, so I missed Alf’s.  No, my legs weren’t up to that either....

Standing here looking at it, I’m pretty sure Alf’s non-stop at the end of a big day would kill mere mortals.

They were throwing bombs on Baldy at 3:00.

It’s snowing again.

A few ‘Catherine’s at 3:00 on a late March powder Saturday’ shots.





And a little more Wasatch/LCC porn.

Nice pics!  Seems as if you've become an Altaholic.

But I'm not sure I can look any more . . . don't arrive at Alta until Tuesday.  This was not a weekend when flying out early was a possibility. <sigh>

Last I checked there was snow in the forecast starting Tuesday....

Talked to the guide.  Objective for tomorrow is to work around the back side of Superior to Cardiac Ridge.  Should provide steep pow from the summit, then a long run down to Big Cottonwood Canyon, with a shuttle car to bring us back up LCC.  One massive run, but it will cover a lot of ground!

marznc wrote

Seems as if you've become an Altaholic.

The problem is, each new place I go is my new favorite place.  Alta is a pretty cool place.

I may spring for the dual mountain ticket Monday, at least get a run or two in Mineral, maybe ‘do’ the Tram if the line is reasonable....

JTG4eva! wrote

marznc wrote

Seems as if you've become an Altaholic.

The problem is, each new place I go is my new favorite place.  Alta is a pretty cool place.

I may spring for the dual mountain ticket Monday, at least get a run or two in Mineral, maybe ‘do’ the Tram if the line is reasonable....

I wouldn't expect the line for the tram to be too long after 10:30 or so.  Local powder hounds often head out by lunch time . . . to go to work.  If you go to Snowbird, be interested to know how the vibe feels to you compared to Alta.

FYI, the hike to the top of Baldy is a lot easier from the Snowbird side.

I've been lucky enough to ski at assorted big mountains in the last 5-6 years, mostly based on the MCP but also Big Sky, Targhee, and Bachelor.  Alta remains my favorite and the only place I go every season.

I can see why.  Of course the skiing, but the Lodges are great.



Not a shabby breakfast spot!

A little morning sun on Baldy.



That’s good to know about the Baldy hike, I’d like to get up there if they are open.

JTG4eva! wrote

I can see why.  Of course the skiing, but the Lodges are great.

The Rustler view is good, but the one from Alta Lodge is better. Looking straight at Baldy and High Rustler.

We usually eat lunch at the Rustler once during a stay.  Good food but takes a little longer than eating at Alta Lodge, which is also open to anyone, not just overnight guests.  I'm curious to look around the newly rebuilt Snowpine.

Have fun!

Alta is an annual event for the wife and I. Although she has gone from someone who skied all over the mountain to now just skiing Sunnyside in the morning and having tea at Albion.

Don’t think that Snowbird ant Alta get the same weather, I have had 18” powder days at Alta where Snowbird has 4.

I like the expanse of Snowbird better and there are places that no one seems to go that hold snow for days. I don’t care much for mineral basin though. It can be nice spring skiing there though.

PeeTex wrote

Alta is an annual event for the wife and I. Although she has gone from someone who skied all over the mountain to now just skiing Sunnyside in the morning and having tea at Albion.

Don’t think that Snowbird ant Alta get the same weather, I have had 18” powder days at Alta where Snowbird has 4.

I like the expanse of Snowbird better and there are places that no one seems to go that hold snow for days. I don’t care much for mineral basin though. It can be nice spring skiing there though.

I rode up Supreme with a couple who are members of the Wild Old Bunch a couple years ago.  They were midwesterners who spend the winter in SLC at the base of LCC.  More than old enough for an Alta Senior Pass.  In that case, the wife had become a snow snob.  Only joined in for skiing when there was fresh powder off-piste to enjoy.  Husband apparently skied with his buddies every weekday regardless of conditions.  Always fun to see Wild Old Bunch folks at Alf's around 11:00.

I'm glad Ikon is a combo pass.  When the MCP was a combo pass, I liked skiing a bit in Mineral in the mornings when most of the terrain at Alta was still frozen.  Starting in 2017-18, got 2 days each at Alta and Snowbird on the MCP but had to get a ride from Alta to Snowbird to start a Snowbird day.  They did let people staying in LCC ski back across to their lodging in the afternoon after 3:00 when Mineral Basin was open.

Awesome trip JTG and I really like yourTR format. It’s got a nice stream-of-consciencness/ cliffhanger quality to it